The Trust Fund

1n 1998, Bob and Barbara Sherman donated three single-family residential properties to the Oregon State University Foundation. The properties were sold and the proceeds placed in a charitable remainder trust, under the terms of which the Foundation, through its investment pool, will seek to increase the gift while also providing the donors with a guaranteed income for life. The Fund is to be used for the purpose of aiding the faculty, programs and students of the Department of Botany & Plant Pathology in a manner as may be determined by the Head of the Department at Oregon State University.

Make a Gift

Biographical Sketch

Bob and Barbara Sherman arrived in Corvallis from Iowa in 1964. Bob, interested in Forest Ecology, signed on with Bill Chilcote while Barbara took a position in Microbiology. By 1966 both of them were graduate teaching assistants in Botany and Plant Pathology; Barbara worked with Harry Phinney. Bob and Barbara both received their PhD's in 1968.

After graduation, Bob took a position as Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Barbara taught at UC and Colorado College. Two years later, Bob took a position at Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, where he taught botany and plant ecology for 24 years. During the last five years before his retirement in 1994, he served in the administration as Dean of Academic Programs and Graduate Studies, and as Dean of Natural Sciences. Barbara taught part-time before spending nine years in administration for Santa Rosa Junior College, and nine years teaching chemistry and biology at Ursuline High in Santa Rosa.

Following retirement, they returned to Sisters in Central Oregon, the site of their graduate field studies in the 1960's. While in Sisters, they were involved in many activities. Barbara served a two-year term as Guild President of the Cascade Festival of Music, and sang in the Sisters Community Chorus. Bob supervised the construction of seven Habitat for Humanity homes and, given his interest in fire ecology, worked as a volunteer with the Deschutes National Forest. In 1997 Bob received national recognition from the US Forest Service for his work using photo interpretation and GIS to map the fire history of the Deschutes NF. He also served as a Captain with the Cloverdale Volunteer Fire Department. Bob and Barbara were active members of the High Desert Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Oregon. In 2002, they moved to Saint Paul, MN where they continue in a number of volunteer activities.