Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist Records, 1931-1977

Title: Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist Records, 1931-1977

Predominant Dates: 1954-1975

ID: RG 274

Primary Creator: Oregon State University. Extension Service

Extent: 0.5 cubic feet. More info below.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

The Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist Records document the food and nutrition programs of the Oregon State University Extension Service and include memoranda, correspondence, circulars, pamphlets and a slide presentation.

The bulk of the records consist of collections of circulars produced by Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist regarding food preparation, preservation and nutrition. Three bound volumes contain current (as of circa 1948, 1952 and circa 1966) publications that have been indexed. One folder consists of current (as of 1956) Extension Service and 4-H publications and an index.

Consisting of 54 slides and a script, “Growing Together” is an educational tool for the development of healthy families that was created by 4-H. It was probably intended for 4-H participants and their families and belonged to the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) of the Extension Family Living Department.

Additional materials include two folders of memoranda and correspondence, primarily created by Judith Forest, head of the Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist program.

The Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist program, now a part of  Oregon State University Extension's Family and Community Health, provided information and educational materials to Extension offices across Oregon that addressed food preservation, storage and safety, nutrition and healthy eating.

Oregon’s Extension Service was established in 1911 and in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed the federal Smith-Lever law, which provided federal money for the establishment of extension services in all states for developing off-campus programs, primarily in agriculture and home economics. By 1937, all counties had at least one county extension agent.

During the Extension Service's first forty years, it concentrated on three traditional programmatic areas -- agriculture, home economics, and 4-H. After World War II, four other program areas were added -- forestry (late 1940s), the Marine Advisory Program (late 1940s and greatly expanded in the 1960s), Community Resource Development (1960s), and the Energy Extension Service (1970s).

More Extent Information: 2 boxes; 54 slides

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: These records were transferred to the Special Collections and Special Collections Research Center in 2017 by the Extension Family and Community Health Program.

Related Materials: Oregon State University Extension programs are documented in numerous collections including the Extension Family and Community Health Program Records (RG 252), Extension Service Records (RG 111), Extension and Experiment Station Communications Records (RG 069), News and Communication Services Records (RG 203), Extension Service Photographs (P 062) and in Digital Resources: History of OSU Extension, a comprehensive collection of online resources documenting the 100+ year history of Extension at Oregon State University.

Preferred Citation: Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist Records (RG 274), Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon.

Oregon State University. Extension Service
Forest, Judith

Cooking--Oregon.
Food--Oregon--Safety measures.
Food--Preservation--Oregon.
Home economics extension work--Oregon.
Nutrition extension work--Oregon.
Oregon State University. Extension Service
University History

Slides (photographs).