The history of the Honors College at University of Oregon began with the Sophomore Honors program. That program was created in 1949 to meet the academic needs of the university's most ambitious students. It was Professor Robert D. Clark who proposed a separate honors college because he believed that students "needed a community of scholars to which they could belong." The Honors College accepted its inaugural class of 119 freshmen in the fall of 1960.
In July 1975, the college was renamed the Robert D. Clark Honors College to reflect the vision and dedication of the man so instrumental in its creation and continuation.
Source: Robert D. Clark Honors College website: http://honors.uoregon.edu/content/chc
From the guide to the Robert D. Clark Honors College records, 1958-1975, (Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries)
