Dr. Earl W. Wells, speech department head (first on left), Bill Maxwell, debate student (second from left), John Gray, OSC graduate (second from right), and Charles B. Mitchell retiring speech department head (first from right).
Charles Buren Mitchell (1886-1955) joined the faculty of Oregon Agricultural College in 1920 to head the new Department of Speech. As department head, he established and developed the dramatics and forensics programs at Oregon State. More than 200 plays were produced under his administration. Mitchell retired in 1952; the College Playhouse was renamed in his honor as the Mitchell Playhouse in 1961.