Collection is open for research.
Collection donated by Jim Todd in 1992. Additional materials added in 2005.
Flat arrangement; files organized alphabetically.
The Roo Rat Society was founded in 1963 by Whitman College science faculty and students interested in promoting humane means of capturing animals used for scientific purposes. The group was founded on a trip to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon to collect Kangaroo Rats (seed-eating rodents of the genus "Dipodomys") for scientific study.
Members of the Society later shifted their aims to conservation of wildlife in general, and now the group attempts to achieve this goal by encouraging people to observe and hold the "Roo Rat" in its native environment. Initiates lead candidates for membership on hunts for the rat, which are governed by a series of rules designed to avoid harming the animal. Members are required to catch the rat in a humane way and then release it back into the wild as soon as a documentary photo is taken. Upon successfully catching and releasing a Roo Rat, the candidate becomes a member of the society. To remain an active member, each initiate must participate in a conservation project annually.
The hunts usually take place around Wallula Gap, about thirty miles West of Walla Walla. The Roo Rat Society is loosely organized and has over 200 members at the most recent count. It has received publicity for its unusual name and activities and counts at least three past Whitman College presidents among its members.
The collection includes "Hunt Logs" that describe each official Roo Rat hunt in detail. Rules of the hunt are printed on the back of the Hunt Logs. Also included are the group's official emblems, flag, and wooden mascot. Nearly 100 photographs document hunts from 1963 until the present date. Of particular interest are the society's clippings, which show the notoriety achieved by this unusual group. The clippings give insight into the aims and purposes of the society, and include quotes by members who believe the group made them more aware of the importance of wildlife conservation. Another set of clippings and articles describe the Kangaroo Rat, its habitat, and efforts to protect it across the United States. The society's correspondence is also of interest because it represents a broad cross-section of people interested in the conservation movement.
Also in the collection are several artifacts, including a model of a kangaroo rat, a license plate with the letters "ROO RAT," and maps that show the location of the first hunt and subsequent hunts made by members of the society.