Donald Onthank papers, 1897-1980
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Onthank, Donald G. (Donald George), 1892-1981
- Title
- Donald Onthank papers
- Dates
- 1897-1980 (inclusive)18971980
- Quantity
- 1.64 cubic feet, (4 document cases)
- Collection Number
- Mss 2805
- Summary
- Donald Onthank (1892-1981) was a mountaineer and was active in the Mazamas. He made numerous ascents of Mt. Hood and was the first endowed life member in the American Alpine Club. Collection includes correspondence from Onthank during his time as librarian of the Mazamas, regarding books and periodicals on mountaineering; biographical information on Mazama members; bibliographies on mountaineering and the holdings of the Mazamas library; list of negative numbers of Onthank's photographs; and a notebook of mountaineering advice for specific mountains.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Biographical Note
Donald George Onthank was born in Vineland, New Jersey, in 1892. He moved to Portland, Oregon, in 1910, and soon began climbing mountains in Oregon and Washington. In 1927, he joined the Mazamas mountaineering club, and he was elected as its president in 1939. In 1940, he was awarded the organization’s Parker Cup for distinguished service, and he became the first endowed life member of the American Alpine Club in 1979.
Onthank married Vera Valentine Taylor in 1918, and they had three children. He worked as an agent for the Traveler's Insurance Company, from which he retired in 1970. Onthank died in 1981.
Sources: Vital records on Ancestry.com; Onthank’s obituary in the Oregonian, December 10, 1981; memorial tribute to Onthank by James Angell in the American Alpine Journal, Volume 24, Issue 56 (1982), accessed online on December 7, 2023, https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198234400/Donald-G-Onthank-1891-1981
Content Description
Collection includes correspondence from Donald Onthank during his time as librarian of the Mazamas, regarding books and periodicals on mountaineering; biographical information on Mazama members; bibliographies on mountaineering and the holdings of the Mazamas library; list of negative numbers of Onthank's photographs; and a notebook of mountaineering advice for specific mountains.
Use of the Collection
Preferred Citation
Donald Onthank papers, Mss 2805, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Administrative Information
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Mountaineering--Oregon
Corporate Names
- Mazamas (Portland, Or.)
Form or Genre Terms
- correspondence
