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James C. Howland Papers, 1860-2008

By Finding aid prepared by Elizabeth Nielsen and Karl McCreary.

Collection Overview

Title: James C. Howland Papers, 1860-2008

Predominant Dates: 1934-2005

ID: MSS Howland

Primary Creator: Howland, James C.

Extent: 4.5 cubic feet. More info below.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

Abstract

The James C. Howland Papers consist of materials generated and assembled by Howland as an Oregon State College student in the 1930s, during his military service in World War II, as an engineer and founder of CH2M, and as a community and civic leader in Corvallis, Oregon. Howland graduated from Oregon State College in 1938.

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

Scope and Content Notes

The James C. Howland Papers consist of materials generated and assembled by Howland that document his student years at Oregon State College, military service during World War II, engineering career, community involvement and civic leadership, family, and role as an artist. The Papers include certificates, class notes, correspondence, meeting minutes, notes, photographs, posters, publications, scrapbooks, student papers, sketch books, a videotape, and drafting tools.

The collection includes several scrapbooks. They include clippings, brochures, correspondence, greeting cards, programs, memorabilia, and photographs. Several of the scrapbooks pertain to Howland's family, CH2M engineering projects, Howland's artwork, and awards he received. One of the scrapbooks was prepared to commemorate the Howlands' 50th wedding anniversary in 1991. Another scrapbook includes about 115 color photographs of the 50th reunion of the Class of 1938, held in 1988. Two of the scrapbooks document Howland's military service in Saipan during World War II; they consist predominintly of photographs (about 220 images) and sketches by Howland. Loose photographs in the collection depict Howland's military service during World War II (20 photographic prints and Oregon bridges (154 color slides), which were the subject of much of Howland's artwork. A videotape recording (VHS format) of a presentation by Howland about CH2M Hill is included in the collection.

Materials from Howland's student years at Oregon State include papers and class notes, a survey map for a student project, and posters promoting student dances.

Howland's records of the work of the Corvallis Riverfront Commission and the Riverfront Enhancement Task Force are part of the collection as well as the Oregon State Class of 1938 reunion committee for 1963-2003.

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

Biographical / Historical Notes

James C. Howland earned an engineering degree from Oregon State College in 1938 and attended graduate school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After serving with engineering units in Hawaii and Saipan during World War II, he returned to Corvallis, Oregon, in 1946. With fellow Oregon State alumni Holly Cornell, T. Burke Hayes, and Fred Merryfield, Howland founded CH2M, an engineering consulting firm, in 1946. Howland served as general manager for 20 years and chairman of the board in 1974-1977.

Howland married Ruth (Meisy) Meisenhelder in 1941 and they had four children: Mark, Joyce, Eric, and Peter. Howland was active in the Madison Avenue Task Force to beautify the avenue which connects the Oregon State University campus with downtown Corvallis and was instrumental in the development of the Riverfront Park project in downtown Corvallis in the 1990s. Howland was an active member of the Oregon State College Class of 1938 and participated in reunion planning beginning in 1963. Howland was also an accomplished artist, focusing on silk-screen printing. Howland was born in Oregon City on June 2, 1916; he died in Corvallis on August 28, 2008.

Administrative Information

More Extent Information: 630 photographs and 1 videotape; 8 boxes, including 5 oversize boxes

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: The papers were donated to the Archives by Howland's family in 2010.

Related Materials: The Special Collections and Archives Research Center's holdings also include the papers of CH2M co-founder, the Fred Merryfield Papers (MSS Merryfield); the CH2M Hill, Inc. Oral Histories Collection (OH 019) includes oral histories with Howland and the other CH2M founders. The Alumni Association Records (RG 035) include additional materials pertaining the Class of 1938 reunions. The Helen M. and Alan B. Berg Papers (MSS Berg) include substantive materials pertaining to the Corvallis Riverfront Commission.

Preferred Citation: James C. Howland Papers (MSS Howland), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Processing Information: This collection is not fully processed; this guide is preliminary.

Other URL: A preliminary container list was created for this collection on or before November 14, 2014.

Creators

Howland, James C.

People, Places, and Topics

Bridges--Oregon.
CH2M HILL (Firm)
Corvallis (Or.)
Engineering--Study and teaching--Oregon--Corvallis.
History of Science
Howland, James C.
Local History
Oregon State College--Students.
Oregon State College. Class of 1938
Oregon State College. School of Engineering
Oregon State University--Alumni and alumnae.
Saipan
University History
Urban beautification--Oregon--Corvallis.

Forms of Material

Maps (documents)
Photographic prints.
Scrapbooks.
Slides (photographs).
Video recordings (physical artifacts)


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