Introduction to the "Trees of Reed" Book
 The present 100-acre Reed College
campus was originally founded on 86 acres of the well-known Crystal Springs
Farm purchased through the estate of Simeon Gannett Reed for the purpose
of creating the Reed Institute. The campus included large open areas with
orchards and vegetable gardens surrounding a spring-fed lake with a creek
running through the central canyon wildlife habitat, all within a very
desirable residential area of southeast Portland.
Most of the trees on campus
today have been planted since the college was founded. Early campus photographs
of the front lawn show little evidence of any trees other than the striking
Douglas-firs in front of Eliot Hall and the Old Dorm Block. It is believed
that the Beech and Maple trees to the south of the newly remodeled Psychology
building are remnants of nursery stock from the original farm. Florence
Lehman '41 recalls the first major landscape planting occurring in January
of 1933 by W.A. Eliot (father of Mignon Hoover Eliot Eliot, '22, and grandfather
of Warner Ayres Eliot, '46). W.A. Eliot was president of the Oregon Audubon
Society at the time he presented the college with 71 native trees collected
from various regions of Oregon. Included among these were 26 coniferous
and 29 broadleaf trees, and they are presented in the text. Many of these
trees are still on campus. It is our intent to reestablish those trees
no longer standing today.
The campus' outstanding qualities
of botanical interest have brought Reed significant attention, including
selection by a national magazine as one of the five best examples of "genus
college" in the United States, along with Dartmouth College, the University
of Virginia, Bryn Mawr College, and the University of California. William
L. Owen '59 was the first person to take an active interest in identifying
the Reed campus tree collection. In 1984 Owen presented the College with
a thorough study identifying the relative value and condition of the campus
trees. Owen's gift focused on the immense resource we possess on this
campus. As a result of this study, a specific budget category was created
for our ongoing tree maintenance program.
This book came into being because
of Phyllis Reynolds, daughter-in-law of the College's legendary teacher
of calligraphy, Lloyd Reynolds, and her interest in creating a tree handbook
for general use by the College community and the public at large. Studying
our campus through four seasons, Reynolds and taxonomist Stanley Lindstrom
presented the College with a detailed taxonomic list of trees and plotted
their specific locations on campus. Reynolds worked with us throughout
the project, reviewing the text and updating the maps.
It was through the giving spirit
of these friends of the College that this book was undertaken. Their efforts
represent a tremendous gift and have produced a valuable resource that
enables everyone to appreciate these remarkable trees.
The information was transferred
to a Macintosh database that can now be easily updated when new trees
are planted. The information presented here represents the combined efforts
of students and staff members who researched the tree descriptions, wrestled
with the computer software set-ups, labeled the maps, and engaged in other
tasks too numerous to mention. The photographs collected by the College
grounds department supervisor, Bruce Hefner, were a welcome addition and
offer a glimpse of what the campus has to offer. We are also grateful
for the contributions of students Lisa Batsford '95, Chris Fesler '96,
Michael Hebb '99, Beth Trittipo '96, Angela Hughes '97, and Nina Johnson
'99. It is through their efforts this project was completed.
Finally, we were fortunate
in having one person who tracked the process from concept to format to
bookbinding. The work required fast-track familiarity with the campus
landscape, desktop publishing and scientific nomenclature, and it was
done while balancing the active front office responsibilities of the physical
plant. Special thanks, therefore, to the indefatigable Gayle McCoy for
getting this project going, keeping it all together and without whom,
this book would not have been completed.
Walk amongst the giants, enjoy the trees of Reed College.
Townsend Angell
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