Biology Club Records, 1915-1951

Title: Biology Club Records, 1915-1951

ID: RG 109

Primary Creator: Biology Club (Oregon State College)

Extent: 0.01 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: The records were not effectively arranged before microfilming; however, series numbers for materials are provided on the microfilm.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

The Biology Club Records document the membership and activities of this student and staff organization at Oregon State College. The records consists of minutes and correspondence, treasurers' reports, constitutions, membership lists, and notices of meetings. Only one item, the 1921 constitution, is availalble in original paper form. All other records are only available on microfilm.

The minutes and correspondence (identified as Series 1) comprise the bulk of the records and cover the time period 1915-1951.  The minutes document business conducted at the meetings and include summaries of presentations given by faculty and students on biological topics to the membership. The correspondence includes invitations to faculty to join the organzation and announcements of meetings. Some membership lists are included with the minutes.

The Treasurers' Reports (identified as Series 2) indicate dues received and expenditures, primarily for clerical services. Reports for 1925-1940, 1942-1944, and 1946-1947 are part of the collection.

Constitutions adopted in 1915 and 1921 are identifed as Series 3. The 1921 constitution is also available in paper form. The constitutions prescribe the purpose of the club, the organization and governance, and membership criteria.

Membership lists for 1938-1943 and 1949-1950 are available in the collection and are identified as Series 4. Some membership lists are also included in Series 1. Meeting notices and announcements from the 1920s-1940s comprise Series 5 and indicate the meeting day, time, and place as well as the topic of the presentation.

The Biology Club (also called the Biological Club) was formed in 1915 and was a resumption of an earlier Biological Club. The club membership was open to all students who were enrolled in botany, zoology or entomology classes at the college, and to staff members of the Oregon Agricultural College or the Agricultural Experiment Station. In 1921 the constitution was amended to read "men only" for members, a restriction that continued until at least 1948. Some women expressed interest in joining as early as 1936, but the suggestion was tabled without any further discussion.

The club held monthly meetings that usually included a speaker who gave a talk on a subject related to biology. In most years the club went on a picnic and/or a field day in May for their final meeting of the school year. In 1948, the invitation and minutes noted that, while this event was for men only, 1948 would probably be the last year for that restriction. The club apparently ceased to exist in 1951. In 1997 a new Biology Club was formed at OSU, one that is open to both men and women.

More Extent Information: 1 box; 1 microfilm reel

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: The materials were acquired by the University Archives in the 1960s and microfilmed in 1967.

Related Materials: The Special Collections and Archives Research Center's holdings include the records of numerous other faculty and student clubs and organizations.

Preferred Citation: Biology Club Records (RG 109), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Processing Information: This microfilm reel consist of two short reels (filmed in 1967) that were spliced together in 1999.

Biology Club (Oregon State College)

Biology--Study and teaching (Higher)--Oregon--Corvallis.
Biology Club (Oregon State College)
Clubs--Oregon--Corvallis.
History of Science
Men--Oregon--Corvallis--Societies and clubs.
Oregon State College--Faculty.