Thanks  Skinner's Grandson, there's been a lot of nonsense written to honor MPD, and the claim he "founded the UO" is part of the myth.  I agree that if one person were to be considered the "founder of the UO" it would be Judge J.J. Walton, whose house, the old Moreno's, still sits on Franklin near the university.  
However, no one person deserves the term "founder" as all members of the "University Union Committee", including J.M.  Thompson, William J.J. Scott. J.G. Gray and B.F. Dorris played important roles, as did many other citizens such as Sam Friendly who helped raise funds along with the Granges, and even the Sunday Schools. Helen McCornack  and the future  first great  UO professor Thomas Condon also played roles in keeping spirits up-- it was a true community effort.  
And finally, Deady himself as first  president of the Board also played a major role.  
However, Deady in spite of all his scholarship  was dead wrong on the most important issue of his day, slavery.

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