John C. Burtner Papers, 1926-1950

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.