The Oregon Agricultural College Forestry Club was founded on November 16, 1906 by Professor E. R. Lake and five students in the college's new forestry program. Meetings were held bi-weekly and alternated between technical and social agendas. All forestry students were considered members.
Early activities included hikes to Avery Park for a bonfire, an annual football game with the OAC Miners Club, exhibit preparation for the Oregon State Educational Exposition, spring timber cruising field trips, and dances. The dances evolved into the annual Fernhoppers Banquet. In the spring of 1920, the club published its first annual, the Forest Club Annual. The name was changed to The Annual Cruise the next year. Beginning in 1937 the Club broadcast a weekly program over KOAC called "Foresters in Action."
In 1925-26, the Club constructed a cabin at the College's new Arboretum (now Peavy Arboretum), and in 1929 hosted a meeting of the Society of American Foresters at the cabin. The cabin burned in 1949, and a new and larger one was completed in 1950. The 1950 cabin is still used by the Club.
The Forestry Club currently sponsors a Logging Team, which participates in an annual competition sponsored by the Association of Western Forestry Clubs.
Series 1 consists of meeting minutes and memberships rolls from 1906-1926 in two bound volumes. The minutes are arranged chronologically. The second volume also includes part of series 2, Constitution and By-laws, from 1926. This series also includes typescript drafts of the constitution and by-laws, one of which is dated 1912. Series 3, Correspondence, dates from 1910-1923 and contains correspondence between the Forestry Club and the Intercollegiate Association of Forestry Clubs about the Club's activities and the Association's annual conventions.
Series 4 is a scrapbook containing clippings about various forestry related topics from 1913-1934. The scrapbook is arranged by subject category and contains a subject index. Series 5 is a two-page typescript that describes the Club's activities and traditions. It probably dates from the early 1920s.
All series are available in the original paper form. Series 1-3 and 5 are also available on microfilm.
The Forestry Club records are organized into five series
Forestry Club Records (RG 39), Oregon State University Archives, Corvallis, Oregon.
Additional information about the Forestry Club is located in the College of Forestry Records (RG 139). See also the KOAC Records (RG 15) for a recording from the Foresters in Action series. Photographs of the Forestry Club are located in Harriet's Collection #1573, the Beaver Photographic Collection (P 3), and the College of Forestry Photographic Collection (P 61).
The Forestry Club Memorabilia Collection file includes a history of the club written in 1960. The Fernhoppers Banquet MC file includes banquet programs and the text of a speech. Publications of the Forestry Club include The Annual Cruise (PUB 10-12a) and Hi-Lead (PUB 10-12b). The Manuscript Collections include the records of Xi Sigma Pi, the forestry national honor society.