by Max Johnson, University Archivist, OHSU Historical Collections and Archives

December 9, 2015

Historical Collections and Archives was happy to receive a digitized recording of the Forcep Four from their last recording session done in 1962.

The recording came our way from Jim Haaland, M.D. who digitized the original and had the recording mastered before sending it up to us. The original recording is still on tape.

The Forcep Four was a group of students including Jim Haaland, Robert Clark, Douglas Chambers and Hollis Augee who were active in the early 1960s. Various singing groups had existed at the University of Oregon Medical School (the predecessor to today's OHSU School of Medicine) for years, but the Forcep Four seemed to have gained quite a reputation during their time. In the December 1960 issue of What's Going On? an article on the Forcep Four mentions that they were practicing regularly during the noon hour at the OHSU Auditorium and would frequently perform around campus, for instance for the School of Nursing Wassail and the Hospital Christmas parties. According to the article, the quartet was eyeing competing in the Barbershop Quartet contest in Forest Grove in late February of 1961.

So this holiday season, feel free to listen here and catch a little of the program that our former colleagues at OHSU might have heard during holiday parties 50 years ago!

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• Learn more about OHSU and the School of Medicine at the Historical Collections and Archives