Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children & Families Grand Opening

On September 8, more than 150 friends and campus representatives gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children & Families at Oregon State University. The center was made possible by the visionary gift of the late Oregon philanthropist, Hallie Ford.

Those who spoke to honor the occasion included Ford’s children, Allyn Ford and Carmen Ford Phillips ’59, ’63, OSU Foundation Trustee and donor Cindy Campbell ’77, state Rep. Sara Gelser ’99, OSU President Ed Ray, Dean Tammy Bray, and Rick Settersten, who holds the endowed directorship of the center. Each placed items in a time capsule that will be held inside the building and opened in 100 years. An item was also sent by Gov. John Kitzhaber.

"The work done in the Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families will benefit countless children and families for decades to come," President Ray said during the ceremony. "And because the Hallie Ford Center will make a profound difference in the health of our communities, this center will make a difference for all of us.  I think Hallie Ford believed this and lived her life accordingly.  This building is a fitting legacy for a great woman and a great Oregonian."

A hallmark of the new center is collaboration among disciplines, and that spirit is evident in its design, which features a three-story atrium. The ground floor includes a welcoming common area, a family-style living area, conference room, and kitchen. Offices for researchers are located on the second floor, along with project rooms for conducting research (interviews, focus groups, observations). The third floor features project and conference rooms. A key feature of the new building is a series of three large murals created by Ron Mills de Pinyas, a professor of art at Linfield College.

The center has four research cores devoted to: Healthy Development in Early Childhood; Healthy Development for Youth and Young Adults; Parenting and Family Life; and Healthy Lifestyles and Obesity Prevention in Children and Families.

Born in Red Fork, Okla., in 1905, Hallie Ford was married to Kenneth W. Ford and played an active role in establishing and growing Roseburg Lumber Company, now known as Roseburg Forest Products Company. Shortly before she died at age 102 she made a gift of $8 million to Oregon State University, supporting a cause for which she advocated throughout her life: Oregon’s children and their families.

 

Learn more about the Hallie Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families:

• Launch opening remarks by Tammy Bray, Dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences
• Hallie Ford's $8 million gift
• Launch symposium video
• Oregon Stater article (PDF)
• The center has four research cores: Healthy Development in Early Childhood; Risky and Protective Behaviors and Environments for Youth; Obesity Prevention in Children and Families; and Vulnerable Children and Families.
• The physical building that will house the bulk of the work of the Hallie Ford Center will be completed in 2011.
• The Sept. 9, 2009, launch date was chosen by Dean Bray because nine is an auspicious number in Chinese numerology that signifies change and transformation.