This was a session at [[Seed 2011]].
== Participants ==
* [[Gus]] (convener)
* [[Ben]] (note-taker)
* [[Lyric]]
* [[Brandon]]
* [[Shelley]]
* [[Sequoia]]
* [[Molly]]
* [[Mathew]]
== Notes ==
* http://liberaluniversity.org
** First non-religiously-affiliated university in Oregon
*** Known as "the atheist college"
** Lasted from 1892-1902 (formally founded in 1897)
*** Occupied the only "Liberal Hall" in Oregon that wasn't out in the country
** Gus is assembling archival material on the website, as well as new stuff
* Historical context
** Silver Falls Timber Company was Silverton's big industry until they chopped all the trees down
*** [http://liberaluniversity.org/luosftcpan.php Quicktime VR] of the timber operation from a panoramic photo taken using a camera similar to the ones on the Viking landers
** Germ theory was just discovered
** "Free Love" movement at the time, offshoot of Free Thought, was opposed to marriage because it constituted enslavement of women
** Silverton Oak was chopped down around that time by what Homer Davenport called "the new element, men with higher collars and smaller hats"
** First air mail to fly out of Silverton was flown by a female pilot
* People involved in LUO
** James K. Buff
*** Protested fashion by wearing outrageous costumes
*** Tended to walk long distances
** Homer C. Davenport
*** Was considered a lazy kid in Silverton
*** Hired by Hearst in San Francisco, became highest-paid political cartoonist of the era in New York
*** Gus did an annotated edition of the book of his cartoons 5 years ago
*** Father Timothy was a prominent Republican who prevented Oregon from becoming a slave state and decried mistreatment of Native Americans
** Pearl W. Geer, co-founder
*** Related to first native-born governor of Oregon
*** Later went into vaudeville and did sound effects
*** Family now runs a CSA called Geercrest Farm
** Prof. J.E. Hosmer
*** Zealous temperance advocate
*** Quit LUO because they didn't fit his model of Free Thought, claiming he would move to California, then bought the local newspaper instead and used it for anti-LUO campaign
*** Also attacked Catholic Church, which sued him for libel and won
** Jake McClaine
*** Banker who was a major community benefactor
**** Rode at the head of funeral procession
**** Funded the trombone band
*** Supposedly the only Democrat in Silverton at the time
** MacGert Cooley
*** Violin and cornet instructor at LUO
*** Also in the Silverton Marine Band
*** Kicked in the head by a horse as a child
* [http://liberaluniversity.org/luo02.php Courses]
** Grange has been wanting to put together courses on sustainability, permaculture, etc
** 4 areas:
*** Physical sciences and math
*** Biologics, including agriculture
*** Social sciences
*** Environment, art, and health
** Will have some "Extraterrestrial Agriculture" courses
** Uses open-source Learning Management System called [http://moodle.org Moodle]