John C. Burtner Papers, 1926-1950

Collection Overview

Title: John C. Burtner Papers, 1926-1950

Predominant Dates: 1943-1950

ID: MSS Burtner

Primary Creator: Burtner, John C. (John Cole) (1895-)

Extent: 1.35 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: The Burtner Papers consist of one series: I. Oregon State College Professional Files, 1926-1950. Within the series, the materials are arranged alphabetically by correspondent or topic.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

Abstract

The John C. Burtner Papers document Burtner's roles as Director of the Oregon State College News Bureau and Extension Service Editor and include correspondence and related materials. Burtner graduated from Oregon Agricultural College in 1923 and returned to the College as a faculty member in Industrial Journalism the following year. He remained at Oregon State College as a writer, editor, and head of the College News Bureau until his death in 1950.

Scope and Content Notes

The John C. Burtner Papers were created and assembled by Burtner in the course of his work as Extension Service Editor and Director of the College News Bureau at Oregon State College. The Papers consist primarily of correspondence and also include employment records, meeting minutes, newsletters, and newspaper clippings. These materials document Burtner's interactions with Oregon State College administrators and staff as well as local, regional, and national newspapers and magazines; the Associated Press; advertising agencies; and professional organizations, such as the American Association of Agricultural College Editors. The records address a variety of agricultural topics as well as returning World War II veterans, the Oregon State College Public Relations Department, the Emergency Farm Labor Program during World War II, campus housing after the war, and the dismissal of Oregon State faculty member Ralph Spitzer.

The bulk of the materials were generated or assembled during or immediately following World War II and document the impact of the war on Oregon State College.

Biographical / Historical Notes

John C. Burtner earned a degree in horticulture from Oregon Agricultural College (OAC) in 1923 and a year later became a faculty member in the OAC Industrial Journalism Department. Burtner held various positions at OAC including journalism instructor, Director of the College News Bureau, and Extension Service Editor until his death in 1950. Noted for his award-winning writing on agricultural topics, Burtner published a number of articles in national farming magazines such as the Country Gentleman. Burtner's photographic work was featured in Life and Look magazines. John Cole Burtner was born in Pennsylvania in 1895; he died in Corvallis on December 22, 1950.

Administrative Information

More Extent Information: 2 boxes

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: These materials were donated to the Special Collections & Archives Research Center in 2012 by John C. Burtner's granddaughter, Shelley Wallace.

Related Materials: Biographical information about Burtner is available in the biographical files of the News and Communications Services Records (RG 203); these records also include some News Bureau materials from the 1940s. Photographs made by Burtner are part of the Presidents of Oregon State University Photographic Collection (P 001), Gwil Evans Photographic Collection (P 082), and Harriet's Photograph Collection (P HC).

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

Processing Information: The donor, Shelley Wallace, refoldered the materials into acid-free folders, replaced metal paper-clips with plastic clips, and prepared a folder list for the collection before it was donated. A detailed document about processing of the materials by the donor is available in the collection file.

Creators

People, Places, and Topics

Agricultural extension work--Oregon.
Agriculture--Research--Oregon.
American newspapers--Oregon.
Burtner, John C. (John Cole), 1895-
College publicity--Oregon--Corvallis.
Natural Resources
Oregon State College--Faculty.
Oregon State College. Federal Cooperative Extension Service
Universities and colleges--Public relations--Oregon--Corvallis.
University History
World War, 1939-1945--War work--Schools.

Box and Folder Listing

Series 1: Oregon State College Professional Files, 1926-1950

Series I consists of correspondence and related materials arranged alphabetically by correspondent or topic. Topical highlights of miscellaneous folders are included in the folder description. The series also includes one folder of personal correspondence.

Box-Folder 1.1: John C. Burtner Personal Correspondence, 1944-1949
Box-Folder 1.2: Agricultural News Clippings, circa 1930
Box-Folder 1.3: Allen's Press Clipping Bureau, 1947-1950
Box-Folder 1.4: American Association of Agricultural College Editors, 1945-1948
Box-Folder 1.5: American College Public Relations Association, 1945-1950
Box-Folder 1.6: Associated Press, 1946-1950
Box-Folder 1.7: Astoria Experiment Station, 1945
Box-Folder 1.8: A Miscellaneous, 1945-1949: Topics include Applegate Trail markers; pesticides development; Dr. W.J. VanWagtendonk; and the Vienna Boys Choir.
Box-Folder 1.9: F.L. Ballard, 1945-1947
Box-Folder 1.10: R.S. Besse, 1945-1948
Box-Folder 1.11: L.R. Breithaupt, 1945-1946
Box-Folder 1.12: Business Office, 1940-1947
Box-Folder 1.13: Charles D. Byrne, 1945-1949
Box-Folder 1.14: B Miscellaneous, 1944-1949: Topics include Paul-Emile Bernier; James Dryden; and the 1948 Public Relations Department policy.
Box-Folder 1.15: Civil Service, 1945-1949
Box-Folder 1.16: Country Gentleman, 1945-1949
Box-Folder 1.17: C Miscellaneous: Topics include Civic Concerts; soil fumigation; subterranean clover; War Memorial; and Youth on Campus series.
Box-Folder 1.18: D Miscellaneous, 1945-1950
Box-Folder 1.19: E Miscellaneous, 1945-1950: Topics include Pack Essay prizes and critique of student writing.
Box-Folder 1.20: Farm Journal, 1945-1950
Box-Folder 1.21: Flying Farmers, 1946-1948
Box-Folder 1.22: 4-H Club, 1945-1946
Box-Folder 1.23: F Miscellaneous, 1943-1950: Topics include Food Technology Department; OSC building construction costs; and water forecast meetings.
Box-Folder 1.24: Grange Bulletin, 1943-1946
Box-Folder 1.25: G Miscellaneous, 1942-1950: Topics include Men's Garden Club of Corvallis and post-war industrial activity.
Box-Folder 1.26: Home Economics 50 Years 1889-1939, 1939
Box-Folder 1.27: Honor System News Clippings, undated
Box-Folder 1.28: H Miscellaneous, 1943-1950: Topics include memorial for President Kerr; OSC adaptation under war conditions; and Professor Hyslop and ladino clover.
Box-Folder 1.29: I Miscellaneous, 1945-1948: Topics include subterranean clover.
Box-Folder 1.30: J Miscellaneous, 1944-1949: Topics include Argentine alfalfa.
Box-Folder 1.31: Wallace L. Kadderly - KGW, 1945-1948
Box-Folder 1.32: K Miscellaneous, 1943-1949
Box-Folder 1.33: Life (Veteran's Baby Show), 1946
Box-Folder 1.34: Look (Veteran's Baby Show), 1947
Box-Folder 1.35: L Miscellaneous, 1945-1950: Topics include Percy P. Locey; brief overview of OSC; organization and policies of OSC Public Relations Department; Thirteenth District Relator; and Tunison Park Development.
Box-Folder 1.36: Mailing List for Weeklies, 1945-1949
Box-Folder 1.37: McNitt's Inc., 1945-1949
Box-Folder 1.38: M Miscellaneous, 1942-1950
Box-Folder 1.39: Navy, 1945-1948
Box-Folder 1.40: N Miscellaneous, 1945-1949: Topics include Oregon seed potato test plot results; OSC policies and prospects; subterranean clover; veterans in farm work; and war housing on campus.
Box-Folder 1.41: Oregon Agricultural College History and Data News Clippings, undated
Box-Folder 1.42: Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station First Fifty Years 1887-1937, 1937
Box-Folder 1.43: 1945-1949
Box-Folder 1.44: 1945-1949
Box-Folder 1.45: Oregon Normal School, 1949
Box-Folder 1.46: Oregon State College Faculty Meeting Minutes, 1948-1950
Box-Folder 1.47: Oregon State Employees Association, 1949
Box-Folder 1.48: Oregon Trails Association, 1945-1949
Box-Folder 1.49: Oregonian - General, 1945-1948
Box-Folder 1.50: Oregonian - Loren Milliman, 1943-1947
Box-Folder 1.51: O Miscellaneous, 1945-1949
Box-Folder 1.52: 1945-1948
Box-Folder 1.53: Phi Kappa Phi Committee Investments, 1947
Box-Folder 1.54: Politics and Miscellaneous News Clippings, 1926-1944
Box-Folder 1.55: President's Office, 1945-1948
Box-Folder 1.56: P Miscellaneous, 1943-1950: Topics include establishment of the Oregon State College Foundation and restrictions on out-of-state students.
Box-Folder 2.1: Q Miscellaneous, 1949
Box-Folder 2.2: Radio - KOAC, 1943-1946
Box-Folder 2.3: Radio - Oregon and Other Outside Stations, 1945-1947
Box-Folder 2.4: Recommendations, 1945-1948
Box-Folder 2.5: Requests for Information, 1945-1948
Box-Folder 2.6: R Miscellaneous, 1943-1950: topics includes agricultural news coverage in Oregon newspapers.
Box-Folder 2.7: Jean Scheel, 1946-1947
Box-Folder 2.8: Lester A. Schlup (U.S. Department of Agricultural Extension Service), 1945-1949
Box-Folder 2.9: William A. Schoenfeld, 1945-1946
Box-Folder 2.10: C.W. Smith and Clifford Smith, 1945-1946
Box-Folder 2.11: State Board of Higher Education Members, 1944-1949
Box-Folder 2.12: S Miscellaneous, 1943-1949: Topics include farm labor war food field publicity job - Fred Shideler; President's Strand's address on Dr. Spitzer and Mr. LaVallee; and Smith-Livingston Air Services courses.
Box-Folder 2.13: W.L. Teutsch, 1945-1947
Box-Folder 2.14: T Miscellaneous, 1945-1949: Topics include Turkey World.
Box-Folder 2.15: United Press, 1945-1948
Box-Folder 2.16: U Miscellaneous, 1945-1949: Topics include U.S. Department of Agricultural Extension Service.
Box-Folder 2.17: Veterans from Oregon State, undated: Outstanding service records.
Box-Folder 2.18: V Miscellaneous, 1945-1949: Topics include veterans leaving college.
Box-Folder 2.19: 1949
Box-Folder 2.20: R.A. Work (Soil Conservation Service), 1945-1949
Box-Folder 2.21: W Miscellaneous, 1945-1950
Box-Folder 2.22: XYZ Miscellaneous, 1947-1950