Marvin N. Shearer earned a BS degree in agricultural engineering at Oregon State College in 1948. Two years later, in 1950, he began his Oregon State career as the Assistant County Extension Agent in Jefferson County. In 1952, he was appointed as the Extension Irrigation Specialist, a position he held until his retirement in 1982. Shearer completed an MS degree at Michigan State University in 1961. Shearer's research focussed on irrigation technology; he designed sprinkler irrigation equipment and systems and was instrumental in development of the research program on irrigation optimization at Oregon State. He served as a consultant for irrigation projects in the United States as well as internationally.
The Marvin N. Shearer Papers consist of materials created or assembled by Shearer documenting his research in irrigation technology and participation in the professional community of irrigation researchers. The collection also includes materials pertaining to water resource issues in Oregon and the Northwest. The Papers include articles written by Shearer, Extension Service publications, committee records, conference proceedings, industry magazines and journals, newspaper clippings, photographs, reference materials, speeches, and technical reports. Materials pertaining to water resources in Oregon, including a series of reports on Oregon's long-range water requirements; a soil survey of Umatilla County; and materials from the Willamette Basin Project Committee are also included. The collection includes a list of Shearer's publications.
The photographs depict various aspects of irrigation, including images of sprinker systems; dams and reservoirs in Oregon; equipment demonstrations; and professional conferences. The photographs are primarily b/w prints; some 4x5 camera negatives are included.
Collection is open for research.
Marvin N. Shearer Papers, Oregon State University Archives, Corvallis, Oregon.
This collection is not fully processed; this guide is preliminary.
The papers were donated to the Archives by Shearer in 2002.
The OSU Archives collections include the papers of many Extension
Service faculty and staff as well as the