Gilkey (1912-2000) came to Oregon State in 1947 as chair of the Art Department. Gilkey was a strong proponent of the liberal arts and sciences at OSU, and in 1959 he was named the first dean of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, a position he held until his retirement in 1976. Gilkey was the first Master of Fine Arts graduate in printmaking from the University of Oregon (1936). During World War II he played a key role in the recovery of Nazi propaganda art. He was a renowned print maker; after his retirement from OSU, he donated his print collection to the Portland Art Museum and established its Vivian and Gordon Gilkey Center for Graphic Arts. OSU presented Gilkey with an honorary degree in June 2000. Gilkey Hall is named for him.
