Archives West Finding Aid
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Co-Signers Engineer Students' Wives' Club Collection, 1958-1978
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Co-Signers Engineer Students' Wives' Club (Oregon State University)
- Title
- Co-Signers Engineer Students' Wives' Club Collection
- Dates
- 1958-1978 (inclusive)19581978
- Quantity
- 1.20 cubic feet, including 412 photographs, (3 boxes, including 2 oversize boxes)
- Collection Number
- MSS Cosigners
- Summary
- The Co-Signers Engineering Students’ Wives’ Club Collection documents the creation and activities of the group throughout its existence, and includes minutes, organizational records, scrapbooks, and photographs. The club was established to encourage friendships and social engagement among wives of engineering students at Oregon State University.
- 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
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Co-Signers Engineer Students’ Wives’ Club, according to the Oregon State Tech Record, was organized on February 5, 1958. Minutes from April 16th of the same year state that the full name – Co-Signers: Engineer Students’ Wives’ Club – was brought to a vote and approved; the club’s constitution was ratified at the next meeting on May 7.
According to the club’s by-laws, the purpose of the club was to “promote new friendships among women with a common interest as engineering student wives of Oregon State University, “provide activities for engineering student wives through social and business relations,” and “to provide financial assistance to married students in engineering at Oregon State University.” Membership in the club was limited to the wives of engineering students and faculty, and yearly dues cost $2.00. Officers – a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer – were elected each April, and served a term of one year.
The club planned many social events, including a Silver Tea, bake sales, fashion shows, and offered a yearly scholarship to married students in the College of Engineering.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Co-Signers Engineer Students’ Wives’ Club Collection is comprised of materials generated and collected by the Club from its establishment in 1958, until 1978, and include meeting minutes, organizational records, scrapbooks, and photographs.
Both minutes ledgers in Series 1 discuss similar topics, including the annual selection of “Mrs. Engineer;” projects to be worked on during the year; organizing events such as bake sales, teas, and birthday parties; yearly planning for group educational programs (e.g. flower arranging, and hair styling); election of officers, and amendments of the constitution and by-laws; ways to increase membership; and recommendations of special guests and speakers at meetings. Of special note, is a suggestion made at the meeting on April 1, 1959 that a letter be sent to the Legislature, expressing the need for on-campus housing for married students.
The by-laws of the Co-Signers, and the responsibilities of the Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary of the club are documented in Series 2. The Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary “manuals” all report on what exiting officers did during their tenure, and also include blank forms, advice, and specific instructions to new officers. In addition, the Vice President’s manual includes lists of guest speakers and meeting places used; letters to incoming Vice Presidents from each of the preceding Vice Presidents; and names of advisors to the group from the Engineering Department. The Treasurer’s manual contains financial reports, blank forms, and a copy of the Club’s by-laws; the Secretary’s manual contains a copy of the by-laws, and examples of Engineering scholarship submittal forms.
Series 3, Photographs, contains 12 photographs and 57 negatives. The photographs are primarily in color, and are duplicative of photographs found in the scrapbooks, documenting social events and club meetings.
Series 4, Scrapbooks, primarily documents the social and fund-raising activities of the club, and the installation of new officers. Materials in the scrapbooks include approximately 400 photographs; club newsletters; event ephemera; news clippings about club events and fundraisers; lists of elected members and board members; and correspondence regarding and from Co-Signers scholarship recipients.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
Co-Signers Engineer Students' Wives' Club Collection (MSS Cosigners), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Collection is arranged into the following four series: Series 1. Minutes, 1958-1968; Series 2. Organizational Records, 1965-1977; Series 3. Photographs, 1977-1978; Series 4. Scrapbooks, 1958-1978.
Acquisition Information
The materials were transferred to the Archives by the Dean's Office of the College of Engineering at Oregon State University in 1987.
Related Materials
Other collections related to Engineering include the College of Engineering Photograph Collection (P 069), and the College of Engineering Records (RG 062). A number of subdisciplines of Engineering are also represented in SCARC holdings, including Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Civil Engineering.
Other collections relating to women's clubs at Oregon State include the Student Club and Organization Records (RG 276), the and Oregon State University Dames Club Records (MSS Dames), the Oregon State University Women's Club Records (MSS OSUWomensClub), the Talons Records (MSS Talons), the Chatter Club/Friendship Internationale Scrapbook (MSS ChatterClub), and the Phrateres Gamma Chapter Scrapbooks(MSS Phrateres).
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series 1: Minutes, 1958-1968Return to Top
The minutes in this series discuss the planning of club events, business and finances, and membership.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1.1 | 1958-1964 |
|
| 1.2 | 1960-1968 |
Series 2: Organizational Records, 1965-1977Return to Top
The Organizational Records document the responsibilities and achievements of the Co-signers officers - Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. The “manuals” in this series all report on what exiting officers did during their tenure, and also include blank forms, advice, and specific instructions to new officers. No "manual" for the President of the club is present in the collection.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1.3 | Vice President's Kit |
1969-1977 |
| 1.4 | Treasurer |
1965-1976 |
| 1.5 | Co-signers Secretary |
1966-1967 |
| 1.6 | By-laws of Co-signers |
1966-1969 |
Series 3: Photographs, circa 1977-1978Return to Top
This series is comprised of 12 photographs and 57 negatives. The photographs are undated, and duplicate images found in the scrapbooks. Only one sets of negatives in this series is dated.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1.7 | Club gatherings |
circa 1977-1978 |
Series 4: Scrapbooks, 1958-1978Return to Top
The Scrapbooks series documents the social and fund-raising activities of the club, and the installation of new officers. Materials in the scrapbooks include photographs; club newsletters; event ephemera; news clippings about club events and fundraisers; lists of elected members and board members; and correspondence regarding and from Co-Signers scholarship recipients.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2.1 | 1958-1966 [1 of 2] |
|
| 2.2 | 1958-1966 [2 of 2] |
|
| 2.3 | 1966-1973 [1 of 2] |
|
| 2.4 | 1966-1973 [2 of 2] |
|
| 3.1 | 1972-1977 |
|
| 3.2 | 1977-1978 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Women--Oregon--Corvallis--Societies and clubs.
Corporate Names
- Co-Signers Engineer Students' Wives' Club (Oregon State University)
- Oregon State University. College of Engineering.
Form or Genre Terms
- Film negatives.
- Photographic prints.
- Scrapbooks.
Finding Aid Authors: Rachel Lilley.
2017
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
