Oscar Amos, born September 12, 1871, was abandoned at five months old in a Poor House in Scoot County, Indiana. Several years later, Amos was taken to the Orphan's Home in Jeffersonville, Indiana. For the majority of his life, Amos lived in poverty and was a "handy-man" in Pullman, Washington, and a student of philosophy. He called himself a "philosophy reader."
This collection consists of a diary, meditations, notes, and other papers associated with Oscar Amos in the period 1904-1933. The notes and bound diary date from 1916-1933 and were written by Amos while residing in Pullman, Washington. The collection also includes a copy of "The Stoic Philosophy" by Professor Gilbert Murray, and meditations written by Amos between 1920 and 1932 on the philosophy of life. These meditations are handwritten in pencil on scavenged bits of cardboard, notebook paper, backs of postcards, theatre posters, etc. In them, Amos discusses mankind's purpose, ways to improve one's life, predictions of future world events, religion, and related topics.
Handwritten transcriptions by Margaret Weller that were completed after Amos' death are filed with the collection.
The collection is arranged in a single series.
This collection is open and available for research use.
Copyright restrictions apply.
Oscar Amos Papers, 1904-1933
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections Washington State University Libraries Pullman, WA