Paul Valenti (1920-2014) was integrally connected to Oregon State University for more that seventy years, beginning with his arrival on the Oregon State College campus as a student athlete in 1938. A member of the Beaver basketball squad during his undergraduate years, Valenti later served as freshman baseball coach, freshman basketball coach, head basketball coach and head tennis coach, spanning a time period from 1946-1970. He continued on as Assistant Athletic Director until retiring in 1982, and remained an enthusiastic ambassador for OSU until his death in 2014.
Terry Baker (b. 1941) is among the most accomplished and celebrated athletes in Oregon State history. Winner of the 1962 Heisman Trophy as the nation's most outstanding college football player, Baker's Oregon State basketball team also reached the Final Four of the 1963 NCAA tournament. That same year, Baker was named "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated magazine. Baker graduated from OSU in 1963 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Following a brief stint in professional football, Baker earned a law degree and enjoyed a successful career practicing in the Portland area
Hoover, an OAC graduate in the Class of 1901, married Jay Bowerman, a future governor of Oregon, and was the mother of University of Oregon track coach and Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman. While at OAC, she played on the women’s basketball team. She returned to OAC to earn a second degree in home economics in 1916, and taught school for a number of years.
Better known for his 599 wins over 36 seasons as Oregon State's basketball coach, Gill was also the baseball coach from 1932-1937 while Ralph Coleman concentrated on other duties in the school's Division of Physical Education. Gill's teams were 56-70 during his six years as coach.