Archives West Finding Aid

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Corvallis Branch Records consist of a volume of annual reports for 1971-1973 and 4 volumes of correspondence for 1971-1974. The annual reports includes summaries of the activities and programs of the branch, lists of committee members and officers, financial reports and budgets, and committee reports. Reports of the following committees are included: Political Action, Community Coordination, Labor and Industry, Economic Advancement, Housing, Church Work, Press and Publicity, Education, Voter Registration, Freedom Fund, Christmas Seals, Membership, Affirmative Action Conference, Consumer Protection, Prison Affairs, and Youth Work.

The correspondence volumes consist of photocopies of correspondence sent and received, much of it with Branch president Calvin O.L., Henry, as well as photocopies of newspaper clippings, press releases, petitions, resolutions, and related materials. The annual volumes for 1971-1974 were compiled by the Branch Secretary, Adriana Huyer (1971-1972) and Mary Ellen Arnold (1973-1974). The introduction in each volume indicates that the correspondence volumes do not include "correspondence arising from complaints of discrimination received by the Branch"; however, materials documenting, reporting, or investigating incidents of harassment or discrimination are included. The contents of each volume are arranged based on major activities of that year. The 1971 volume includes general correspondence and correspondence pertaining to political action, the Branch's efforts to obtain a special bulk mailing permit, the Northwest Area Conference, and labor and industry. The 1972 correspondence includes general correspondence as well as materials pertaining to labor and industry, Black History Week, fundraising, the Benton-Linn Economic Opportunity Council, the Human Resources Center, and political action. In addition to general correspondence, the 1973 and 1974 volumes include correspondence pertaining to political action, education, labor and industry, local branch affairs and concerns, national and regional affairs, and awards.

Topics addressed in the records include "whites only" policies of local social clubs and objections regarding the site of the Corvallis High School all-night senior graduation party at the Elks Club; affirmative action and the employment policies of local businesses; federal civil rights legislation; and responses to the location of a Hewlett-Packard production and development facility in Corvallis. The records document race relations and the climate for minority students, faculty, and staff at Oregon State University (OSU). The materials include correspondence with President Robert W. MacVicar; reports and investigations of harassment or discrimination involving OSU students; and documents pertaining to employment practices, the branch's cooperative relationship with the OSU Black Student Union, and interactions between minority students and the OSU Athletic Department. Several OSU faculty and staff were active members of the Corvallis Branch during this time period.