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State College of Washington School of Architectural Engineering Records, 1923-1981

Overview of the Collection

Creator
State College of Washington. Department of Architectural Engineering.
Title
State College of Washington School of Architectural Engineering Records
Dates
1923-1981 (inclusive)
Quantity
7.5 linear feet of shelf space, (8 boxes)
Collection Number
Archives 375 (collection)
Summary
This collection contains materials generated by Washington State College’s (later Washington State University) Architectural Engineering Department from the 1920s through the 1950s.
Repository
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions

This collection is open and available for research use.

Languages
English.
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Historical Note

There has been an architecture department at Washington State College [WSC] since the school’s opening in 1892. In 1917, following reorganization at WSC, the Department of Architectural Engineering was incorporated into the College of Mechanic Arts and Engineering. In 1946, further reorganization at WSC led to the creation of the Washington State Institute of Technology. The Institute of Technology contained multiple academic departments including the College of Engineering and the newly created Division of Industrial Research. The Division of Industrial Research existed to conduct studies and research that contributed both to the economical use of the Pacific Northwest’s material resources and to the development of the state of Washington.

A faculty member in the Architectural Engineering Department at WSC from 1923-1955, Stanley A. Smith served as department chair from 1924-1947. During this same period, Smith also served as college architect, completing fourteen major buildings at WSC. Harry Weller, a faculty member at WSC since 1928, replaced Smith as department chair in the 1940s. During their tenures at WSC, Smith, Weller, and numerous other architectural engineering faculty members participated actively in local, regional, and national clubs, committees, and associations.

During the Depression, faculty worked closely with Washington State’s Works Progress Administration Director Eugene R. Hoffman to fund department projects and student tuition. During World War II, the department corresponded with its former students out in the field and petitioned the Selective Service on students’ behalf. They also planned in advance of the war’s end for the predicted post-war school enrollment boom and developed academic opportunities fitted particularly for returning World War II veterans.

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Content Description

This collection consists largely of correspondence, both departmental and interdepartmental. It also includes letters between Architectural Engineering faculty and prospective, current, and former students. Other student-related materials include the scripts for radio skits performed during the 1930s.

It also includes materials related to the committees, associations, and clubs to which many Architectural Engineering faculty members belonged or chaired, including WSC’s Ten-Year Committee and Space Priorities Committee, and local/regional groups such as the Washington State Hospital Advisory Council and the Spokane Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Additional materials deal with administrative matters, including department budgets, post-war planning, staffing, and scheduling. Other materials address academic matters, including curricular development, enrollment, course readings, and summer school programs. Faculty research reports, papers, and projects as well as work orders completed by the Division of Industrial Research also comprise this collection.

Series 1 is student-centered. Subseries 1.1 consists of letters between Architectural Engineering students and faculty. This includes prospective, current, and former students. Subseries 1.2 consists of the scripts for the radio talks given by Architectural Engineering students.

Series 2 pertains to departmental matters. Subseries 2.1 contains information about the various clubs, committees, and associations in which faculty members were involved as well as the various traveling exhibits they shared with other departments, colleges, and universities. While Subseries 2.1 consists of some correspondence, it also includes event programs, brochures, and meeting minutes. Subseries 2.2 contains correspondence between Architectural Engineering faculty members as well as some interdepartmental correspondence. Subseries 2.3 consists of paperwork related to administrative affairs and academic development.

Series 3 is focused on research. Subseries 3.1 is arranged alphabetically and consists of faculty research papers, reports, projects, and letters. Subseries 3.2 is arranged by work order number and consists of jobs completed by the Division of Industrial Research.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions apply.

Preferred Citation

[Item Description]

State College of Washington School of Architectural Engineering Records, 1923-1981 (Archives 375)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into three series. Series 1 is arranged into two subseries, each arranged alphabetically. Series 2 is arranged into three subseries, each arranged alphabetically. Series 3 is arranged into two subseries.

Acquisition Information

The materials in this collection were transferred to the Washington State University Libraries’ Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections on December 14, 1988 by the WSU Architecture School and retained as accession UA88-47.

Processing Note

This collection was processed by Laura Briere in August 2017 to April 2018. An alphabetical order was imposed on the pre-existing, approximate alphabetical order in this collection. Only files within Subseries 3.2 are arranged chronologically, by the work order number.

Separated Materials

This collection was separated from other materials in UA 88-47 during processing. These other records contain materials from Washington State College’s Mechanical Engineering department from the 1910s-1940s (Archives 374).

These records also include materials generated by some of Stanley Smith’s campus projects during his tenure as college architect as well as projects Smith undertook through his private practice, Smith & Rounds which later became Smith & Weller (Cage 388).

Related Materials

Washington State University Architecture Department Records, 1957-1975 (Archives 68)

Washington State University Engineering and Architecture College Records, 1961-1997 (Archives 304)

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Architecture
  • Schools of architecture -- Washington (State)

Corporate Names

  • State College of Washington. Department of Architectural Engineering.
  • Washington State University. Department of Architectural Engineering.

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names

    • Washington State University. Department of Architectural Engineering. (creator)

Finding aid prepared by Laura Briere.
2018

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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