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Oregon State Yank Collection, 1942-1945

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Sewell, Elaine K.
Title
Oregon State Yank Collection
Dates
1942-1945 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.35 cubic feet, including 1 photograph, (4 boxes)
Collection Number
MSS Yank
Summary
The Oregon State Yank Collection consists of correspondence from Oregon State College alumni serving in the military during World War II to Elaine Kollins Sewell and Jane Steagall, editors of the Oregon State Yank.  Digitized versions of all the letters are available for use in the Special Collections and Archives Research Center Reading Room or upon request.
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

Elaine Kollins Sewell and Jane Steagall, Oregon State College alumnae, published the first Oregon State Yank in November 1943 as a 4-page newspaper-style Christmas greeting with news and gossip about Oregon State College men and women serving in World War II.  They received many letters praising the publication and asking for more.  It was expanded to 16 pages and published quarterly from February 1944 to November 1945.

Elaine Kollins graduated from Oregon State College in 1940 with a degree in Home Economics and was actively involved with student publications at Oregon State.  She later married architect A. Quincy Jones and was a highly respected public relations counselor and communications specialist in southern California.  She died in Los Angeles in 2010.

Jane Steagall graduated from Oregon State College in 1941 with a degree in Secretarial Science.

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Content Description

The Oregon State Yank Collection consists of correspondence received by Elaine Kollins Sewell and Jane Steagall, editors of the Oregon State Yank, from Oregon State College alumni serving in the military during World War II with reports of their service activities, family news, and news of other alumni.  The collection includes a few letters from 1942; the bulk of the correspondence is dated 1943-1945.  An item-level inventory including the item number, the correspondent’s name and location, and the date of the correspondence was prepared by Elaine Kollins Sewell Jones and donated with the letters.  That inventory was used as the source for the item-level list in this finding aid.

The primary format of the materials is hand-written correspondence.  However, the collection includes about 70 pieces of V-mail, 50 postcards, and a few telegrams.  Approximately 225 items (numbers 0729-0958) are typescripts of correspondence for which the original materials are not available.  The collection also includes one photograph which is available online in Oregon Digital.

All of the Oregon State Yank newsletters are available online in Oregon Digital.

In addition to correspondence with individuals affiliated with Oregon State, the collection includes about 40 letters from Kansas friends of Richard Sewell.

Digitized versions of all the letters are available for use in the Special Collections and Archives Research Center Reading Room or upon request.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Oregon State Yank Collection (MSS Yank), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The Oregon State Yank Collection is arranged in 3 series:  1. Chronological Letters, 1942-1945; 2. Richard Kennedy Letters, 1943-1945; and 3. Kansas friends of Richard Sewell, 1942-1945.

Acquisition Information

This collection was assembled by Elaine Kollins Sewell Jones and donated, with an item-level inventory, to the former University Archives in 1991.

Related Materials

The Oregon State Yank is available in original form in the Special Collections and Archives Research Center -- Oregon State Yank Newsletters (PUB 010-15c) -- and online in Oregon Digital. Additional information about the war activities of Oregon State alumni and faculty is available in the Oregon State College History of World War II Project Records (MSS OSCWW2). The Special Collections and Archives Research Center's holdings include numerous collections documenting the World War II era and the impact of the war on the Oregon State community. Of special note relative to this collection are materials documenting personal narratives of individuals impacted by the war.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Soldiers--United States--Correspondence.
  • World War, 1939-1945--Journalists.
  • World War, 1939-1945--Participation, Female.
  • World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American.
  • World War, 1939-1945--War work--Schools.
  • World War, 1939-1945--Women.

Personal Names

  • Sewell, Elaine K.
  • Steagall, Jane (creator)
  • Steagall, Jane--Correspondence.

Corporate Names

  • Oregon State College--Alumni and alumnae--Correspondence.
  • Oregon State College--Alumni and alumnae--Periodicals.

Geographical Names

  • United States--Armed Forces--History--World War, 1939-1945.

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photographic prints.
  • Postcards.
  • Telegrams.
  • V-mail.

Finding Aid Authors: Elizabeth Nielsen and Genevieve Connolly.
2021

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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