Roberta C. Frasier was appointed Family Life Specialist with the Oregon State University Extension Service in 1959, a position she held until her retirement in 1974. She trained Extension and 4-H educators and project leaders on a variety of topics pertaining to families, child development, aging, and communications within families; developed curriculum; and wrote guides and publications. She was the recipient of the first Osborne teaching award given by the National Council on Family Relations; the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded Frasier its Superior Service Award for her creative programming in family life education.
Frasier earned a B.A from Washington State University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Washington. Prior to her appointment at Oregon State University, Frasier was chair of the Child Development Department at Washington State University from 1947 to 1959.
A mother of three children, Frasier was widowed in 1948. In 1972, she married Peter Rictor Anderson and began using the name Roberta Frasier Anderson.
The Roberta Frasier Anderson Papers consist of biographical materials; newspaper clippings; lesson plans and training materials; speeches, presentation outlines, and conference papers; correspondence; publication drafts; and publications and article reprints. The biographical materials include the extensive, detailed nomination of Anderson for the Superior Service Award.
The bulk of the collection consists of publications written by Anderson to serve as lessons plans and training materials for Home Economics Extension family life and 4-H project leaders. These address a variety of topics that reflect the major social changes of the 1960s and early 1970s, including child development, the generation gap, sex education, teenagers, unwed parents, the changing roles of women, deaths in families and widowhood, and family communication. Instructional bulletins for a federal extension program focused on low income families authored by Frasier are also included.
The speeches include the text of a presentation by Anderson in the 1970 4-H Nutrition Education Workshop titled
Collection is open for research.
Roberta Frasier Anderson Papers, Oregon State University Archives, Corvallis, Oregon.
Extensive records pertaining to home economics extension and 4-H
programs are available in the