Donald G. Jefferys Collection, 1932-1969

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Jefferys, Donald G.
Title
Donald G. Jefferys Collection
Dates
1932-1969 (inclusive)
1932-1953 (bulk)
Quantity
0.4 cubic foot, including 1 photograph, (2 boxes, including 1 oversize box)
Collection Number
MSS Jefferys
Summary
The Donald G. Jefferys Collection consists of materials assembled by Jefferys documenting his student experience at Oregon State College; his family's turkey farm near Albany, Oregon; and his interest in national and worldwide news events. Jefferys attended Oregon State College from 1937 to 1940.
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

Donald Goman Jefferys attended Oregon State College from fall term of 1937 through fall 1940. During the 1937-1938 and 1938-1939 academic years, he was a student in the School of Music. In September 1939, he transferred to the School of Education and took courses in education and business. During his student years, he played in the ROTC band and was a member of the Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Society. Jefferys played French horn and was a student conductor for the band.

Jefferys was born in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1918, the son of Thomas and Winifred Goman Jefferys. His family moved to Albany, Oregon in 1929. Jefferys married Meridee Brown in 1942. After college, he worked with his family's turkey farm until 1950 and farmed until 1953. In 1953, he began a 30-year career as a clerk with the Southern Pacific Railroad. Jefferys died in 2009.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Donald G. Jefferys Collection consists of materials assembled by Jefferys documenting his student experience at Oregon State College (OSC), his family's turkey farm near Albany, Oregon; and his interest in national and worldwide news events.

Materials from his OSC student years include programs for band concerts and other music events during 1938-1940. A copy of the April 2, 1938 issue of the Orange Baton and the May 5, 1939 Oregon State Barometer are included. The Orange Baton was published annually on the occassion of the Annual High School Band Contest to summarize the work of the Oregon State Band for the preceding year and provide news about graduates. A news clipping and a program documenting Edward Goman's (Jefferys' cousin) participation in the OSC band in 1942 are also included.

The bulk of the collection consists of accounting ledgers, tax records, correspondence and other business documents for Jefferys' family turkey farm, J.M.J. Turkey Farms. These date from the mid-1930s until 1950. Of special note is a handwritten journal of farming activities and notable weather events for 1942-1945.

The collection also includes issues of several newspapers with notable headlines including the death of Will Rogers in a plane crash, the Hindenburg disaster, World War II battles and developments, and the 1969 moon landing. The newspapers include the Albany Democrat Herald, Oregonian, and News of the World (London). Copies of 1933 issues of Current Events withe completed quizzes and crossword puzzles were probably acquired by Jefferys during his school years in Albany, Oregon.

The collection also includes a portrait photograph of Ronald Badger as a young teen.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

Donald G. Jefferys Collection, Oregon State University Archives, Corvallis, Oregon.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

The collection was donated to the Archives by Donald's son, Ross Jefferys, in 2010.

Related Materials

Additional materials pertaining to bands at Oregon State, including the Orange Baton, are available in the Music Department Records (RG 148) and Photographs (P 137); Oregon State University Bands Photographs (P 104) and Motion Picture Films and Videotapes (FV P 104); Ted Mesang Collection; and Memorabilia Collection.

The Archives' holdings include the Oregon Turkey Improvement Association Records as well as research records pertaining to turkey production in the Agricultural Experiment Station (RG 025) and the Poultry Science Department (RG 182) Records. The papers of Jeffery's father-in-law, F. Ross Brown, are also held by the Archives.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Marching bands--Oregon--Corvallis.
  • Turkeys--Oregon--Albany.

Corporate Names

  • Oregon State College--Bands.

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photographic prints.