George W. Peavy Papers, 1886-1955

Title: George W. Peavy Papers, 1886-1955

ID: MSS Peavy

Primary Creator: Peavy, George Wilcox (1869-1951)

Extent: 1.12 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: The Peavy Papers are arranged into five series: I. Correspondence; II. Ephemera; III. Notebooks; IV. Speeches and Articles; and V. Photographs. The folders are arranged chronologically within the series.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

The Peavy Papers document the professional and civic activities of George W. Peavy, who served as the first Dean of Forestry (1913-1940) and President (1932-1940) of Oregon State College.

The State Board of Forestry correspondence (Series I, Box 01), much of which centers on the appointment of J.W. Ferguson as State Forester, has been digitized and is available upon request. The USDA field notebooks (1904-1914), and the loose notes (1947-1950), from Series III (Box 01), have also been digitized and are available upon request.

Series I includes personal and official correspondence spanning the years 1934 to 1951 and relate to Peavy's service as dean of the School of Forestry and president of Oregon State College. Correspondence relating to the Oregon State Board of Forestry, forestry-related topics, and civic affairs comprise a large portion of this series. Series II contains assorted ephemera including Peavy's 1905 University of Michigan diploma, news clippings, honorary degrees and awards. Series III contains nine notebooks of research field notes and forest surveys. Eight of these date from 1904-1914 (primarily from Peavy's work with the U.S. Forest Service) and one is from 1947-1950 that consists of speech notes and lists of students and research. The two diaries in the collection contain annotated appointment schedules spanning the years 1908-1909. Articles written by and presentations given by Peavy, including KOAC radio programs, are contained in Series IV. These cover a wide-range of topics relating to the nation's forests, forest conservation, forest policies, the political situation during the 1930s and 1940s, and Oregon State College. Series V contains photographs, including one of Peavy, circa 1940, and a reproduction of an early image of Benton Hall.

An addition to the Peavy Papers (Accession 2005:010) consists of certificates, artifacts, and photographs (14 prints in all). Depicting Peavy prior to his employment as a Forestry professor at Oregon Agricultural College, the images consist of two groupings: high school and college graduation portraits and views of Peavy engaged in fieldwork with the U.S. Forest Service in the Yellowstone and Santa Barbara areas. Issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the certificates document Peavy's employment promotions within the agency as a Forest Examiner. The artifacts consist of lapel pins, a medal, a desk name plate, and two plaques. These items document Peavy's involvement in social organizations (Rotary International, the Masons, etc.) and position as Oregon State College President.

The State Board of Forestry correspondence (Series I, Box 01), much of which centers on the appointment of J.W. Ferguson as State Forester, has been digitized and is available upon request. The USDA field notebooks (1904-1914), and the loose notes (1947-1950), from Series III (Box 01), have also been digitized and are available upon request.

George Wilcox Peavy was born 12 November 1869 in Howell, Michigan. He received his Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts at the University of Michigan. He obtained his Master of Science degree in Forestry at his alma mater. After receiving his M.S. degree in Forestry in 1905, he entered the United States Forest Service, during which time he traveled throughout the United States and Europe, observing and writing about forestry use and practices.

In 1910 Peavy was selected to become the head of the newly created Department of Forestry at Oregon Agricultural College. In 1911, he became a member of the Oregon State Board of Forestry and served as director from 1932-1941. In 1913, the OAC Forestry Department was designated as the School of Forestry and George W. Peavy was appointed the first Dean. In 1932 he was appointed acting President of Oregon State College and in 1934 became President. In 1936, he was awarded honorary Doctoral degrees by both the University of Michigan and Willamette University. In 1940, Peavy was appointed Dean Emeritus and President Emeritus of Oregon State College. In 1947, Peavy was elected mayor of Corvallis, Oregon, and served in that capacity until his death on 24 June 1951

More Extent Information: three document boxes, one half-size document box and one oversize (20x24) box

Related Materials:

Materials relating to George W. Peavy and the School of Forestry can be found in the President's Office Records (RG 013), Forestry Club Records (RG 039), College of Forestry Records (RG 139), and various College of Forestry publications. Photographs can be found in the Presidents of Oregon State University Photographic Collection (P 001) and Harriet's Photograph Collection (P HC) HC0384.

See also: George W. Peavy: Friend of Man, Forester of the West, 1869-1951

Preferred Citation: George W. Peavy Papers (MSS Peavy), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Other URL: A preliminary container list was created for this collection on or before November 19, 2015.

Peavy, George Wilcox (1869-1951)

College presidents--Oregon--Corvallis.
Forest conservation--Oregon.
Forest policy--Oregon.
Forestry schools and education--Oregon--Corvallis.
Forests and forestry--Oregon.
Natural Resources
Oregon Agricultural College. School of Forestry
Oregon State Board of Forestry
Oregon State College. School of Forestry
Peavy, George Wilcox, 1869-1951
United States. Forest Service
University History

Photographic prints.