Entomology Department Records, 1887-2003

Series I consists primarily of correspondence and memoranda, but also includes reports, architectural drawings and book plans, meeting minutes, and newspaper clippings. Documenting the general administration of the department, subjects covered in this series include: accreditation, building renovation, long range planning, gifts and endowments, budgets, special events and conferences, the OSU Extension Service, the Integrated Plant Protection Center, and department personnel and staffing.

The questionnaires in series II relate to hop lice infestation and include handwritten notes in addition to the completed survey forms. The survey was coordinated through the Agricultural Experiment Station Entomologist. In addition to biennial department reports, the reports in series III document department accreditation, long range planning, Extension Entomology activity, regional conference research abstracts, insect collection policy development and analysis, and essays on the history of department. This series also includes related correspondence and notes.

Research projects of department faculty constitute series IV, which includes correspondence, grant proposals, newspaper clippings, notes, publications, reports, and research project lists. Series V documents department faculty and staff meetings. Consisting of meeting minutes and agendas, memoranda, notes, and reports, these records address various administrative matters such as budget preparation, committee activity, curriculum development, equipment needs assessment, and staffing.

Series VI relates to instruction, curriculum development, academic programs outside the department, student scholarships and fellowships, graduate theses, and the Ken Gray Slide Collection of entomological images. Included in this series are category I and II proposals, class notes and guides, correspondence, course descriptions, degree recipient lists, reports, seminar announcements, survey materials, and television scripts on insect control and pesticide application developed by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Entomology faculty information constitutes series VII, and includes article reprints, correspondence, curriculum vitae, employment records, monthly narrative reports, newspaper clippings, publication lists, and reports. The bulk of this series is organized in the form of biographical files that are arranged alphabetically by faculty member.

Series VIII is made up of materials collected from non-OSU professional associations, committees, advisory councils, and other organizations involved in entomology, agriculture, and pesticide research and regulation. These records consist primarily of correspondence, meeting minutes, and publications. The newspaper clippings of series IX document entomology faculty research, department events and news, the OSU arthropod collection, and insect control efforts throughout Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. The clippings were mostly taken from the Corvallis Gazette-Times, the Oregonian, and the Daily Barometer.

Series X contains records generated by various Entomology Department and university committees and consists of committee membership lists, correspondence, meeting minutes, and reports. The subjects covered by these committees include curriculum development, Greenhouse/Entomology Farm operations, the Biology Program, space usage in Cordley Hall, equipment maintenance and purchase, the Integrated Plant Protection Center, collections policy, and computer organization in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

The publications in series XI consist primarily of department and Entomology Club newsletters, but also include informational brochures about the department, Extension Entomology circulars, and published matter about the history of Entomology in the Pacific Northwest. The Specimen Collection and Tracking Records in series XII document the lending, purchase, and acquisition on loan of entomological specimens by the department from museums, other universities, or individuals. Organized by name of institution or individual with whom specimens were lent or acquired, this series is primarily made up of correspondence and invoice statements.

An addition to the Entomology Department Records (Accession 2002:054) consists of correspondence received and generated by Ralph William Macy, a Biology Professor and Lepidopterist. Primarily relating to Macy's research with butterflies, the correspondence also pertains to the publication of a book on butterflies by Macy and the trading of butterflies with other collectors and researchers. Born in Oregon in 1905, Ralph William Macy taught Biology at St. Thomas College, Reed College, and Portland State College. With an avid interest in Lepidotery, the study of butterflies, Macy co-authored the book "Butterflies; a handbook of the butterflies of the United States, complete for the region north of the Potomac and Ohio rivers and east of the Dakotas" in 1941. Involved in the local Lepidopterist community, Macy regularly attended annual workshops sponsored by the Northwestern Lepidopterists' Society at Western Oregon University and Oregon State University. In 1998, Macy donated his collection of butterflies and beetles to the OSU Anthropod Museum. He died in 1998 or 1999.

A second addition to the Entomology Department Records (Accession 2009:039) consists of handwritten and typed notes generated by Entomology Extension Agents and department faculty documenting field observations of insects in various locales throughout Oregon, donated specimens received by the college, and reports by farmers of crop and plant infestations. Arranged roughly in alphabetical order by the Latin name (but sometimes by the common name) of the insects, the notes describe various physical details such as coloring, size, life cycle, mating habits, and the flora affected. In addition to the physiology and behavior of the insects, these notes also contain information on pesticide formulations/experiments, pest surveys, geographical distribution, and drawings/sketches of the insects and the impact of their infestation. Farms referenced in these notes are identified by owner and nearest town. Among the entomologists represented in the notes include Louis Gentner, A. L. Lovett, H.F. Wilson, and J. Wilcox.

A third addition to the Entomology Department Records (Accession 2014:013) is made up of two short circulars published by the Entomology Department entitled "How To Rear An Ant Colony" and "Predatory Insects." These were written by Richard Lewis Post, who served as a technician/curator for the Entomology Department from 1939 to 1942 and 1945 to 1946.

Biographical / Historical Notes

Entomology has been taught at Oregon State since 1873. A Department of Zoology and Entomology was established in 1889, with F. L. Washburn as the chair. In 1914, Entomology was made a separate department and an undergraduate major was created. An M.S. in Entomology was begun in 1911, and in 1938 a Ph.D. program began. Since 1923, the department has been a part of both the Colleges of Science and Agricultural Sciences.

Originally housed in Benton Hall, the department moved to Education Hall in 1902, then moved again in 1910 to Strand Hall, and finally relocated to Cordley Hall in 1957. Arthur Burton Cordley served as a professor of Zoology and Entomology and Experiment Station Entomologist.

In 2003, due to budget reductions, the Entomology Department was eliminated as a separate organizational unit and the core instructional, scientific, and service functions were transferred to other OSU departments.

Department Chairs: 1889-1912 Frederick L. Washburn 1912-1915 H.F. Wilson 1916-1924 A.L. Lovett 1924-1952 Don C. Mote 1952-1971 Paul O. Richter 1971-1973 Knud G. Swenson Acting, 1973-1974 Paul M. Oman, Sr. 1975-1976 Carlton Koehler Acting, 1976-1978 John D. Lattin 1978-1986 Bruce Eldridge 1986-1991 Ralph E. Berry 1991-1994 Gerald W. Krantz 1995-2002 Paul C. Jepson 2002-2003 Timothy Schowalter

Administrative Information

More Extent Information: Including 20 boxes and 1 map folder; 4 microfilm reels

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Related Materials:

In addition to institutional records, the Special Collections and Archives Research Center also includes the Entomology Department Photograph Collection (P 055). Other photographs related to Entomology can be found in Harriet's Photograph Collection (P HC) number 948 and the Herman A. Scullen Photographic Collection (P 141). The publication, OSU Monographs Studies in Entomology (PUB 5-43e), can also be found in the holdings.

There is also documentation of entomological activity in the records of other departments and colleges at OSU. The Extension Service Records (RG 111) include extension specialists reports as well as records of entomology extension activities. The Agricultural Experiment Station Records (RG 025) include entomology course outlines and records of numerous entomological research projects. The College of Agricultural Sciences Records (RG 158) and College of Science Records (RG 024) also include materials pertaining to the Entomology Department.

Papers generated and collected by Entomology Department faculty can also be found in the Center. These manuscript collections include the Ralph Berry Papers (MSS Berry), Louis G. Gentner Papers (MSS Gentner), John D. Lattin Papers (MSS Lattin), Charles H. Martin Papers (MSS MartinC), James McIver Papers (MSS McIver), Hugh E. Morrison Papers (MSS Morrison), Paul W. Oman Papers (MSS Oman), Paul Ritcher Papers (MSS Ritchter), Robert G. Rosenstiel (MSS Rosenstiel), Herman A. Scullen Papers (MSS Scullen).

Preferred Citation: Entomology Department Records (RG 027), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Processing Information:

We acknowledge that materials in SCARC collections and the language that describes them may be harmful. We are actively working to address our descriptive practices; for more information please see our SCARC Anti-Racist Actions Statement online. SCARC describes the contents of its collections using the language and terminology of the collections themselves. Since culturally acceptable terminology shifts over time, some of the terms that appear in these materials are currently outdated or offensive. The term “gypsy” is considered derogatory by many Roma people. It comes from the word “Egyptian,” where many Europeans mistakenly believed the Romani came from. In 1971, at the First World Roma Congress, a majority of attendees voted to reject the use of the term “gypsy,” however some still use it to self-identify.

In this collection, the term “gypsy” refers to the “Asian gypsy moth” or “gypsy moth,” a group of invasive moth species that includes Lymantria dispar dispar, Lymantria dispar asiatica, L. d. japonica, L. albescens, L. umbrosa, and L. postalba. In 2021, the Entomological Society of America (ESA) voted to change the common names, and in 2022, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced new names for these species. Lymantria dispar dispar is now known as the “spongy moth,” and the rest are now the “flighted spongy moth complex.”

In order to provide historical context and to enable standardized searching and access across our collections, we have retained the original wording in the collection descriptions. We acknowledge the racism represented by the term “gypsy” and the harm it may cause our users. Providing access to these historical materials does not endorse any attitudes or behavior depicted therein. For more information, please see our blog post.

[Date of Acknowledgement: November 2024]

Other URL: A preliminary container list was created for this collection on or before November 19, 2015.

Entomology Department Records, 1887-2003

Collection Overview

Abstract

Scope and Content Notes

Biographical / Historical Notes

Administrative Information

Creators

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