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College of Science Records, 1880-2015

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Oregon State University. College of Science.
Title
College of Science Records
Dates
1880-2015 (inclusive)
1930-2000 (bulk)
Quantity
8.75 cubic feet, including 2494 photographic prints and 3436 negatives, (27 boxes, including 1 oversize box)
4 microfilm reels
842 Mbytes, (329 digital files)
Collection Number
RG 024
Summary
The College of Science Records document the administrative activities of the College of Science at Oregon State University from its founding in 1932. The records include administrative records, biographical files for select faculty and staff of the college, correspondence, department histories, college publications, newspaper clippings, photographs, and microfilmed correspondence and reports. The College of Science was first established as the School of Science in 1932; it became the College of Science in 1973.
Materials from this collection have been digitized and are available in Oregon Digital.
Repository
Oregon State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives Research Center
Special Collections and Archives Research Center
121 The Valley Library
Oregon State University
Corvallis OR
97331-4501
Telephone: 5417372075
Fax: 5417378674
scarc@oregonstate.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

Though Oregon State University’s (OSU) roots date back to the founding of the Corvallis Academy in 1856 and the collegiate-level courses offered by the Methodist-owned Corvallis College by 1865, it could be argued that the passage of the first Morrill Act is the true watershed moment in OSU’s history. Written by Representative Justin Smith Morrill of Vermont and signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862, the Morrill Act provided each state with 30,000 acres of federal land for each member in their congressional delegation. The land was then sold by the states to raise funds to establish public colleges that focused on agriculture and the “mechanical arts” (considered a contemporary complement to the liberal arts, and typically including academic disciplines such as engineering). The teaching and study of the sciences has been a crucial component of Oregon State University's pedagogical foundation since its establishment, and has remained thus thoughout OSU's history.

In 1868, the Oregon Legislative Assembly designated Corvallis College the “Agricultural College of the State of Oregon,” and recipient of the land grant set forth in the Morrill Act (for Oregon, 90,000 acres). The curriculum of the College at the time included courses in Algebra, Geometry, Latin, Greek, Composition and Rhetoric, and Physiology. The Primary and Preparatory Departments – elementary and high school grades respectively – additionally offered classes in orthography (spelling), reading, penmanship, history, natural philosophy, astronomy, and book-keeping. Though it was “earnestly recommended” that students of the college complete the full complement of courses, if they chose students could omit the ancient languages and follow the “Scientific Course,” or track, completing all other courses. The same curriculum was available to women admitted to the college as to men; women were additionally offered courses in music, painting, and drawing. Three degrees were conferred to graduating students: a Bachelor of Science to those who completed the “Scientific Course;” a Bachelor of Arts to those who completed all courses offered, both “Classical” and “Scientific;” and a Master of Arts to students having completed a Bachelor of Art and who had, since graduation, been engaged in “some literary occupation and [who had] sustained a good moral character.”

As a land-grant school, Corvallis College was required to offer courses that met the conditions set out in the Morrill Act, specifically to “teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts…in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life.” The first “agricultural course,” or track, listed in the 1869-1870 academic catalog consisted of Chemistry and other science classes already being taught, including Geology and Mineralogy, Zoology, and Botany. Though the mechanical arts curriculum could not be organized in the 1870s due to “want of funds,” students could take related mathematics and physics courses.

In 1873, Corvallis State Agricultural College published its first agricultural research bulletin, designed to serve as a practical, educational circular for farmers and ranchers across the state, assisting them in putting into practice the research outcomes of the College. In 1887, the federal Hatch Act – named for Congressman William Hatch, Chair of the House Committee of Agriculture – provided federal funds to state land-grant colleges in order to create a series of agricultural experiment stations that would disseminate information regarding advances in agricultural technology and techniques, especially in the areas of soil minerals and plant growth. Oregon’s first agricultural experiment station was established just a year later. Oregon’s first branch experiment station was established in Union, Oregon in 1901.

The college's curriculum continued to expand alongside its reach. In 1889, the State Agricultural College of Oregon’s existing curriculum was reorganized into five tracks. Where once the College had offered just six classes, it now offered additional courses in English, Modern Language, History, Household Economy and Hygiene, Zoology and Entomology, Horticulture, Bookkeeping and Bee Culture, and Military Science and Tactics – all at the college level.

In 1908, President William Jasper Kerr, who assumed office in 1907, reorganized Oregon State Agricultural College’s (OSAC) academic programs, creating professional schools in agriculture, commerce, engineering and mechanic arts, and domestic science and art. Kerr continued to diversify OSAC’s curriculum throughout the 1910s, creating schools for forestry and mines in 1913, for pharmacy in 1917, and vocational education in 1918. The Division of Service Departments was also established in 1918 in order to provide “basic instruction in subjects that did not offer majors, but were nonetheless core to the curriculum.” Kerr’s expansion of OSAC’s curriculum, however, was viewed as a potential threat to the University of Oregon’s own academic offerings and enrollment. In an attempt to head off any further academic rivalry, the State Board of Higher Curricula (SBHC) was established in 1909 and given the authority to “determine the allocation and development of curricula” between the two Oregon colleges. With the SBHC’s assistance, OSAC’s function and mission were better defined; the Board continued to serve in this executive capacity until 1929.

Passage of the Oregon Unification Bill in 1929 placed OSAC – and all other state-supported institutions of higher education – under the purview of the newly formed Oregon State Board of Higher Education. The following year the Board implemented a survey of Oregon’s public higher education system. The resulting report recommended a massive restructuring of academic programs at all Oregon colleges, and the University of Oregon, to streamline curriculums and eliminate duplication. As part of this system-wide restructuring, the School of Science was established at Oregon State, and the School of Commerce was transferred to the University of Oregon. Humanities and social science courses at OSAC were limited to freshman- and sophomore-level classes, and consolidated into new, lower divisions. Though course work and degrees in Commerce eventually returned to Oregon State in 1945 in the form of a new School of Business and Technology, the School of Science has been a part of Oregon State University’s academic landscape ever since.

With the creation of the School of Science in 1932, the scope of science at OSAC was greatly expanded. The instruction provided in the sciences, however, has been and continues to be, an integral part of a liberal education at Oregon State. Believing all students require “some instruction in science,” the mission of the College of Science at its establishment was three-fold: to contribute to a well-rounded liberal arts education for all students; to provide “professional preparation” to those students intending to pursue a career in the “realms of science;” and to “provide basic and service courses for students majoring in some other field.” The School of Science provided coursework in eight “major curricula” when it was established: Bacteriology, Botany, Chemistry, Entomology, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, and Zoology. Bachelors and Master’s degrees in Art and Science, and a PhD program were offered. At the time of its founding, the School of Science boasted 55 faculty members, 180 sciences majors (including graduate students), and 2,500 students enrolled in science courses. The first Dean, Earl L. Packard (1932-1938), also served as the Head of the Department of Geology. Packard was followed by Francois A. Gilfillan (1938-1962), Vernon H. Cheldelin (1962-1965), John M. Ward (1966-1971) Robert W. Krauss (1973-1980), Thomas T. Sugihara (1981-1986), Frederick Horne (1986-2000), Sherman H. Bloomer (2000-2012), Sastry Pantula (2013-2017), and Roy Haggerty (2017- ). David B. Nicodemus (1965-1966), Theran D. Parsons (1971-1972, 1980-1981), and W. Lawrence Gates (1986-1987) served as Acting Deans of the College. In 1935, the first Ph.D. degrees were conferred to Herbert Jones, Karl Klemm, and Alfred Taylor (in Physics, Chemistry, and Zoology, respectively).

In February 1973, the School of Science became the College of Science. Then-President Robert MacVicar hoped the change to a more “traditional title of ‘college’ [would] assist in obtaining more adequate recognition for both units.” By 1981, the academic disciplines offered by the College of Science had nearly doubled. Coursework and majors were offered in fourteen departments: Atmospheric Sciences, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Botany and Plant Pathology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Entomology, General Science, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Microbiology, Physics, Statistics, and Zoology. As of 2019, the College of Science offers undergraduate degrees in Biochemistry and Biophysics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, BioHealth Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Microbiology, Physics, and Zoology. Masters and Doctoral degrees are offered in Biochemistry and Biophysics, Integrative Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Microbiology, Physics, and Statistics.

[Sources consulted for this historical note include A School for the People : a Photographic History of Oregon State University by Lawrence A. Landis, The People's School: a History of Oregon State University by William G. Robbins, Morrill Act Sesquicentennial informational flyer, and the School of Science history found in Series 4 of this collection (Box-Folder 14.13).]

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Content Description

The College of Science Records document the administrative activities of the College of Science at Oregon State University from its founding in 1932. The records include administrative records, biographical files for select faculty and staff of the college, correspondence, department histories, college publications, newspaper clippings, photographs, and microfilmed correspondence and reports.

Series 1, Administrative Records, is further arranged into six sub-series: Sub-series 1. Advertising and Marketing, 1981-1996; Sub-series 2. Departments and Programs, 1965-1998; Sub-series 3. Meetings and Committees, 1958-1995; Sub-series 4. Reports and Studies, 1932-2001; Sub-series 5: Spaces and Space Allocation, 1962-2003; and Sub-series 6. Subject Files, 1956-2006. Included in this series are biennial reports from 1938 to 1972; course descriptions, syllabi, and approval forms for new and continuing courses in the Department of General Science; and records documenting the establishment and/or reorganization of programs within the college (e.g. Biology, Environmental Science). The Subject Files sub-series includes two folders concerning the Junior Engineers and Scientists Summer Institute (JESSI).

The Biographical Files in Series 2 include press releases, curriculum vitae, and journal and newspaper clippings documenting the professional / academic work of College of Science faculty and staff. The correspondence in Series 3 documents programs and degrees offered by the College; events, such as student orientation; professional organizations; spaces used by the College (e.g. Cordley Hall); and the work of past college Deans and faculty. This series includes biographical files for E. Dale Trout, Jane Lubchenco, Theran Parsons, and E. Dale Trout.

Series 4, Department Histories, is comprised of essays detailing the histories of various departments within the College of Science, as well as correspondence about the compilation of those histories.

The Publications in Series 5 include issues of The Science Record, the quarterly publication of the College of Science. Select issues of this publication have been digitized and are available online in Oregon Digital. Several departmental publications are also included in this series. The Publications series includes newsletters of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. The OSU chapter of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) is part of a national, nonprofit organization focused on "substantially increasing the representation of American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, First Nations, and other Indigenous peoples of North America in science, technology, engineering, and math studies and careers".

Series 6, Newspaper Clippings, is comprised of newspaper clippings documenting the research of faculty, and general College of Science news.

In 2019, the photographs which comprised the College of Science Photograph Collection (P 084) were transferred to this collection as Series 7. Image numbers assigned during the processing of P 084 have been retained and are included in the descriptions of relevant folders. Series 7 is further arranged into six sub-series: Sub-series 1. Awards, 1964-1995; Sub-series 2. Departments and Programs, 1910-1990; Sub-series 3. Events and Meetings, 1974-2005; Sub-series 4. Publications, 1925-1988; Sub-series 5. Spaces, circa 1900-1997; and Sub-series 6. Faculty, Staff, and Students, 1921-1999. The arrangement of this series is intended to mirror the arrangement of Series 1, Administrative Records, as many of the photographs in this series relate directly to the sub-series in Series 1. Of note in this series are photographs of Dean F.A. Gilfillan, and faculty member E. Dale Trout.

Records documenting the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) on OSU’s campus make up a significant portion of the records in Series 8, Microfilmed Correspondence and Reports. Also included in this series is correspondence about School of Science programs and departments, and correspondence of College of Science Dean Earl L. Packard. This series also includes a folder documenting the work of Nathan Fasten. Materials in this folder are primarily administrative in nature, and document the day-to-day management <span class="highlight1 bold">of</span> the Zoology Department and its faculty. Subjects include: faculty course loads, budgets, space needs, and hiring and promotions.

The collection also contains digital materials available for use in the Special Collections and Archives Research Center Reading Room. A small portion of these materials – Digital File 001 – document the external relations and communication strategies of the college. The majority, however, document College of Science-produced educational events and lectures, such as Discovery Days and the F.A. Gilfillan Memorial Lecture series, and include images, graphics and signage, contact lists, and marketing materials (Digital Files 003 and 004). Many of the digital images are duplicative of the photographs found in Series 7.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

College of Science Records (RG 024), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The College of Science Records are arranged into eight series: Series 1. Administrative Records, 1932-2006; Series 2. Biographical Files, 1962-1998; Series 3. Correspondence, 1967-1997; Series 4. Department Histories, 1938-1999; Series 5. Publications, 1973-2015; Series 6. Newspaper Clippings, 1978-1997; Series 7. Photographs, circa 1880-2005; and Series 8. Microfilmed Correspondence and Reports, 1930-1954. Materials are organized either chronologically, or alphabetically by subject heading or name, as appropriate.

The Administrative Records series, Series 1, is split into six sub-series: Sub-series 1. Advertising and Marketing, 1981-1996; Sub-series 2. Departments and Programs, 1965-1998; Sub-series 3. Meetings and Committees, 1958-1995; Sub-series 4. Reports and Studies, 1932-2001; Sub-series 5. Spaces and Space Allocation, 1962-2003; and Sub-series 6. Subject Files, 1956-2006.

Series 7, Photographs, has been further divided into six sub-series: Sub-series 1. Awards, 1964-1995; Sub-series 2. Departments and Programs, 1910-1990; and Sub-series 3. Events and Meetings, 1974-2005; Sub-series 4. Publications, 1925-1998; Sub-series 5. Spaces, circa 1900-1997; and Sub-series 6. Faculty, Staff, and Students, 1921-1999.

Acquisition Information

Records in this collection were transferred from the College of Science in numerous accessions from the early 1980s through 2015.

Future Additions

Additions to the collection are expected.

Processing Note

A finding aid for the College of Science Records was originally published in 2002. The 2002 finding aid has been updated to incorporate additions to the collection, reflect current arrangement and description best practices, and include more contextual information for the collection. In addition, the photographs which comprised the College of Science Photograph Collection, P 084, were transferred to this collection in 2019, and P 084 has been closed. All of these photographs are now described as part of the College of Science Records (RG 024). Image numbers assigned during the processing of P 084 have been retained and are included in the descriptions of relevant folders.

Related Materials

The Special Collections and Archives Research Center holdings include many collections relating to the College of Science, and its faculty, students, and staff. Papers of College of Science Deans Francois A. Gilfillan (MSS Gilfillan), Earl L. Packard (MSS Packard), and David B. Nicodemus (MSS Nicodemus) are included in SCARC's holdings. SCARC’s holdings also include additional materials documenting the work of College of Science Deans and Acting Deans Vernon H. Cheldelin, John M. Ward, Thomas T. Sugihara, and Sherman H. Bloomer. Additional professional and biographical materials for Acting Deans David Nicodemus and Theran D. Parsons can be found in the Oregon State University Memorabilia Collection (MSS MC) and the News and Communication Services Records (RG 203); additional professional and biographical information for Acting Dean W. Lawrence Gates can be found in the News and Communication Services Records (RG 203).

SCARC has significant holdings documenting the work of College of Science faculty members and alumni, including the E. Dale Trout Papers (MSS Trout), the David and Clara Shoemaker Papers (MSS Shoemaker), the Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Papers (MSS Pauling), the Helen M. Gilkey Papers (MSS GilkeyH), the Norman H. Anderson Papers (MSS AndersonN), the John D. Lattin Papers (MSS Lattin), the Richard Y. Morita Papers (MSS Morita), the Paul Elliker Papers (MSS Elliker), the Ernst J. Dornfeld Papers (MSS Dornfeld), and the W.J. Gilstrap Papers (MSS Gilstrap).

Records of many College of Science departments are included in SCARC’s holdings, including the Department of Atmospheric Sciences Records (RG 167), the Biochemistry and Biophysics Department Records (RG 178), the Botany and Plant Pathology Department Records (RG 054), the Chemistry Department Records (RG 098), the Entomology Department Records (RG 027), the Microbiology Department Records (RG 191), the Department of Physics Records (RG 037), the Mathematics Department Records (RG 136), the Statistics Department Records (RG 152), the Geosciences Department Records (RG 208), the Genetics Program Records (RG 242), and the Zoology Department Records (RG 074).

The student experience in the College of Science is documented in a number of collections, including the Otto Ballhorn Chemistry Laboratory Notebook (MSS Ballhorn), the Kareen Peiffer Laboratory Notes (MSS Peiffer), the Beulah Gilkey Collection (MSS GilkeyB), and the Robert E. McDole Papers (MSS McDole).

Documentation of College of Science activities at OSU on films, videotapes, and other moving images can be found in the College of Science Videotapes (FV 084). Two of the video productions in this collection - To See the World in a Grain Sand(FV P084:1) and By the Beautiful Sea (FV084:2) - have been digitized and are available online.

Additional materials documenting the Army Specialized Training Program at OSU can be found in the Army Specialized Training Program Records (RG 059), the History of Oregon State University Oral Histories and Sound Recordings (OH 003), Harriet’s Photograph Collection (P HC), the Registrar’s Office Records (RG 053 – SG 1), the College of Engineering Records (RG 062), the Lower Division Records (RG 119), and the Speech Communication Department Records (RG 181).

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Finding Aid Authors: Rachel Lilley and Lawrence A. Landis.
2020

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