A forerunner to RAPS came into existence in the early 1960's at Portland State with a group of "elder Statesmen" who formed a more or less formal organization that they called something like the "Professors Club". A self-appointed and self-anointed group, these senior academics met to discuss weighty matters and in the normal course of events they became retirees.

Professor Emeritus Channing Briggs was the "motor" behind early efforts by a group of senior faculty to develop a bonafide association of PSU retired emeriti faculty. Professor John Allen, a member of this early group, surveyed retired emeriti faculty and found that they were interested in creating such an organization. Allen wasn't interested in being an officer, but did substantial groundwork to help form the association.

The original name of RAPS was the Emeriti Retired Faculty of Portland State (ERFOPS), which was the "brain child"of Channing Briggs. In 1985, the faculty retirement association was formed and, with much urging, Channing agreed to change its name to the Retired & Emeriti Professors of Portland State (REPPS). The first Board included Richard Halley as President, Channing Briggs as Vice President, and Kay Corbett as Secretary-Treasurer. E. Dean Anderson, Irene Place, and Vera Petersen served as Members at Large. The first office location for REPPS was in the Ondine Building (student housing) on SW 6th.

In 1993, REPPS (now RAPS) initiated an Outstanding Emeriti Faculty Award. During that year, retired faculty John Elliot Allen, E. Dean Anderson, Channing M. Briggs, Rudi H. Nussbaum, Gertrude F. Rempfer, and Charles M. White each received an award for noteworthy achievements in the areas of a) Service to the community, b) Service to the university, c) Professional career achievements, and d) Service to their retirement association. From 1993-2007, 36 retirees have received the outstanding retiree awards, including two retired staff awards beginning in 2003.

In 2000, the REPPS Board proposed that the organization also include retired PSU staff. The membership voted on this proposal and unanimously approved it in 2001. The bylaws were changed to accept retired PSU staff as members, and the membership also approved changing the organization's name to the Retirement Association of Portland State (RAPS).

The above information was compiled from the RAPS files by Steve Brannan, Professor Emeritus, and from recollections on the association's early history from emeriti professors Vic Dahl, Mike Fiasca, and Charlie White.
      Steve Brannan, 8/13/07