Edwin T. Reed Papers, 1886-1948

Title: Edwin T. Reed Papers, 1886-1948

Predominant Dates: 1900-1943

ID: MSS Reed

Primary Creator: Reed, Edwin Thomas (1872-1948)

Extent: 6.0 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: Organized into six series: 1. General Historical Reference File - OAC, OSC, OSSHE, and Other Subjects, 1902-1946; 2. Writings and Publications, 1919-1948; 3. William Jasper Kerr Reference File and Biographical Manuscript, 1886-1947; 4. General Correspondence, 1916-1943; 5. Organizations and Special Events, 1921-1943; and 6. Photographs, 1900-1939. Most series or subseries are arranged chronologically.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

Series 1 consists of Reed's notes and manuscripts drafts, and original documents pertaining to the history of Oregon State University and, to a lesser extent, the Oregon State System of Higher Education (OSSHE) and Corvallis. Noteworthy is the substantial body of materials pertaining to the reorganization of Oregon's public higher education in the 1930s and the resulting controversies between Oregon State College and the University of Oregon. Other materials pertain to Reed's tenure as College Editor at OSC and Director of Publications for OSSHE, A. D. Taylor's plans for the OAC campus and Corvallis, and the 1936 student activities fee ballot measure.

Series 2 includes drafts of a revision of the Orange & Black, titled The First Eighty Years, 1868-1948: A History of Oregon State College; speeches and published articles on higher education, Oregon State College, and William Jasper Kerr; typescripts and a published volume of Reed's poetry, The Bells of Long Ago and Other Memorial Poems; published and manuscript versions of musical works (many of which have words by Reed and music by his brother, Neil); and miscellaneous manuscripts on a variety of subjects.

Series 3 consists of source materials collected by Reed for his biography of William Jasper Kerr as well as manuscript drafts of the biography. Much of the source material was given to Reed by Kerr, and is arranged according to general subjects determined by Kerr. Materials from other sources have been interfiled with the materials from Kerr. Source materials include speeches, publications, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and Reed's research notes. The biography manuscript consists of drafts of various chapters, correspondence between Reed and Kerr concerning Kerr's review of various chapters, and copies of halftone illustrations that Reed intended to be used in the final publication. Photographic illustrations that Reed intended to use are found in Series 4. Series 3 constitutes the largest extant body of William Jasper Kerr's personal papers.

Series 4 consists of general correspondence with OSC and OSSHE staff and magazine editors. Of note is the correspondence between Reed and William A. Jensen, executive secretary to the OSC president from 1916-1942.

Series 5 contains materials pertaining to organizations and events that Reed belonged to or participated in, such as the Harvard University Tercentenary (1936) and the Old Oregon Trail Centennial (1943).

Series 6 consists of photographs, postcards, a postcard album, and a photograph album. Photos include aerial views of OSC, and images pertaining to Kerr for use in the biography. Postcards are of Harvard University. The postcard album includes mounted postcards, photographs, and halftone illustrations of college and university buildings, libraries, and courthouses throughout the United States. The photograph album contains views of the Oregon Agricultural College campus taken between 1918 and 1920.

Edwin Thomas Reed was born in River Falls, Wisconsin on September 15, 1872. He attended the University of Minnesota, graduating in 1895 with a B.S. He then studied composition and literature at Harvard, earning a B.A. Reed spent a number of years at newspaper and teaching jobs in Wisconsin and Minnesota, followed by ten years as the English Department chair at Moorhead (Minnesota) State Teachers College. At Moorhead, Reed also supervised the library, directed the college's publications program, and had published two volumes of his poetry. He married Katharine May Hartwell, a Moorhead graduate, in 1909. The Reeds had two daughters and a son.

Reed moved to Corvallis in 1911, drawn by the accounts of the Willamette Valley read to him as a child by his father. He purchased a 40-acre farm, "Knollbrook," adjacent to OAC's South Farm. After meeting the College's president, William Jasper Kerr, Reed was asked by Kerr in the spring of 1912 to become the College's Editor of Publications. Reed served in this position until his retirement in 1943, editing hundreds of college bulletins and circulars and writing some of them himself. He also served as Editor of Publications for the Oregon State System of Higher Education from 1932-1943.

Reed was credited with writing the OSC creed, was involved with the founding of OAC's alumni publication, and was a popular speaker at high school commencements and other gatherings. From 1927-1930, Reed was a contributing editor to Oregon, The State Magazine. He had three additional volumes of poetry published, one of which, Into The Promised Land, was published for the centennial of the Oregon Trail. Many of his poems were also published in magazines. Reed died at his home in Corvallis on August 25, 1948.

More Extent Information: 9 boxes, including 3 oversize boxes

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Related Materials: Other materials relating to Reed can be found in the Office of University Publications and OSU Press Records (RG 018), Harriet's Photograph Collection (P HC) HC0381, the Century Club Records (MSS CenturyClub), and the OSU Memorabilia Collection (MSS MC).

Preferred Citation: Edwin T. Reed Papers (MSS Reed), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Reed, Edwin Thomas (1872-1948)
Finley, Sarah E.
Jensen, William A.
Kerr, William Jasper, 1863-1947
Smith, Mahlon Ellwood (1884-)
Weld, Frank A. (Frank Augustine) (1858-)

American poetry--Oregon.
City planning--Oregon--Corvallis.
Education, Higher--Oregon.
Education, Higher--Utah.
Educational surveys--Oregon.
Harvard University
Music--Manuscripts--Oregon.
Oregon State College--History.
Oregon State College--Presidents.
Oregon State College. Office of Publications
Oregon State System of Higher Education
Public libraries--United States.
Reed, Edwin Thomas, 1872-1948
State universities and colleges--Oregon.
Universities and colleges--North America.
University History

Photograph albums.
Photographic prints.
Postcards.