Stephen Edward Epler (1909–1997) was an American academic administrator who founded what is now

Portland State University Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the next ...

. In 1934 he developed

six man football Six-man football is a variant of gridiron football played with six players per team, instead of the standard eleven. It is generally played by high schools in rural areas of the United States and Canada. History Six-man football was developed in ...

for small high schools, and in 1940 became the dean of men at

Southern Oregon College Southern Oregon University (SOU) is a public university in Ashland, Oregon. It was founded in 1872 as the Ashland Academy, has been in its current location since 1926, and was known by nine other names before assuming its current name in 1997.Kre ...

Ashland, Oregon Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It lies along Interstate 5 in Oregon, Interstate 5 approximately 16 miles (26 km) north of the California border and near the south end of the Rogue Valley. The city's population w ...

. After serving in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he founded the Vanport Extension Center in 1946, which later became PSU; he succeeded in keeping the institution running after the building housing it was destroyed in the 1948

Vanport flood The 1948 Columbia River flood (or Vanport Flood) was a regional flood that occurred in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada. Large portions of the Columbia River watershed were impacted, including the Portland area, Eastern Wash ...

. After being passed over as dean and later president of the institution, he accepted presidency of

Reedley College Reedley College (Reedley or RC) is a public community college in Reedley, California. It is a part of the California Community Colleges system within the State Center Community College District (SCCCD). It is accredited by the WASC Accrediti ...

in California and then the

College of Marin The College of Marin, (known as Marin Junior College, 1926–1947) is a Public college, public community college in Marin County, California, with two campuses, one in Kentfield, California, Kentfield, and the second in Novato, California, Novat ...

. In 1966, he was chosen as first president and superintendent of

Ohlone College Ohlone College (Ohlone or OC; ) is a public community college, a member of the California Community College System, with its main campus in Fremont and a second campus in Newark. The Ohlone Community College District serves Fremont, Newark ...

. He died in

Carmichael, California Carmichael is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County, California, United States. It is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated suburb in the Sacramento metropolitan area, Greater Sacramento metropolitan ...

, in 1997. A residence hall at PSU is named for him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Epler, Stephen 1909 births 1997 deaths American academic administrators Presidents of Portland State University