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Title: Resident Hostess Club of Oregon State College Records, 1948-1967

ID: RG 133

Primary Creator: Resident Hostess Club of Oregon State College

Extent: 1.0 reels

Arrangement: Records are organized into five series: I. Minutes; II. Letter and Report; III. Dues Record Book; IV. Financial Statements; and V. Gavel.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

The Resident Hostess Club of Oregon State College Records relate to the activities and organization of the club for housemothers, or resident hostesses, of living groups on the Oregon State College campus.

Series I consists of minutes of monthly meetings and an undated constitution of the organization. Series II consists of a letter, 1952, and a financial report regarding a tea party, 1966. Series III includes a dues record book indicating membership lists and amounts paid for dues. Series IV includes bank statements, invoices, checkbook registers, and cancelled checks for 1965-1967. Series V is an image of the gavel used by the organization.

The Resident Hostess Club of Oregon State College was officially named as such in 1948, but apparently existed without a formal name for some time previously. The club consisted of the housemothers, or resident hostesses, of organized living groups on campus, including both male and female living groups. By 1955 the Greek fraternities also had housemothers, or hostesses, living in each house. According to its constitution, the purpose of the club was "to promote friendliness among the membership." The hostesses met monthly to discuss problems at the living groups and to plan social events for the residents. Most meetings included a program conducted by the Dean of Women. The club disbanded sometime after 1967.

Related Materials: The Dean of Women's Office Records (RG 057) have related materials, as the Dean of Women and her assistants were members of the Resident Hostess Club. Two OSU Memorabilia Collection (MSS MC) files contain materials related to the subject of housemothers: "MC - Housemothers for Fraternities" and "MC - Housemothers Conferences, 1940-1963". The Daily Barometer (PUB 15-11b) contains several articles about housemothers, or hostesses, from 1955 and 1956, as well as an article on the Resident Hostess Club in 1948.

Preferred Citation: Resident Hostess Club of Oregon State College Records (RG 133), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Resident Hostess Club of Oregon State College
Oregon State University. Dean of Women
Resident Hostess Club of Oregon State University

Clubs--Oregon--Corvallis.
Deans of women--Oregon--Corvallis.
Resident Hostess Club of Oregon State College
Resident Hostess Club of Oregon State University
University History
Women--Oregon--Corvallis--Societies and clubs.