Hawkins was the Pacific Coast middleweight champion in 1942. Boxing began as a minor intercollegiate sport at Oregon State in 1937 and ended in 1942 with the outbreak of World War II.
John Witte was Oregon State's first All-American wrestler, finishing second in the heavyweight division at the 1952 NCAA Championships as a freshman. He also played football, garnering All-American honors twice, and led the Beavers to the 1957 Rose Bowl game.
Mercedes Bates at the Alumni Centennial Awards. Mercedes Bates graduated in 1936 with a degree in Food and Nutrition. In 1967, Bates was appointed the Vice President of the General Mills Betty Crocker Division, becoming the first female corporate officer of General Mills. Bates created the Mercedes A. Bates Family Study Center in 1992, the first center to study entire lifespans of families. Bates has received the Distinguished Service Award and Distinguished Alumni Award.