Frances Alva Aitken, granddaughter of early Oregon pioneers, was born in Portland, Oregon September 29, 1889. She enrolled at Oregon Agricultural College in 1908 and graduated with the class of 1910 with a B.S. in Domestic Science and Art. Aitken taught home economics in schools in Marion and Polk counties. She left teaching to work with the Army Corps of Engineers, retiring in 1961. Frances Alva Aitken died in 1970.
The Frances Alva Aitken Collection consists of memorabilia from Oregon Agricultural College during the years 1908-1910; included are receipts, class grades, dance cards, alumni directories, commencement programs, and various items relating to the Silver Jubilee reunion in 1935. Also included in the collection are Aitken's teaching contract for the year 1912, newspaper clippings, and a typed copy of her memorial eulogy.
The papers consist of two series: I. OAC Materials; II. Personal.
Frances Alva Aitken Collection, Oregon State University Archives, Corvallis, Oregon.
Other materials relating to Oregon Agricultural College (OAC) during this time period can be found in the Memorabilia Collection and other alumni collections.