Mark Clyde Phillips was born in February 1877 to James and Laura Phillips in Corvallis, Oregon. Phillips graduated from high school in 1892 and earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering at Oregon Agricultural College (OAC) in 1896. In 1897, he accepted a position at OAC managing the iron-working department and machine shop. In 1900, Phillips wed Leah McDaniels and was made Instructor in Ironwork and Drawing at OAC. In 1906, he was promoted to Assistant Professor and, in 1910, took over management of the campus heating and power plant. Five years later, he was named Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Superintendent of Heating. In November 1922, Phillips married Mary Alice (Mayme) Crawford, daughter of Oregon pioneer John W. Crawford. Phillips remained at OAC until his retirement in 1947. He died in 1965.
James T. Phillips immigrated to Oregon from Missouri in 1858. Between his arrival in Oregon and 1868, Phillips worked as a blacksmith, freighter, and gold miner in the Willamette Valley, eastern Oregon, Idaho, and Washington. After divorcing his first wife, he settled in Corvallis where he met Laura Forgey. They had four children: Evert Justice (1870), Miles Job (1875), Mark Clyde (1877), and Minnie Ethel (1887). In Corvallis, Phillips was a prominent land owner, blacksmith, founder of the local Christian church, and volunteer firefighter. He died in 1925.
The Crawford family developed roots in Oregon when John W. Crawford, an Illinois native, immigrated to Oregon following service in the American Civil War. There, he worked as an Indian Agent at the Umatilla Indian Reservation, was a one-term Mayor of Corvallis, served as secretary to the President of OAC, and was Deputy Clerk at the Benton County Courthouse. He and his wife had several children including Frank, Emma, Edwin, and Mary Alice (Mayme). Frank, a competitive sprinter, died in 1899, shortly after graduating from OAC. John Crawford died in 1916. Mayme Crawford passed in 1961.
The Mark Clyde Phillips Collection is comprised of materials collected and created by Phillips and is divided into three distinct categories: records pertaining directly to the life and work of Mark Clyde Phillips, records of the Phillips family, and records of the Crawford family. Materials documenting the life of Mark Clyde Phillips include professional correspondence, a biographical sketch, materials commemorating his retirement, a patent, course materials, diplomas and certificates, and professional literature. The collection also includes materials recording the Phillips family genealogy, an autograph book belonging to Evert Phillips, an address book, a manuscript record of James T. Phillips' life between 1855 and the early 1870s, and records of two patents and several plots of land owned by James T. Phillips. The Crawford family records include a list of family marriages and deaths, a photo album and autograph book featuring photographs of John W. Crawford and family friends (predominately in Illinois and Iowa), and a scrapbook containing numerous newsclippings, pamphlets, programs, and several photographs.
The Mark Clyde Phillips Collection is arranged into four series: I. Mark Clyde Phillips, 1881-1954; II. Phillips Family, 1869-1961; III. Crawford Family, circa 1857-1916; and IV. Photographs, circa 1878-1935.
The collection is open for research.
Mark Clyde Phillips Collection (MSS PhillipsM), Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
All materials in the Mark Clyde Phillips Collection were originally donated to the University Archives. The individually numbered photographs comprised the Mark Clyde Phillips Photographic Collection (P 070) and other
materials were part of the Mark Clyde Phillips file in the
Other records related to the OAC Mechanical Engineering Department include the Mechanical Engineering Department Records (RG 213), the Mechanical Engineering Department Lantern Slides (P 229), the
Series I is comprised of materials documenting Mark Clyde Phillips' life and work as Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Superintendent of Heating at OAC. Included is correspondence; assorted biographical materials including membership cards for the OSC Faculty Men's Club and the Oregon State Employees Association; a wedding announcement for his marriage to Mayme Crawford; a guest book and biographical sketch from his retirement celebration; a series of diplomas and certificates; a patent certificate for a picture-display cabinet; teaching materials from Phillips' mechanical drawing course; a contract for the installation and maintenance of a boiler at OAC; and several textbooks and pamphlets, some bearing the ownership mark of Grant A. Covell.
Series II is comprised of materials documenting the Phillips family. Included are genealogical records; an autograph book belonging to Evert Phillips; and a journal containing additional family genealogical
information, obituaries for James T. Phillips, and an extensive manuscript account of James T. Phillips' life as an Oregon pioneer between 1855 and 1869. The narrative, likely a transcript of an informal oral
history, describes Phillips' immigration from Missouri to Oregon, his work as a blacksmith, gold miner, and freighter, and his marriage to and divorce from his first wife. Included are observations of 1860s Portland,
Oregon, early trade and industry in the Pacific Northwest, and 19th century family life. Also included are eight deeds for property in Corvallis, Oregon and two patents held by James T. Phillips. The series also
includes four newspapers:
Series III is comprised of materials documenting the Crawford family. It includes a list of family marriages and deaths (1864-1961), an autograph and photo album, and a family scrapbook. The album includes photographs and autographs from Crawford family members and family friends, predominately in Illinois and Ohio. The scrapbook is comprised largely of clippings, programs, and brochures collected primarily in New Concord, Ohio and Monmouth, Illinois prior to John Crawford's migration to Oregon. Included are pamphlets and programs for religious services; materials from Monmouth, Muskingum, and Knox Colleges; numerous song, poetry, and news article clippings; and advertisements for performances and events. The scrapbook also includes four pasted-in photographs of John Crawford's funeral, two loose real photo postcards, a humorous letter from a class at Muskingum College, and a loose manuscript poem. It also contains John W. Crawford's teacher's certificate (1857); mementos from Frank H. Crawford (Mayme Crawford's brother); and obituaries for Frank H. Crawford, John W. Crawford, Margaret R. Crawford, William G. Crawford, and several members of the Stevenson family.
Series IV contains 45 photos comprising 40 unique images. Included are numerous photographs of Mark Clyde Phillips between 1880 and 1930, James T. Phillips, Mary Alice "Mayme" Crawford, Frank Crawford, John W. Crawford, and Laura (Forgey) Phillips. Also included are scenes of the Phillips home and Oregon Agricultural College, a photograph of OAC professor and museum founder John B. Horner, and several images of individuals who are likely unidentified members of the Phillips and Crawford families. Photographers include Crawford & Littler (Albany, Oregon); Hise Studio and Weigand Studio (Corvallis, Oregon); I.G. Davidson Studio, Davies Studio, and Redmond & Jenks (Portland, Oregon); Speery the Artist and W. P. Johnson (Salem, Oregon); and Rainbow Studio (Great Fall, Montana).