Oregon State Hospital vocal critic of the opening of the new state hospital, believing the state was ill-prepared to care for patients adequately. The Oregon constitution mandated that state hospitals be built in the capital city of Salem. Groundbreaking began May 1, 1881, and the hospital was completed in 1883. The newly-built, state-funded hospital opened as the Oregon State Insane Asylum on October 23, 1883, and was constructed based on the Kirkbride Plan for a total of $184,000 (). Its architecture is Italianate in style, and was designed by W.F. Boothby. Dr. Simeon Josephi was appointed superintendent of the hospital from its opening
Oregon State University military, including: Oregon State University is also one of the few universities to have ROTC detachments for each branch of the US Military. Oregon State University Army ROTC is a distinguished program and has been taught regularly since 1873. The so-called Beaver Battalion is known as the West Point of the West for producing more commissioned officers than any other non-military school during World War II. It is located in McAlexander Fieldhouse, named after General Ulysses G. McAlexander, the former commander of Army ROTC. After the Second World War ended in 1945, a Department of Naval Science was added at