Oregon Historical Society Unveils Newest Exhibition Unstoppable: 150 Years Of The University Of Oregon (Photo) - 10/27/26
New exhibition explores a century and a half of innovation, discovery, and ideas shaping Oregon and the world
Portland, OR — From an unfinished building in a small Oregon town to groundbreaking research with global impact, the University of Oregon (UO) has spent 150 years challenging convention and turning bold ideas into real-world solutions. Now open at the Oregon Historical Society in downtown Portland, Unstoppable: 150 Years of the University of Oregon explores the university’s legacy of creativity, innovation, and discovery — and the possibilities that lie ahead.
When the UO opened its doors in Eugene in October 1876, Oregon was a young state. Lane County had fewer than 10,000 residents, and the new university offered two paths of study for its students. Today, the UO offers 302 certificate and degree programs, connecting students, researchers, and communities through ideas and innovations that reach far beyond campus.
“From its earliest days, the University of Oregon has been a place where curiosity leads to discovery and new ideas find practical applications,” said OHS Boyle Family Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk. “That spirit of innovation continues today, with researchers and students developing solutions that have the potential to improve lives in Oregon and around the world.”
A University at the Forefront of Innovation
Through an interactive exploration of the UO’s past, present, and future, Unstoppable reveals how the university’s pioneering spirit has influenced education, scientific discovery, environmental research, human performance, and industries across Oregon.
Few stories capture the UO’s inventive spirit quite like that of track coach Bill Bowerman. During his 24 years coaching at the university, Bowerman helped athletes become All-Americans and Olympians while experimenting with ways to improve running shoes. His famous attempt to create a new shoe sole by pouring rubber into his wife’s waffle iron became part of the story of an innovation that would help transform running footwear. Today, the UO continues to encourage interdisciplinary thinking, entrepreneurship, and hands-on learning — even in unexpected places, such as its Brewing Innovation minor, which combines the science of brewing with practical business skills.
Expanding Scientific Discovery
The University of Oregon’s commitment to scientific exploration dates to 1879, when it invested $2,000 in laboratory equipment. Today, researchers use advanced technologies — including 3D printing for medical implants and neuroscience to better understand health, stress, and risk — to explore new possibilities. By connecting promising research with startup funding, business expertise, and supporters, the UO helps move discoveries from the laboratory toward practical applications.
Pioneering Advances in Child Behavioral Health
The UO’s longstanding investment in education and psychology has evolved into innovative approaches to children’s behavioral health. In response to the growing need for mental health support for children and teens, the university has developed new academic and research initiatives to prepare professionals for the field. As of 2026, nearly 30,000 schools are using UO-developed tools designed to improve children’s lives.
Protecting our Environment for Future Generations
Oregon’s landscapes have long shaped the university’s identity and research priorities. From the coast to forests and other changing ecosystems, the UO’s scientists investigate biodiversity, environmental change, and the effects of increasingly severe weather and natural disasters. The university’s Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, established as a year-round research facility in Coos Bay in 1966, continues to support research into the rich diversity of marine life along the Oregon coast.
A Legacy Still Being Written
From its first professor of geology, Thomas Condon, whose fossil collection became the foundation of the UO Museum of Natural and Cultural History, to today’s researchers working across disciplines, the university’s history reflects a persistent belief that asking new questions can lead to meaningful change.
As the UO celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2026, Unstoppable offers a look at how the university’s unconventional spirit has shaped its history — and how its next chapter could help shape the world.
Plan Your Visit
Unstoppable: 150 Years of the University of Oregon
? October 16, 2026–March 29, 2027
? Oregon Historical Society, 1200 SW Park Avenue, Portland, Oregon
?️ $14 / Free for kids 17 and under, members, and Multnomah County residents.
About the Oregon Historical Society
For more than 125 years, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of objects, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms, educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all. We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and complex as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view.
