Lora Lemon Scrapbook, 1896-1961

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Lemon, Lora.
Title
Lora Lemon Scrapbook
Dates
1896-1961 (inclusive)
1904-1911 (bulk)
Quantity
0.25 cubic feet, including 122 photographs, (1 oversize box)
Collection Number
MSS LemonLora
Summary
The Lora Lemon Scrapbook consists of photographs, clippings, and ephemera assembled by Lemon documenting the student years of herself and her husband, E.B. Lemon, at Oregon Agricultural College in the early 1900s, as well as their continued involvement in the Oregon State College community through the 1950s. Lora Lemon graduated from OAC in 1908; E.B. Lemon graduated in 1911 and was a faculty member and administrator at Oregon State from 1911 until his retirement in 1959.
Repository
Oregon State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives Research Center
Special Collections and Archives Research Center
121 The Valley Library
Oregon State University
Corvallis OR
97331-4501
Telephone: 5417372075
Fax: 5417378674
scarc@oregonstate.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Lora Maud Lemon was born Lora Maud Hansell on May 23, 1889 in The Dalles, Oregon. Her parents, William R. Hansell and Anne L. Moore Hansell, moved the family to Corvallis when Lora was seven years old. Lora enrolled in Oregon Agricultural College (OAC) in September 1904 and graduated in 1908 with a BS in Literary Commerce. Immediately after graduating from OAC, Lemon was hired as a teacher at Corvallis High School. Lora married Erwin Bertran (E.B.) Lemon on December 20, 1911 in Corvallis.

E.B. Lemon graduated from OAC in 1911 and was hired as an instructor in OAC's School of Commerce, a position he held until 1943. He also held the post of University Registrar for 21 years, from 1922 to 1943. During this time, Lora raised the couple's two sons, Berlan and Mardis. In 1943, E.B. Lemon became Dean of Administration at Oregon State College; he retired in 1959. After retirement, Lora and E.B. Lemon remained active in the Oregon State and Corvallis communities. Lora was a member of the OSU Mothers Club, First Universal Presbyterian Church, P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization), and the OSU Folk Club. E.B. Lemon died in 1979; Lora Lemon died in January 1982.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Lora Lemon Scrapbook consists of photographs, clippings, and ephemera assembled by Lemon documenting the student years of herself and her husband, E.B. Lemon, at Oregon Agricultural College in the early 1900s, as well as their continued involvement in the Oregon State College community during the 1950s. While most of the materials are from the early 1900s, it appears that the scrapbook was assembled in the late 1950s.

Most of the photographs are approximately 6x8 inch prints (likely from glass negatives) of groups of students and/or faculty, classrooms, and laboratories that were made in about 1905-1911. Many are similar to images published in the 1908 and 1909 Orange yearbook. These images depict engineering, bacteriology, chemistry, botany, zoology, and drawing classrooms and laboratories; the interior of a greenhouse; military cadets and the cadet band; physical education classes; and student activities. Photographs of May Day festivities, Alpha Hall and other campus buildings, men's and women's basketball teams, and track events are included. The scrapbook also includes some photographic postcards, printed postcards, and few candid snapshots of students. Portrait photographs of Ida Kidder, Ulysses Grant McAlexander, and members of the Delta Sigma Rho fraternity, including E.B. Lemon, are part of the collection. Also of note are several photographs of trees and plants on the Oregon State campus coated with ice, probably from an ice storm in the 1940s or 1950s.

The scrapbook also includes clippings, obituaries, poems commemorating anniversaries and special events, and postcards. Ephemeral items include pamphlets and printed materials pertaining to academic programs at Oregon State College, the Oregon State College Foundation, and Westminster House. A program for a 1958 event commemorating Slats Gill's 30th anniversary with Oregon State is also included. Of special note is a paper placemat from the Memorial Union Tea Room printed with an Oregon State College campus map.

Some photographs, clippings, and ephemera that were not affixed in the scrapbook are housed in separate folders.

Several photographs in the collection are available online in the Best of the Archives digital collection.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

Lora Lemon Scrapbook, Oregon State University Archives, Corvallis, Oregon.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Processing Note

Photographs were affixed to scrapbook pages with adhesive tape which has discolored the images. Scrapbook pages are embrittled and have been interleaved with acid-free paper.

Acquisition Information

The scrapbook was donated to the Archives in 1985 by Lemon's son, Berlan Lemon. One item (a postcard) was added to the collection in 1996 by transfer from the Horner Collection.

Related Materials

Oral history interviews of Lora Lemon and E.B. Lemon, conducted in 1956, are part of the History of Oregon State University Oral Histories and Sound Recordings (OH 03). A 1979 interview of E.B. Lemon is included in the Horner Museum Oral History Collection (OH 10). The OSU Archives' holdings also include the papers of E.B. Lemon, which document his role in professional and civic organizations.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Basketball for women--Oregon--Corvallis.
  • College sports--Oregon--Corvallis.
  • College students--Oregon--Corvallis.
  • Military education--Oregon--Corvallis.
  • Student activities--Oregon--Corvallis.

Personal Names

  • Lemon, E. B. (Erwin Bertran), 1889-1979.

Corporate Names

  • Oregon Agricultural College--Faculty.
  • Oregon Agricultural College--Students.
  • Oregon State College--Faculty.
  • Oregon State College--Students.

Form or Genre Terms

  • Maps.
  • Photographic prints.
  • Scrapbooks.