George Wilcox Peavy, Dean of Forestry, was appointed acting president of Oregon State College in 1932 when William J. Kerr was chosen as the first chancellor of the Oregon State System of Higher Education. Peavy became Oregon State College's seventh president in 1934, the first OSC faculty member to also serve as president of the institution. He remained dean of forestry during his presidency until his retirement in 1940, upon which he was appointed as dean emeritus and president emeritus of OSC.
