Willamette's Distinctive Legacy in Sustainability
At Willamette, sustainability is not a fad. In fact, Willamette has been on the cutting edge of social and environmental sustainability for decades— it is part and parcel of who we are as an institution, and community dedicated to fulfilling our motto, "not unto ourselves alone are we born."
For instance, in 1954 at Bell Labs, two Willamette graduates, Gerald Pearson ('26) and Daryl Chapin ('27), developed the first practical photovoltaic cell— the basic design favored today to run everything from refrigerators in central Africa to powering lights in the new Kaneko Commons. They were awarded honorary doctorates by Willamette in 1956, and recevied several international science prizes for their work, which laid the critical groundwork for a bright, clean, less fossil fuel dependent future.
In 1973 Willamette University founded one of the first interdisciplinary environmental science program in the nation— a program that thrives to this day.
In 1977 through the generosity of the Lilly Foundation, Willamette University founded the Alternative Futures Project, exploring the linkages between the economy, social values, and environmental protection at the community scale.
Present and former Willamette faculty, students, and staff founded "Sustainable Fairview Associates," a consortium transforming 275 acres of a former Oregon state hospital into a landmark experiment in sustainable community design.