The Zorn-Macpherson Bill Collection consists predominantly of published materials pertaining to the Zorn-Macpherson School Moving Bill, an initiative petition on the Oregon general election ballot in November 1932. The collection includes clippings, pamphlets and broadsides; subject files; correspondence; and newspaper issues and other publications. The clippings, which comprise the bulk of the collection are from newspapers throughout Oregon and include articles, editorials, and advertisements. The clippings span from 1929 to 1932, but the bulk are from 1932. Newspapers represented include the Oregonian, Portland News-Telegram, and Corvallis Gazette-Times.
The pamphlets and broadsides include items both in favor of and against the Zorn-Macpherson School Moving Bill. One of the broadsides is a full-page advertisement from the St. Helens Sentinel. The subject files (1926-1932) include reports and statistics compiled by Oregon Agricultural College staff, information about the normal schools in Oregon, materials pertaining to higher education consolidation in other states, and reports prepared for the Survey Commission.
The correspondence consists primarily of exchanges during 1932 between G.H. Fullenwiler of Carlton, Oregon; W.A. Jensen, the Executive Secretary at Oregon State Agricultural College; and Dean James H. Gilbert at the University of Oregon regarding space available at both institutions for classrooms and laboratories.
The collection includes full issues of a selection of newspapers and other publications from throughout Oregon published in 1932-1933. In addition to several issues of the Oregonian, copies of neighborhood papers within Portland are available. These include the Southeast Portland Index, East Side Enterprise, Sellwood Bee, East Portland Post, and Rose City News. Of special note are the November 1932 issue of a Finnish publication Veljeys-Viesti (Astoria, Oregon); the October 28, 1932 issue of The Scribe -- a Record of Jewish Life and Thought (Portland, Oregon); and the November 3, 1932 issue of Nachrichten (Portland, Oregon) in German.
Copies of the Oregon Taxpayer for September through November of 1932 are part of the collection. The Oregon Taxpayer was a "monthly review of Oregon problems" published by Hector Macpherson.
In addition to information about this measure, the Collection includes materials pertaining to the re-organization of higher education in Oregon in the late 1920s through early 1930s, establishment of the Oregon State System of Higher Education, and appointment of William J. Kerr as Chancellor in 1932.
Items from this collection have been digitized and are available in Oregon Digital.