Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Nettie Spencer Papers, 1878-1897
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Spencer, Nettie
- Title
- Nettie Spencer Papers
- Dates
- 1878-1897 (inclusive)18781897
- Quantity
- 0.17 cubic foot, (1 box)
- Collection Number
- MSS Spencer
- Summary
- The Nettie Spencer Papers consist of letters to Spencer written by sailor William Barrett in 1884 and a scrapbook of programs and ephemera assembled by Spencer, primarily from Corvallis College. Spencer graduated from Corvallis College in 1882.
- 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 open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Nettie Spencer was born near Corvallis in 1861 to Oregon pioneer parents. She graduated from Corvallis College in 1882, and spent the next several years teaching and studying at various places in the U.S. and abroad, including Portland, Davenport College (North Carolina), Berlin, Paris, London and India. She returned to Oregon in 1916 and taught at Eugene and Roseburg High Schools. Spencer received a masters degree in sociology from Oregon State in 1928. She was a charter member of the Mazamas, a Portland mountain climbing club, and in 1935 was elected president of the Oregon State Women's Press Club. Spencer died in Portland in 1953.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The papers consist of two series. Series one contains letters written to Nettie Spencer by William Barrett, a sailor on the bark Carrie Winslow. The letters describe Barrett's experiences on board the ship and at ports of call. They also describe the relationship between Spencer and Barrett. Several were written in 1884 and chronologically arranged; others are undated but were probably written at about the same time. Series two is a small scrapbook that contains programs of drama productions, musical and literary events, teachers institutes, Corvallis College commencements (1881 & 1882), and meetings of organizations. Most are from Corvallis and Portland and date from 1878 to 1897.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Preservation Note
Physical condition of the scrapbook may preclude photocopying.
Custodial History
The letters were donated to the Horner Museum in 1992 via James S. Witzig from the estate of Frances Witzig Milne, a niece of Nettie Spencer. They were transferred to the University Archives in August 1996. The scrapbook was donated by Spencer to the Oregon State College Library in 1951 and was ultimately made part of the University Archives holdings after its establishment in 1961.
Related Materials
Additional biographical information on Nettie Spencer can be found in her Memorabilia Collection file. Photographs of Spencer are located in Harriet's Collection #718, #1519 and #1593.
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Student activities--Oregon--Corvallis
Corporate Names
- Carrie Winslow (Bark)
- Corvallis College
Form or Genre Terms
- Scrapbooks
Finding aid prepared by Lawrence
A. Landis.
1996
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
