ORErg013sg07.xml Guide to the President's Office Records of William Jasper Kerr 1907-1964 Oregon State University President's Office Records of William Jasper Kerr Finding aid prepared by Trevor Sandgathe Oregon State University Libraries, Special Collections & Archives Research Center 2013
121 The Valley Library Oregon State University Corvallis, OR 97331-4501 Phone: 541-737-2075 Email: scarc@oregonstate.edu Web: http://scarc.library.oregonstate.edu
Finding aid encoded by Trevor Sandgathe. 2013 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Oregon State University Libraries, Special Collections & Archives Research Center Special Collections & University Archives Research Center
121 The Valley Library Oregon State University Corvallis, OR 97331-4501 Phone: 541-737-2075 Email: scarc@oregonstate.edu Web: http://scarc.library.oregonstate.edu
RG 013 - SG 07 Oregon State Agricultural College. Office of the President. President's Office Records of William Jasper Kerr 1907-1964 1907-1940 1.75 cubic feet 5 boxes, including 1 oversize box 5 microfilm reels The President's Office Records of William Jasper Kerr document Kerr's presidency of Oregon Agricultural College between 1907 and 1932 and include materials from his tenure as Chancellor of Oregon's higher education system. The collection includes general reference files, correspondence, newsclippings, assorted reports and publications, and materials generated for the Oregon State Board of Higher Education and the Board of Regents. The collection contains materials relating to the college's educational mission, organizational structure, budget, attendance, and curricular offerings, the state of education in Oregon, and the reorganization of the Oregon educational system. Materials in English. Historical Note:

William Jasper Kerr was born November 17, 1863 in Richmond, Utah. At a young age, Kerr dropped out of school in favor of a position on his father's railroad construction crew. He later returned to school, earning a B.S. in mathematics from the University of Utah in 1885. Following graduation, Kerr accepted a position teaching in Smithfield, Utah. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to Superintendent of the Smithfield district. Between 1887 and 1894, Kerr taught mathematics at Brigham Young College and the University of Utah. In 1894, Kerr was appointed President of Brigham Young, a position he held until 1900 when he became President of Utah State Agricultural College. In 1907, Kerr resigned his position at Utah and became President of Oregon Agricultural College.

Kerr's presidency at OAC was defined by a period of prolonged and aggressive growth. During his tenure, the college constructed more than twenty buildings, including the Memorial Union, and more than doubled the total size of the campus to 555 acres. He tightened admissions requirements, expanded curricular offerings, and added talented staff to the college's ranks. Kerr resigned from his post in 1932, ending the longest reign of any OSC president.

After leaving the college, Kerr became the first Chancellor of Oregon's system of higher education. He held this position for three years before retiring. William Jasper Kerr died in 1947 at the age of 83.

The President's Office Records of William Jasper Kerr are comprised of materials from Kerr's tenure as President of Oregon Agricultural College. The collection include a general reference file, correspondence, newspaper clippings, communications with the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, publications, reports to the Board of Regents, survey materials, and biographic materials. The collection contains extensive material relating to the physical and curricular growth of the college, the controversial reorganization of OAC and the University of Oregon, and the state of higher education in Oregon in the early 20th century.

The President's Office records of William Jasper Kerr are arranged into eleven series: I: General Reference File, 1922-1940; II: Correspondence, 1907-1935; III: Clippings, 1908-1935; IV: Oregon State Board of Higher Curricula, 1925-1941; V: Resolutions Adopted by the State Board of Higher Education, 1935; VI: Biography of William Jasper Kerr; VII: Publications, 1908-1964; VIII: The OSC - U of O Controversy, 1937; IX: Reports to the Board of Regents, 1909-1929; X: Reorganization, 1931-1932; XI: College Surveys, 1928-1930. Materials within series are arranged alphabetically and chronologically.

The collection is open for research.

President's Office Records of William Jasper Kerr (RG 013 - SG 07), Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

These records were transferred to the University Archives by the OSU President's Office. The collection is now held by the Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections & Archives Research Center.

 Related Materials

Content related to the Kerr presidency can be found in the Edwin T. Reed Papers and Subgroup 12 of the President's Office Records. Additional materials relating to the presidents of Oregon State University include the President's Office Records (RG 013), the Presidents of Oregon State University Photographic Collection (P 001), the President's Office Photographs Collection (P 092), the President's Office Motion Picture Film and Videotapes Collection (FV P 092), the Board of Regents Records (RG 008), the Board of Trustees Records (RG 033), and the the Oregon State University Memorabilia Collection.

 Kerr, William Jasper, 1863-1947. Reed, Edwin Thomas, 1872-1948. Oregon State Agricultural College. Board of Regents. Oregon State College. Office of the President. United States. Bureau of Education. Association of American Universities. Oregon Agricultural College. Oregon State Agricultural College. Oregon State Board of Higher Curricula. Oregon State System of Higher Education. University of Oregon. Universities and colleges--Curricula--Oregon--Corvallis. College presidents--Oregon--Corvallis. Universities and colleges--Law and legislation--Oregon. Education, Higher--Oregon. Advertising and Marketing Agriculture Colleges and Universities Corvallis Oregon Series I General Reference File 1922-1940

Series I contains reports, correspondence, notes, and clippings related to agriculture in Oregon. The material spans the latter portion of Kerr's career at Oregon Agricultural College and his time as the state's Chancellor of higher education. Subjects referenced in this series include agricultural and industrial production, marketing and sales, construction, public works, agricultural sciences, college and government employees, trade law, and government organizations.

 80.1 Oregon Production Statistics 1933-1937 80.2 Production in Oregon and Washington 1934-1936 80.3 Oregon Private Marketing Firms 1937 80.4 Marketing Agreements - Oregon 1936-1937 80.5 Cauliflower Marketing Agreements - Oregon 1937 80.6 Hops Stabilization Program 1935-1937 80.7 Walnut Control Board 1936 80.8 Marketing Cooperative 1932-1938 80.9 Oregon Agricultural and Industrial Marketing Study 1938 80.10 Marketing Organizations in Oregon and Washington 1936-1937 80.11 Cooperative Organizations - Summary Agriculture and Lumber 1935-1938 80.12 Hood River Apple Growers Association 1934-1937 80.13 Interstate Associated Creameries 1934-1938 80.14 Northwest Dried Food Association 1937 80.15 Oregon Growers Union 1937-1938 80.16 Oregon Prune Control Board Incorporated 1936 80.17 Oregon-Washington Pear Bureau 1936 80.18 Oregon-Washington-California Pear League Inc. 1937 80.19 Pacific Cooperative Poultry Producers 1937-1938 80.20 Pacific Wool Growers, Portland, Oregon 1937 80.21 Southern Oregon Sales Inc., Medford, Oregon 1937-1938 80.22 Tillamook County Creamery Association 1935-1937 80.23 "Oregon's Problem in Maketing Agricultural & Industrial Products" 1938 80.24 Research Production and Marketing - Reports, Correspondence, Memoranda and other material 1936-1939 80.25 Report of Agricultural Investigating Committee - Governor Martin 1937-1939 80.26 Oregon Marketing 1939-1940 81.27 Agricultural and Industrial Marketing 1937-1939 81.28 Marketing Miscellaneous 1937-1940 81.29 Services of Oregon State Agricultural College in Marketing Oregon Products 1937 81.30 Marketing Report Miscellaneous Editorials 1935, 1938 81.31 Marketing Report Miscellaneous News Stories 1935-1939 81.32 Marketing - Chancellor Hunter 1938 81.33 Marketing Report Oregon Journal Editorials 1935-1939 81.34 Marketing Report Oregon Journal News Stories 1935-1939 81.35 Marketing Report The Oregonian Editorials 1935-1939 81.36 Marketing Report The Oregonian News Stories 1937-1939 81.37 "What the State Does in Educational Preparatin for Marketing" 1939 81.38 Division of Marketing State Board of Higher Education 1938 81.39 By-products - Culls 1935-1937 81.40 Cooperative Organization Problems 1930-1937 81.41 Farm Purchasing Associations 1935-1937 81.42 Food Preparation 1935-1936 81.43 Brand Names undated 81.44 Flax Seed and Flax Fiber Possibilities 1936-1940 81.45 Industrial Uses for Farm Products 1934-1938 81.46 Industrial Uses for Farm Products - Power Motor Alcohol 1934-1937 81.47 Irrigation 1934-1938 81.48 "Possibilities for Livestock Fattening in Oregon" 1936 81.49 Merchandising 1936-1937 81.50 Milk Distribution Problems 1936-1938 81.51 Other Domestic Market Outlets 1936-1938 81.52 Packaging 1936-1937 81.53 Processing 1934-1938 81.54 Producer - Consumer Sales Campaigns 1937 81.55 Prune Industry in Oregon - Governor Sprague 1939-1940 81.56 Special Prune Committee - Glenn Hogg, Chairman 1939-1940 81.57 Marketing Conference State System of Higher Education - Governor Sprague 1939-1940 81.58 Marketing Oregon Prunes 1931, 1938-1940 81.59 Grading of Agricultural Products 1936-1938 81.60 Sugar Beet Industry 1936-1940 81.61 Transportation 1936-1938 81.62 Unfair Trade Practices 1936-1937 81.63 Agricultural Engineering Foundation - San Francisco, California, Oswold Wilson, Mngr. 1937-1938 81.64 Ashland Chamber of Commerce 1937 81.65 Bonneville Dam Project 1937-1938 81.66 Cooperative Grange League Federation Exchange, Inc. Ithaca, New York 1936 81.67 Dairy Cooperative Association, Portland, Oregon 1936-1938 81.68 Eugene Fruit Growers Exchange 1935-1937 81.69 Farm Security Administration (Resettlement Administration) 1937 81.70 Federal Farm Board 1930 81.71 Fruit Growers League, Medford, Oregon 1937 81.72 Winter Pears--Henry Hartman 1935-136 81.73 Idaho Department of State, Boise, Idaho 1937 81.74 National Emergency Council 1936 81.75 National Farm Chemurgic Council, Dearborn, Michigan 1937 81.76 National Youth Administration 1935-1936 81.77 Oregon State Planning Board 1936-1937 81.78 Pacific Northwest Advisory Board 1937-1938 81.79 Pacific Northwest Regional Planning Commission 1935-1937 81.80 Portland Chamber of Commerce - Lumber Products 1935 81.81 Social Science Research Council undated 81.82 U.S. Forest Service 1936-1938 81.83 Population Developments 1937 81.84 General Correspondence 1933-1938 81.85 J.R. Beck 1936 81.86 H.K. Benson 1937 81.87 "Preliminary Study for Proposed Bonneville Industries" undated 81.88 A.G.B. Bouquet 1937 81.89 W.D. Bristol 1937 81.90 L.R. Breithaupt, Extension Agricultural Economist 1935-1938 81.91 Gordon G. Brown, Hood River Experiment Station 1935 81.92 W.S. Brown 1936-1937 81.93 Paul Carpenter 1936-1937 82.93 Paul Carpenter (continued) 1936 82.94 R.L. Clark, Bodine and Clark Commission Company 1936 82.95 Berkeley Davis 1937 82.96 William Einzig, Great Western Malting Company Inc. 1938 82.97 A.E. Engbretson 1936-1938 82.98 Eric Englund 1936-1937 82.99 A.C. Forrester, Industrial Distilleries 1935-1937 82.100 Dan D. Freeman, Oregon Manufacturer's Association 1936 82.101 O.G. Hughson 1935-1936 82.102 G.R. Hyslop 1936-1938 82.103 E.R. Jackman, Oregon State College 1937-1938 82.104 Arthur S. King 1937 82.105 George M. Knox, Hood River County Assessor 1937 82.106 L.L. Laws 1940 82.107 Earl G. Mason 1937 82.108 Victor P. Morris 1937 82.109 Harry L. Riches, Marion County Agent 1936 82.110 J. L. Taylor, Vale Chamber of Commerce 1937-1938 82.111 I. H. Vanwinkle, Attorney General 1938 82.112 E.H. Wiegand 1936-1937 82.113 Walter C. Winslow 1938 180 American Association of University Women 1922-1927 1 Emergency Board Request for Extension Service & Experiment Station 1930 1 Statement of Services Lost to the Institution & State for the Year 1931-32 December 1931 Series II Correspondence 1907-1935

Series II includes correspondence relating to the management and operation of Oregon Agricultural College. The series contains correspondence between William Jasper Kerr, OAC faculty, the Association of American Universities, students, figures associated with the institution, and the general public. Topics include equipment and materials for college use, reports from faculty members, the donation of a McCormick Reaper replica, legislation impacting OAC, Extension Service programming, faculty appointments, and budget matters.

 82 Microfilmed Correspondence 1907-1929 1 Original Correspondence 1907 1 Original Correspondence 1930-1935 Series III Clippings 1908-1935

Series III is comprised of newspaper clippings relating to Oregon Agricultural College. Subjects include state educational funding, college attendance, faculty activities and research, development of the campus, and OAC's curricular offerings. The series contains both photocopies and a selection of original clippings.

 1 General 1908-1909 1 General 1910 1 General 1911 1 General 1912 1 General 1913 1 General 1932 1 General 1935 1 General undated 5 Selected originals of newspaper clippings 1909-1932 Series IV Oregon State Board of Higher Curricula 1925-1941

Series IV contains official reports and statements made by Oregon Agricultural College to the Oregon State Board of Higher Curricula between 1925 and 1941. The series also contains an outline of a plan for dividing programmatic efforts between the University of Oregon and OAC.

 1 Brief, Oregon State Agricultural College to the Oregon State Board of Higher Curricula May 18, 1925 1 Outline of a Suggested Division of Work Between University of Oregon and Oregon State Agricultural College June 5, 1925 1 Report to the Board of Higher Curricula April 27, 1928 1 "Statement of Oregon State Agricultural College to the State Board of Higher Curricula" May 2, 1928 1 "Statements by Representatives of Oregon State College Before Curricula Committee of State Board of Higher Education" December 8, 1941 82 Series V Resolutions Adopted by State Board of Higher Education 1935

This series is comprised of a document entitled "Resolutions Adopted July 22, 1935, by the State Board of Higher Education Regarding Dr. Kerr, Retiring Chancellor."

 82 Series VI Biography of William Jasper Kerr

This series is comprised of an excerpt from Edwin T. Reed's William Jasper Kerr, A Biography.

 Series VII Publications 1908-1964

Series VII contains publications authored by William J. Kerr and members of Oregon Agricultural College between 1908 and 1964. Topics include the importance of Home Economics during wartime, the construction of the Memorial Union, higher education in Oregon, and the state of land grant institutions. The series also contains programs and materials from the dedication of the Kerr Library.

 82.1 OSC - Illustrated Booklets 1929-1930 82.2 Relations of Land-Grant Colleges to State University 1908 82.3 OAC - Sources of Income and Departments of Instruction 1908 82.4 National Education Association - Session at Harvard 1910 82.5 Some Land Grant College Problems 1910 82.6 Education and the World War 1917 82.7 The Spirit of the Land Grant Institution 1931

Also in Box 1

 82.8 Recent Experiences - Centralized Control of Higher Education in Oregon 1933 82.9 Phi Kappa Phi Journal 1934 82.10 Oregon Problems in Marketing Agriculture and Industrial Products 1938

Also in Box 1

 82.11 William Jasper Kerr - dedication of Library address 1964 82.12 Letter to State Board of Higher Education 1931 1 Administrative Regulations 1921 82 Series VIII OSC - U of O Controversy 1937

Series VIII is comprised of a memo drafted by Godfrey Vernon Cospon regarding the reorganization of Oregon Agricultural College and the University of Oregon and the ensuing controversy.

 Series IX Reports to the Board of Regents 1909-1929

This series contains reports to the Board of Regents summarizing the state of Oregon Agricultural College between 1909 and 1914. The series also contains a report for 1929.

 82 Reports 1909-1914 1 Report 1929 Series X Reorganization 1931-1932

This series is comprised of materials relating to the reorganization of Oregon Agricultural College and the University of Oregon in 1931-1932. The contents of this series relate to the reassignment of subject specialities, programs, faculty, and funding between the two universities.

 82.1 Agriculture 82.2 Architecture - Landscape 82.3 Art 82.4 Brief - Educational Survey 82.5 Budgetary Material

Also found in Box 5

 83.5 Budgetary Material (continued) 83.6 Building Projects - Self-financing 83.7 Commerce 83.8 Cost data 83.9a Curricula 83.9b Curricula Committee 83.10a Dormitories 83.10b Director of Dormitories 83.11 Education 83.12 Enrollment 83.13 Extension - Radio, Summer School, Research 83.14 Extra Compensation for Staff Members 83.15 Field of Higher Education Developed in Oregon 83.16 Graduate Work 83.17 High School Relations 83.18 Home Economics 83.19 Journalism and News Service 83.20 Library 83.21 Lower Division 83.22 Military 83.23 Miscellaneous 83.24 Mines 83.25 Music 83.26 Normal Schools 83.27 Personnel (Deans and Directors) and Location of School 83.28 Pharmacy 83.29 Physical Education 83.30 Press Bureau and Editor's Office 83.31 Public Speaking Reports - General 83.32a Budgetary and Financial 83.32b Attitudes of University People 83.32c Executive Secretary's Prerogatives and Authority 83.32d Methods of Procedure 83.32e Miscellaneous 83.33 Research 83.34 Rural Organization - College, University 83.35a Salary Analysis and Personnel 83.35b Salary Cuts 83.36 Science 83.37 Social Science 83.38 Student Welfare - Housing, Deferred Pledging 83.39 U of O 2 Brief, Oregon State Agricultural College to the Oregon State Board of Higher Education Regarding the Survey of Oregon State Institutions of Higher Learning April 18, 1931 2 Supplementary Brief, Oregon State Agricultural College to the State Board of Higher Education, In Reply to the Twelve Briefs of the University of Oregon Dated April 20, 1931 April 27, 1931 2 Second Supplementary Brief, Oregon State Agricultural College to the State Board of Higher Education, In Reply to the Eleven Resolutions Proposed by the University of Oregon, May 1, 1931 May 13, 1931 2 Joint Statement to the State Board of Higher Education Submitted by the Presidents of the State University and the State College May 27, 1931 2 Reply to Dean Faville's Brief on the Commerce School Problem from Oregon State Agricultural College to Oregon State Board of Higher Education 27 May 1931 2 Survey of Public Higher Education in Oregon 1931 2 Course Changes Proposed for 1931/32 Catalog 1931 2 Survey Commission Records 1931-1932 2 Survey Commission Records undated 2 "A Study of Facts and Figures Bearing on Music" 1932 2 "Basic Data Showing Existing Conditions in the Science Departments of Oregon State College" 1932 5 Science Departments, Oregon State College, Cost of Instruction per Course and by Departments 1931-1932 5 Report to the Oregon State Board of Higher Education Curricula Committee on Vocational Education and Teacher Training February 1932 Series XI College Surveys 1928-1930

This series is comprised of four bound volumes relating to surveys of land grant institutions conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Education. It includes one volume of completed portions of the survey for Oregon Agricultural College, one volume providing a detailed report of the state of higher education in Oregon, and two volumes of results of the survey from other institutions across the United States.

 3 Oregon State College to U.S. Bureau of Education: Land-Grant College Survey. 1928 3 Survey of Oregon State Institutions of Higher Learning as Made by the United State Office of Education, Department of the Interior. 1930 4 Survey of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities, U.S. Department of the Interior Bulletin. Volume 1. 1930 4 Survey of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities, U.S. Department of the Interior Bulletin. Volume 2. 1930