Honors Program Records, 1962-1991

Collection Overview

Title: Honors Program Records, 1962-1991

Predominant Dates: 1968-1991

ID: RG 096

Primary Creator: Oregon State University. Honors Program

Extent: 1.5 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: The records are arranged in 11 series: 1. Administrative Files, 1969-1991; 2. Annual Letters to the President, 1980-1991; 3. Committees, 1969-1987; 4. Director Files, 1965-1973; 5. Graduates, 1968-1991; 6. Planning Reports, 1974-1991; 7. Publications, 1968-1991; 8. Slide-Tape Program, circa 1973; 9. Student Organization (Facets of Honor), 1988-1989; 10. Theses, 1969-1991; and 11. Photographs, 1962.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

Abstract

The Honors Program Records consist of the administrative and student related records of the Oregon State University Honors Program from initial efforts in the mid-1960s to its closure, due to budget cuts, in 1991.

Access to some materials in Series 1, all of Series 5, and all of Series 10 are restricted due to the presence of confidential information. All requests for access to this material should be directed to the University Archivist.

Items from this collection have been digitized and are available in Oregon Digital.

Scope and Content Notes

The Honors Program Records document the administration and programs of the Honors Program. The records include committee records, lists of graduates, information about faculty participants, director's files, publications, and photographs. The bulk of the collection consists of honors theses completed by students from the 1960s through 1991. Of note are newsletters published by students in the late 1960s and early 1970s that include announcements of Honors Program activities but also include pieces addressing the Vietnam War and environmental topics.

Items from this collection have been digitized and are available in Oregon Digital.

Biographical / Historical Notes

In 1959 Honors work began in the School of Science which developed into a joint program between the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in 1964. The University Honors Program was established campus-wide in 1966 and offered enriched educational opportunities to students of superior scholastic ability or of particular academic focus. In addition to participation in extra-curricular honors colloquia and seminars, students were required to complete a Senior Honors Thesis. The Honors Program was terminated at the end of the 1990-1991 academic year due to budget constraints. A new University Honors College was established for fall 1995. Today, the Honors College operates as a small degree-granting college, within Oregon State University, which offers an Honors Baccalaureate Degree in any undergraduate major.

In September 1965 Leonard J. Weber, Professor of Engineering, was the chair of the newly established All University Honors Committee. This committee was initially assigned to study the feasibility of establishing a University-wide honors program at Oregon State University. Once the University Honors Program was established, the Honors Committee became responsible for the general oversight of the program. In the fall of 1970 Leonard J. Weber became the director of the Honors Program.

The Facets of Honor, also known as FACETS, was established for students in the University Honors Program. FACETS recognized and encouraged superior academic achievement, promoted fellowship and the exchange of ideas, faciliated communication between students and faculty associated with the Honors Program and offered advisement to faculty concerning the program.

Administrative Information

More Extent Information: 253 photographs, 4 sound recordings, and 2 computer disks; 3 boxes; 6 microfilm reels

Statement on Access: Access to some materials in Series 1, all of Series 5, and all of Series 10 are restricted due to the presence of confidential information. All requests for access to this material should be directed to the University Archivist. All other materials in this collection are open for research.

Acquisition Note: The materials were transferred to the Archives in 1991.

Related Materials: Additional materials pertaining to the Honors Program are part of the OSU Memorabilia Collection (MSS MC) "MC-Honors Program" and the President's Office Records (RG 013). The Honors College Records (RG 238) document the degree-granting college established at Oregon State University in 1995.

Preferred Citation: Honors Program Records (RG 096), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

People, Places, and Topics

College students--Research--Oregon--Corvallis.
Oregon State University--Faculty.
Oregon State University--Research.
Oregon State University--Students.
Oregon State University. Honors Program
Student activities--Oregon--Corvallis.
Universities and colleges--Honors courses--Oregon--Corvallis.
University History

Box and Folder Listing

Series 1: Administrative Files, 1969-1991

Series 1 consists of administrative paperwork such as generic student application forms and program information letters. This series also includes some general statistical information and support data about the Honors Program, including a revised copy of the Honors Student Association Constitution dated January 1969.

Access to the "List of Active Honors Program Students," "Senior Projects/Theses," and "Statistics and Summaries - UHP Students" files are restricted due to the presence of confidential information. All requests for access to this material should be directed to the University Archivist.

Box-Folder 1.1: Application Forms, undated

Box-Folder 1.2: Form Letters, 1989-1991

Box-Folder 1.3: Honors Dormitory, 1989

Box-Folder 3.1: RESTRICTED: List of Active Honors Program Students, 1988-1990

Box-Folder 3.2: RESTRICTED: Senior Projects/Theses, 1986-1990

Box-Folder 1.4: Sketch of Beaver by Don Poole, 1991

Sub-Series 1: Statistics and Summaries, 1987-1991

Box-Folder 1.5: Statistics and Summaries, 1987-1991
Box-Folder 3.3: RESTRICTED: Statistics and Summaries - UHP Students, 1991
Box-Folder 1.6: Support Data, 1969-1990

Series 2: Annual Letters to the President, 1980-1991

Series 2 consists of photocopies of letters to the OSU President listing the school, dean, department, department head and individual faculty who volunteered their time and expertise to the University Honors Program during the previous academic year. There are also photocopies of the letters which were sent to the department heads recognizing the efforts of individual department faculty who had volunteered their time to the Honors Program.

Box-Folder 1.7

Series 3: Committees, 1969-1987

Series 3 consists of annual reports, class schedules, memorandum, minutes, newsletters and other materials related to the work of the University Honors Program Committee. In addition to overseeing the general administration of the Honors Program, the Honors Committee was also responsible for approving program applicants and monitoring their progress while in the program. Included is a file from the Honors Program Task Force which met during the 1986-1987 academic year to develop recommendations for restructuring the program following the retirement of Program Director, Margaret Meehan, in June 1985.

Box-Folder 1.8: University Honors Program Committee, 1969-1971
Box-Folder 1.9: University Honors Program Committee, 1971-1972
Box-Folder 1.10: University Honors Program Committee, 1985-1986
Box-Folder 1.11: Honors Program Task Force, 1986-1987

Series 4: Director Files, 1965-1973

Series 4 consists of materials compiled by various directors to assist them in managing the Honors Program. The Director's Notebook appears to be a ready reference of sorts outlining the student programs, courses, colloquia and individual department guidelines for students participating in the program. Weber's files document his participation on the Honors Committee.

Box-Folder 1.12: Director's Notebook, 1968-1969

Box-Folder 1.13: Director's Notebook, 1968-1973

Sub-Series 1: Leonard Weber's Files, 1965-1972

Box-Folder 1.14: General Files, 1968-1971
Box-Folder 1.15: Honors Committee, 1965-1966
Box-Folder 1.16: Honors Committee, 1966-1968
Box-Folder 1.17: Honors Committee, 1968
Box-Folder 1.18: Honors Committee, 1971-1972

Series 5: RESTRICTED: Graduates, 1968-1991

Series 5 consists of annual listings of students in the OSU Honors Program. The names are organized alphabetically and often include the school and department where each student is enrolled.

Access to all materials in Series 5 is restricted due to the presence of confidential information. All requests for access to this material should be directed to the University Archivist.

Box-Folder 3.4: RESTRICTED

Series 6: Planning Reports, 1974-1991

Series 6 consists of photocopied lists of the colloquia offered through the Honors Program for a specific term. The name of the instructor, department or profession, and class location are also included.

Box-Folder 1.19

Series 7: Publications, 1968-1991

The publications include brochures, newsletters, and schedules. The brochures describe the Honors Program and give instructions for completing a thesis. The newsletters were published by honors students. The schedules describe honor colloquia and seminars offered each quarter.

Box-Folder 1.20: Brochures, circa 1980-1991

Box-Folder 1.21: Newsletters, 1968-1971

Item 1: The Quick and the Dead, 1968-1971
Item 2: Ecotrip, 1969-1970
Item 3: WIIAN, 1970-1971

Box-Folder 1.22: Schedules, 1968-1976

Box-Folder 1.23: Schedules, 1977-1979

Box-Folder 1.24: Schedules, 1980-1983

Box-Folder 2.1: Schedules, 1984-1987

Box-Folder 2.2: Schedules, 1988-1991

Series 8: Slide-Tape Program, circa 1973

The Slide-Tape Program consists of a recorded narration on audiocassette and 58 color slides about the Honors Program. It includes images campus scenes, classrooms, and laboratories; students; and faculty.

Box-Folder 2.3: Slide-Tape Program, circa 1973
Box-Folder 2.4: Slide-Tape Program, circa 1973

Series 9: Student Organization (Facets of Honor), 1988-1989

Series 9 consist of materials mainly related to the "My Last Lecture" series which was organized by the Facets of Honor, a student organization of the University Honors Program. The premise of the lecture series was that if this was a presenter's last public speech, what ideas or principles would they feel were most important to share with the audience.

Box-Folder 2.5

Series 10: RESTRICTED: Theses, 1969-1991

Series 10 consists of theses completed by honors program students. The bulk of the materials are available on microfilm, which have been inventoried. Oversize materials, photographs, sound recordings, and computer disks are available in original format.

Access to all materials in Series 10 is restricted due to the presence of confidential information. All requests for access to this material should be directed to the University Archivist.

Box-Folder 3.5-4.1: RESTRICTED: Theses: Access Restriction: Access must be approved by the University Archivist because of confidential information.
Reel 1-6: RESTRICTED: Theses

Series 11: Photographs, 1962

The photographs consist of 3 b/w prints depicting Honors Program students in science. The images were published in the 1962 publication Honors Program - School of Science (CM62:18).

Box-Folder 2.6: Photographs, 1962