Registrar's Office Records, 1870-2011

Title: Registrar's Office Records, 1870-2011

Predominant Dates: 1920-2000

ID: RG 053 - SG 1

Primary Creator: Oregon State University. Registrar's Office

Extent: 32.5 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: The Registrar's Office Records consists of 10 series: 1. Reports and Statistics, 1910-2005; 2. Military Programs and ROTC Records, 1916-1979; 3. Policies and Procedures, 1921-2000; 4. Committee Files, 1922-1976; 5. Tuition and Fees Documents, 1922-1973; 6. National Youth Administration, 1933-1943; 7. Commencement, 1870-2011; 8. Book Plans, 1970-1992; 9. Subject Files, 1895-1991; and 10. Map, circa 1908.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

The Registrar's Office Records document in extensive detail student enrollment, academic programs and degrees granted, admissions, tuition and fees, scholarships and honors, and academic regulations and procedures at Oregon State University. The Records also document military training and the National Youth Administration employment program for Oregon State students. The Registrar's Office was established in 1903; Professor John B. Horner was the first Registrar for Oregon State.

Access to the Decile Grade Point Average Reports in Series 1 for 1934-1976 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.

Items from this collection have been digitized and are available in Oregon Digital or upon request.

The Registrar's Office Records provide extensive detailed documentation on student enrollment, admissions, academic achievements, and administrative activities of the Office of the Registrar at Oregon State University. Documents include reports, directories, correspondence, minutes, statistics, and building floor plans created or used by the Registrar's Office or the Admissions Office.

The bulk of the collection consists of reports and statistics produced by the Registrar's Office. These include summary annual reports, geographic directories, registration and admission statistics, grade distributions, and other specific reports. The documents offer both individual and summary information and often provide academic year and term comparisons. Detailed reports pertaining to tuition and fees and National Youth Administration activities at Oregon State are also available.

The collection also houses information on military training programs at Oregon State University. Documents include files on training curriculum and courses completed by individuals, correspondence, and statistics on those registered for military training. The records document the Student Army Training Corps (during World War I) and the Army Specialized Training Program (during World War II) as well as the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). The collection also includes extensive documentation of the National Youth Administration "work-study" employment program at Oregon State from the mid-1930s to early 1940s.

The Registrar's Office is largely responsible for Oregon State University's annual commencement ceremony. These records include commencement programs as well as procedures, reports, statistics, and other documentation. Commencement programs are available online in Oregon Digital.  Book plans used by the Registrar for classroom space planning and scheduling are also included in the collection and offer information on campus buildings' internal dimensions, useable spaces, features, and overall layouts. The plans also include layout for farms, research buildings, and other facilities used by the university.

Subject files, which are primarily on microfilm, address a variety of topics including curriculum, academic regulations, procedures, and daily activities. These files include special reports as well as class schedules for the late 1890s through 1910s.

The collection also includes a map showing Oregon Agricultural College attendance by Oregon county for 1906-1907.

Items from this colleciton have been digitized and are available in Oregon Digital.

Prior to 1900, the Clerk of the College kept all student records in ledger books. This early office in the Administration Building (now Benton Hall) was part of the President’s Office. The Registrar’s Office as an official function is first mentioned in the Oregon Agricultural College Catalog of 1903. The Registrar’s Office originally had responsibility for recruitment of students, admissions, registration, and maintenance of student permanent academic records. In 1960, a separate Admissions Office was established at Oregon State University.

Professor John B. Horner was the first to have the title of Registrar at Oregon Agricultural College and held the position from 1901 to 1910. The following individuals have been Registrar at Oregon State University: Juanita Rosendorf (Acting), 1910-1911; Harold Manley Tennant, 1911-1922; Erwin Bertran Lemon, 1922-1946; Daniel Thomas Ordeman, 1946-1962; Wallace Eugene Gibbs, 1962-1991; Barbara S. Balz, 1991-2007; Thomas K. (Kent) Kuo, 2007-2013; and Rebecca Mathern, 2013-.

Eva Blackwell began working in the Registrar's Office in 1924, after graduating from Oregon Agricultural College. She held various positions, including Assistant Registar, until her retirement in 1965. She returned to work for the Registrar's Office in May of each year through 1981 to compile statistical data for the graduating class.

Accruals: Additions to the collection are expected.

More Extent Information: 1 videotape, 1 DVD, and 1 map; 35 boxes, including 2 oversize boxes and 1 roll storage box; 6 microfilm reels

Statement on Access: Access to the Decile Grade Point Average Reports for 1934-1976 in Series 1 is restricted due to the presence of confidential information. All other materials in this collection are open for research. For more information about access to restricted materials, please see our Guide to the Special Collections and Archives Research Center.

Acquisition Note: These records were transferred to the University Archives in numerous accessions from the 1960s through 2010. Several items were transferred from Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections Vault Collection in 2005-2008.

Related Materials:

The History of Commencement website includes a chronology and images of commencement at Oregon State from 1870 to 2001. The Student Academic Records (RG 053 - SG 2) document students enrolled at Oregon State University from the late 1880s through early 2000s, and include official transcripts, applications for admission, and related documents. The General Catalogs are available online. The Special Collections and Archives Research Center's holdings include the John B. Horner Papers (MSS Horner), E. B. Lemon Papers (MSS LemonEB), the Eva Blackwell and William A. Frater Family Collection (MSS BlackwellFrater), and the Office of Admissions Records (RG 163). The Facilities Services Records (RG 193) include additional book plans.

See also: History of Commencement.

Preferred Citation: Registrar's Office Records (RG 053 - SG 1), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Processing Information: One reel of microfilm, originally designated as reel 6, has been removed from the collection because the materials on it (Geographical Directories) are all available in original paper form in Series 1. The reel formerly designated as reel 7 is now identified as reel 6. Reels 5 and 6 include a few Geographical Directories that are also available in original paper form in Series 1.

Oregon State University. Registrar's Office
Blackwell, Eva (1900-1987)
Gibbs, Wallace E.
Horner, John B. (1856-1933)
Lemon, E. B. (Erwin Bertran) (1889-1979)
Oregon State Agricultural College. Registrar
Oregon State College. Registrar

College registrars--Oregon--Corvallis.
College student records--Oregon--Corvallis.
College students--Oregon--Corvallis.
Military education--Oregon--Corvallis.
Oregon Agricultural College--Students.
Oregon State Agricultural College--Students.
Oregon State College--Students.
Oregon State University--Students.
Scholarships--Oregon--Corvallis.
Student registration--Oregon--Corvallis.
Universities and colleges--Curricula--Oregon.
University History

DVDs.
Maps (documents)
Microfiche.
Video recordings (physical artifacts)