John McKnight Bloss was born in 1839 in New Philadelphia, Indiana. After graduating from Hanover College in 1860, he joined the 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment and fought in several battles including the Battle of Antietam. Bloss resigned his commission in 1864 and enrolled in the Ohio Medical College in Cincinnati where he attended school through 1865. Bloss served first as a teacher and then an administrator for a number of public schools in the midwest until, in 1892, he was simultaneously appointed President of the State Agricultural College of Oregon, director of the Experiment Station, and professor of Mental and Moral Science. During his tenure as President, Bloss introduced football to the college, established a school color and mascot, oversaw the construction of several new campus buildings, and established new course offerings including the Farmer's Short Course. Bloss resigned from his post in 1896 as a result of failing health and returned to Hamilton Township in Indiana. There, he established Royerton, the first consolidated school west of the Allegheny Mountains. John M. Bloss died on April 26, 1905.
The President's Office Records of John M. Bloss contains correspondence from Bloss' presidency, a bound volume of correspondence from the Arnold, Letcher, and Bloss presidencies, a microfilmed copy of a
In addition to the original paper documents, a partial, microfilmed copy of this collection is available upon request.
The President's Office Records of John M. Bloss are arranged into four series: I: Correspondence, 1892-1897; II: Marriage Announcement, 1893; III: Speeches, 1894; Reports, 1893-1894. All correspondence is arranged chronologically.
The collection is open for research.
The President's Office Records of John M. Bloss (RG 013 - SG 03), 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 content from Bloss' presidency can be found in
This series is comprised of loose correspondence between Bloss, faculty of the State Agricultural College, the Board of Regents, employees of the State of Oregon, and private citizens. Included in this series are annual reports from the faculty of the college, correspondence regarding an exhibit at the Chicago World's Fair, inquiries from prospective students, requests for Bloss' attendance at various engagements, and communications with educators and community leaders throughout Oregon.
This series also contains bound correspondence dating from the Arnold, Letcher, and Bloss presidencies.
This series is comprised of a photocopy of an article from the
This series is comprised of a transcript of a speech titled "Pollination" given to the Oregon State Horticultural Society in January 1894 by John M. Bloss.
This series is comprised of reports submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior, and information compiled for use by President Bloss. The reports include details of Oregon State Agricultural College student enrollment, budget information, faculty duties and schedules, and course offerings.