By Finding aid prepared by Lawrence A. Landis; revised by Elizabeth Nielsen.
Title: Journalism Department Records, 1918-1988
ID: RG 091
Primary Creator: Oregon State University. Department of Journalism
Extent: 1.35 cubic feet. More info below.
Arrangement: The records are arranged in nine series: I. Briefs and Statements, 1920-1928; II. Clippings on OSSHE Budget and Survey of Higher Education, 1930-1931; III. Miscellaneous, 1921-1925; IV. Oregon Newspaper Scrapbooks, 1918-1951; V. Accreditation, 1977-1988; VI. Special Event Records, 1979-1988; VII. Subject Files, 1966-1988; VIII. Journalism Advisory Council, 1988; and IX. Sound Recordings, 1970-1971.
Languages of Materials: English [eng]
The Journalism Department Records document the undergraduate and graduate instruction programs in technical journalism at Oregon State University. The records also include materials pertaining to the reorganization of higher education in Oregon in the early 1930s and the controversy between the University of Oregon and Oregon Agricultural College (OAC) in the 1920s regarding the offering of journalism degrees at OAC.
Access to journalism advisee materials in Series 7 and 8 is restricted due to the presence of confidential information. For more information about access to restricted materials, please see our Guide to the Special Collections and Archives Research Center.
The Journalism Department Records document the development of undergraduate and graduate instruction programs in technical (industrial) journalism at Oregon State University. The records include materials pertaining to the reorganization of higher education in Oregon in the early 1930s and the controversy between the University of Oregon and Oregon Agricultural College in the 1920s regarding the offering of journalism degrees of OAC.
Much of the collection consists of microfilmed scrapbooks of newspaper clippings from Oregon newspapers. The clippings are of articles about Oregon State and/or ones written by Oregon State students for the newspapers. Many of the scrapbooks have accompanying subject indexes.
The remainder of the collection was created or assembled by department chair Fred Zwahlen and includes materials pertaining to accreditation and special events, including the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication annual convention in Corvallis in 1983; subject files pertaining to curriculum, faculty, budgets, and graduates and advisees; and materials assembled for the Journalism Advisory Council. Of particular note in the subject files are materials regarding former Oregon Governor Tom McCall's position at OSU in the early 1970s.
Also of note in the collection are sound recordings of Associated Press science writer and editor, Alton Blakeslee; New York Times science writer, Sandra Blakeslee (with KOAC reporter Shirley Howard); Oregonian editor, J. Richard Nokes, and KGW-TV News Director, Ed Godfrey recorded in 1970-1971.
Journalism courses were first offered at Oregon Agricultural College during the 1914/15 school year, and the Department of Industrial Journalism was created in 1918. The department's purpose was to train students "who wish to take positions on farm and trade journals, newspapers, and other publications, especially where writing on industrial subjects such as Agriculture, Home Economics, and Engineering is required" (1919/20 OAC Catalogue). On three occasions during the 1920s, the State Board of Higher Curricula was requested to consider restricting or eliminating industrial journalism at Oregon State.
During the 1930s and 1940s, journalism at Oregon State was administered jointly with the program at the University of Oregon as part of the higher education reorganization in Oregon. In 1969, departmental majors were offered for the first time; subsequently, thirty technical minors were added. In 1992, the Journalism Department was eliminated as part of university wide budget reductions.
Department chairs have included Frank Snow, 1928; Maynard Brown, 1929; Charles D. Byrne, 1929-1932; Fred M. Shideler, 1932-1967; Fred Zwahlen, 1967-1989; and Jon Franklin, 1989-1991.
More Extent Information: 2 boxes; 11 microfilm reels
Statement on Access: Access to journalism advisee materials in Series 7 and 8 is restricted due to the presence of confidential information. For more information about access to restricted materials, please see our Guide to the Special Collections and Archives Research Center. All other materials in this collection are open for research.
Acquisition Note: Transferred in several accessions from the 1960s through 1995.
Related Materials: Photographs pertaining to the Journalism Department can be found in the Journalism Department Photographs (P 208) and in the Harriet's Photograph Collection (P HC). The Beaver Yearbook Photographs (P 003) and Barometer Photographs (P 035) include photographs taken by student photojournalists. The Special Collections and Archives Research Center includes the papers or records of several journalism faculty, alumni journalists, and journalism organizations, including the Fred M. Shideler Papers (MSS Shideler), Frank H. Bartholomew Collection (MSS Bartholomew), Ted Carlson Collection (MSS CarlsonT), Hope Chamberlin Newspaper Columns (MSS Chamberlin), A. Freeman Mason Scrapbook (MSS Mason), and the Theta Sigma Phi Records (MSS ThetaSigmaPhi).
Preferred Citation: Journalism Department Records (RG 091), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
Oregon State University. Department of Journalism
Howard, Shirley Jean (1928-)
Oregon Agricultural College. Department of Industrial Journalism
Oregon State College. Department of Journalism
Zwahlen, Fred C. (1924-)
American newspapers--Oregon.
Blakeslee, Alton L.
Blakeslee, Sandra.
Journalism--Study and teaching (Higher)--Oregon.
McCall, Tom, 1913-1983
Nokes, J. Richard
Oregon State System of Higher Education
Oregon State University--Faculty.
Oregon State University. Department of Journalism
University History
Audiotapes.
Scrapbooks.