By Dick Mason

Observer Staff Writer

Sixty-five years after last stepping onto Eastern Oregon University's campus, Lona Price Downing stepped into the spotlight Saturday at EOU's commencement.

Downing, 84, was one of the oldest students to receive her diploma at EOU's graduation at Community Stadium. She received a bachelor of science degree in liberal studies. She earned the degree over the course of three years via Eastern's distance education program.

"It has truly been a wonderful thing for me,'' said Downing, who lives in Lakeside near Coos Bay.

Her noteworthy story started in the late 1930s. Downing received her teaching certificate in 1938 after completing a 2 1/2-year program at Eastern Normal School. She taught about three years and later started a 25 1/2- year career with the U.S. Forest Service as a district clerk in Eastern Oregon.

Downing always regretted that she had not earned a four-year degree. Eastern's distance education program caught her eye, a program allowed her to earn her degree while taking classes on the Internet.

Downing did not have to earn four years worth of credits to receive her degree. She was already credited with having two years of college. Credits earned in the 1930s at Eastern were applied toward the degree she received on Saturday.

Downing began working on her degree after her husband became ill about three years ago. She needed something to take her mind off his illness.

"I was looking for something to keep me relatively sane. I needed something to think about besides how ill he was,'' Downing said.

Taking classes through distance education was rewarding for Downing, but it also required a hefty dose of self discipline.

"It is awfully tempting to read the latest novel rather than your textbook,'' said Downing, who grew up in Cove.

A person Downing credits with playing a key role in her success is her advisor Ellen Riley. Riley works at EOU's distance education center in Coos Bay.

"Ellen was wonderful. She helped me with all of the problems which came up,'' Downing said.

Amazingly, Saturday was the first time Downing had ever gone through a graduation ceremony with a cap and gown. A commencement ceremony was not held when she graduated from Eastern in 1938 and she did not have a cap and gown when she graduated from Cove High School in the mid-1930s.

"I was totally without cap and gown experience,'' Downing said.

If not for a shipping error she would have had a cap and gown at her Cove High School graduation. Downing recalled that CHS had ordered caps and gowns but they did not arrive until after graduation because a freight shipment was misplaced in Union.

When Downing became a teacher she was following in the footsteps of her father, Bob Price, who was a principal and teacher in the Cove School District. Downing said that she tried to be as good a teacher as he was.

Downing started her teaching career in Vale. It ended after a year when members of her school board learned that she had gotten married.

"They came to my house and asked for my contract,'' Downing said.

At the time women teachers in Oregon were not allowed to continue teaching if they got married and the husband also had a job.

Downing had seen EOU from a distance several times since 1938 but she had not set foot on its campus until this weekend. It is a far different place than the one she first graduated from 65 years ago. The college, then known as Eastern Oregon Normal School, had just two buildings — Inlow Hall and the old Ackerman Lab School.

Today the campus has at least 10 more buildings.

La Grande also looks much different. Downing noted that in the 1930s the area east of the viaduct on Island Avenue to Island City was almost barren. Today the entire corridor is lined with businesses.

"I'm still flabbergasted by how much it has grown,'' Downing said.

Downing is a certified genealogist who has done an extensive amount of family history research. She now plans to write about her findings.

"An awful lot of research has not been written up. I want to write about it so that other people can use it,'' Downing said.

Although bright, witty and energetic, Downing walks with a cane, a concession to age.

"My legs don't work but my mind still goes around,'' she said with a smile.