Alpha Zeta Oregon State Chapter Records, 1918-1983

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Alpha Zeta. Oregon State Chapter.
Title
Alpha Zeta Oregon State Chapter Records
Dates
1918-1983 (inclusive)
1940-1980 (bulk)
Quantity
1.2 cubic feet, including 89 photographs, (2 boxes, including 1 oversize box)
Collection Number
MSS AlphaZeta
Summary
The Alpha Zeta Oregon State Chapter Records document the membership, governance, and programs of the agricultural honor society at Oregon State University. The national honor society was founded at the Ohio State University in 1897; the Oregon State Chapter was established in 1918.
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

Alpha Zeta is an academic agricultural honor society focused on service and professionalism. Members are selected for scholarship, leadership, fellowship, and character. This national honor society was established at the Ohio State University in 1897 and is the oldest fraternal society in agriculture. The Oregon State Chapter was founded in 1918.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Alpha Zeta Oregon State Chapter Records document the membership, governance, and programs of the agricultural honor society at Oregon State University. The records include certificates, constitutions and bylaws, correspondence, event brochures, a history of the organization, ledgers, manuals, meeting minutes, membership lists, newsletters, newspaper clippings, photographs, posters, and a trophy. Communications with the national Alpha Zeta office as well as materials documenting the biennial national meetings and local Ag Weekend celebrations are included in the collection. Minutes of the Agricultural Council for 1951-1954 are part of the collection. The Agricultural Council included an Alpha Zeta representative. Of special note is the Chapter Register, which includes information about each member initiated into the chapter between 1918 and 1943. The Register includes name, date and place of birth, graduation date, college activities, and record since graduation for each initiate. A history of the national organization, published in 1972 to commemorate the 75th anniversary, includes information about the Oregon State chapter.

The photographs consists of 58 b/w prints and 31 negatives depicting the 1949 initiation banquet and Ag Weekend activities in the mid-1950s. Two posters (circa 1950s) promoting Ag Weekend events are included in the collection. The trophy lists the names of students who received the Alpha Zeta Freshman Scholarship in 1937-1938 through 1957-1958.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

Alpha Zeta Oregon State Chapter Records (MSS AlphaZeta), Oregon State University Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Processing Note

This collection is not fully processed; this guide is preliminary.

Acquisition Information

These materials were transferred from the College of Agricultural Sciences in 2013.

Related Materials

The College of Agricultural Sciences Records (RG 158), Ronald V. and John G. Hogg Papers (MSS Hogg), and Robert E. McDole Papers (MSS McDole) include additional materials pertaining to the Oregon State chapter of Alpha Zeta. Records of the Gamma Sigma Delta (RG 020) honorary agricultural society are also available.

The Special Collections & Archives Research Center has records from several other academic honor societies at Oregon State: Alpha Epsilon (biological and agricultural engineering); Epsilon Pi Tau (industrial arts and vocational education); Eta Sigma Gamma (health education); Sigma Delta Chi (journalism); Theta Sigma Phi (women in journalism); and Xi Sigma Pi (forestry).

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Agricultural colleges--Oregon--Corvallis.
  • Agricultural education--Oregon--Corvallis.
  • Agricultural students--Oregon--Corvallis.
  • Greek letter societies--Oregon--Corvallis.
  • Student activities--Oregon--Corvallis.

Corporate Names

  • Oregon Agricultural College. School of Agriculture.
  • Oregon State Agricultural College. School of Agriculture.
  • Oregon State College. School of Agriculture.
  • Oregon State University. College of Agricultural Sciences.
  • Oregon State University. School of Agriculture.

Form or Genre Terms

  • Film negatives.
  • Photographic prints.