When George W. Peavy arrived in Corvallis in 1910 to head the newly created Department of Forestry at Oregon Agricultural College, he brought with him a belief that would define forestry education at the school: students needed forests to learn in, not just classrooms to learn from.

At the time, forestry was still an emerging discipline. Peavy became the first dean of the School of Forestry in 1913 and would serve in that role until his retirement in 1940. From the outset, he pushed for an approach grounded in hands-on, field-based learning. He believed forestry education should unfold over decades, shaped by real forests that could be studied, managed and observed over time.

That vision took physical form in 1924 with the purchase of land northwest of Corvallis, now known as Peavy Arboretum. Conceived as an outdoor classroom, the arboretum allowed students to study forest growth, management and experimentation in real time.

Peavy’s influence extended beyond a single forest. With the support of patrons such as Mary McDonald, Peavy helped secure the future of forestry education at Oregon State. Alongside early faculty member and alumnus T.J. Starker, he was a driving force behind the acquisition of land that would become the McDonald-Dunn Research Forest. 

During his three decades leading forestry research and instruction, Peavy attracted broad support for conservation and education. Though most at home in forest settings and forester’s attire, he was equally known for appearing formally dressed in lecture halls and auditoriums, delivering compelling speeches about the importance of forest conservation to audiences ranging from loggers to lawmakers.

That same dedication to stewardship would soon shape his next chapter. Peavy was appointed president of Oregon State College, guiding the institution from 1934 to 1940 through the challenges of the Great Depression and the early years of the Oregon State System of Higher Education. He also served for three decades on the State Board of Forestry and remained active in numerous civic and professional organizations.

After retiring from OSU, Peavy continued his service to Corvallis and was elected mayor in 1947, a position he held until his death on June 24, 1951, at the age of 81.

Today, Peavy’s name is woven throughout Oregon State University and the College of Forestry, from Peavy Arboretum to Peavy Forest Science Center. His legacy lives in the forests that continue to grow, change and teach, just as he envisioned more than a century ago.