A Department of Information was established at Oregon State College in the 1950s to provide news about the College to off-campus media. It became the Department of News and Communication Services in 1991 with the purpose of fostering close ties with the newspapers, wire services, radio and television stations, and professional publications of the state, region, and nation. The Department of Information began producing news releases, short productions, and public service announcements on motion picture film and video in the 1970s.
Dennis G. (Denny) Miles joined the Department of Information staff in late 1971 as Assistant Director of Information for Broadcast Media with a co-appointment as Instructor in the Department of Speech Communication. Miles earned a BS in General Science Education from Oregon State University in 1967 and worked at KBVR during his student years. Miles resigned from Oregon State University in April 1978.
The News and Communication Services Motion Picture Films and Videotapes consist of raw footage created or acquired by the department as well as final productions of news releases and public service announcements documenting and promoting Oregon State University (OSU). The footage depicts OSU students and faculty; research and academic programs; athletics; and student activities.
The collection consists of three major groups of materials -- individually numbered films and videotapes (FV P057:001 thru FV P057:635); a large accession of videotapes acquired in 1995 (Accession 95:059); and a more recent accession received in 2006 (Accession 2006:046).
The individually numbered items include 16 mm footage filmed or used in productions by Denny Miles during the 1970s (FV P057:001 thru FV P057:104). These films document campus scenes and activities; research in forestry, alternative energy, and oceanography, including footage of the research vessels
The majority of the individually numbered videotapes are recordings of athletic events and coaches' shows. These include men's basketball (1979-1987); football (1983-1986); men's basketball coach Ralph Miller's television show (1980-1985); and football coach Joe Avezzano's television show (1981-1984). Of special note is footage of the 1942 Rose Bowl football game between Oregon State College and Duke University.
Several films and videotapes include footage of Linus Pauling, including an interview of Pauling by Ron Lovell in 1983. Recordings of the OSU Printing Department fire in July 1992 and Hillary Clinton's visit to Oregon State for a campaign rally in 1996 are part of the collection as well.
Accession 95:059 consists of videotapes produced and/or recorded by the Department of Information staff, primarily during the 1980s. The videotapes include public service announcements, promotions, video press releases, documentaries, and raw footage. Subjects include athletics; special events such as lectures and convocations; President Byrne's inauguration; classroom and laboratory teaching scenes; and research. In some cases, information on the tape box differs from the information on the tape itself. In these cases, this distinction is indicated in the preliminary container list. The tapes have not been viewed to resolve these discrepancies. Detailed lists of the contents file tapes #1 thru #19 (in boxes 68 and 69) are available. These include clips that may be video duplicates of film footage that is available elsewhere in the collection.
The 2006 addition to the collection consists primarily of recordings of television broadcasts that include news features about OSU or programs featuring interviews with or commentary by Oregon State faculty. Recordings of events such as music performances and a farewell ceremony for President John Byrne are included. This accession include several recruiting and promotion productions.
The bulk of the collection consists of videotapes; most of these are 3/4" Umatic tapes. A large number of VHS format tapes are also included and several Betacam tapes. All of the film footage is 16 mm; most is color. Many of the reels are less than 400 feet.
Digital duplication masters and DVD use copies of several of the films
and videotapes are available. These are indicated in the preliminary
container list. Several video recordings of baseball games are available
online, including both games of an OSU vs. Washington State University
baseball doubleheader in 1983, a portion of an OSU vs. University of
Oregon baseball game in 1975, and baseball coach Jack Riley during a 1982
game against Portland State University:
Collection is open for research.
News and Communication Services Motion Picture Films and Videotapes (FV P 057), Oregon State University Archives, Corvallis, Oregon.
This collection is not fully processed; this guide is preliminary.
The motion picture films and videos were transferred to the Archives in numerous accessions from the early 1980s through 2006.
Additions to the collection are expected.
The News and Communication Services Records (RG 203) and Photographs (P
057) include paper records and still images promoting Oregon State
University. The