Frank Loxley Griffin was one of the first faculty members, and later became Reed president. Pictured here in 1947.
nburdened by a past and armed with a generous $3 million founding endowment, Reed College opened for business in 1911 with a rebellious charge to the status quo of college practices and values.
The first class of students met on September 18, 1911, in temporary quarters at the corner of Southwest 11th Avenue and Jefferson Street, in downtown Portland. There were 50 first-year students—26 men and 24 women—and five faculty members. Classes were taught for half a day to give faculty organizational time. Faculty and students agreed to unproctored examinations, where everyone was “on his honor.” The first faculty members included F.L. Griffin, Edward O. Sisson, Elizabeth Rowland, W. Ogburn, and Norman Coleman; Florence Read was hired as Foster’s secretary while Harvey Davis became responsible for the grounds and physical plant. Foster’s educational plan had students selecting from many electives in consultation with faculty advisers.
Reed in 1911
