Office of University Publications and OSU Press Records, 1907-2007

Title: Office of University Publications and OSU Press Records, 1907-2007

ID: RG 018

Primary Creator: Oregon State University. Office of University Publications

Extent: 24.0 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: Organized into 2 subgroups: 1. Administrative Files, 1907-1995; and 2. OSU Press Publications, 1940-1979.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

The Office of University Publications and OSU Press Records document the activities of the University Publications Office, the Committee on Publications, and the OSU Press. The records include news releases, correspondence, and extensive materials pertaining to the publications, Birds of Oregon and Improving College and University Teaching. The Office of University Publications was established in 1912; the Committee on Publications was established in 1936 and OSU Press was established in 1961.

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

Records pertain to the University Publications Office, the OSU Press, and its predecessor. Subgroup 1, series I, Reorganization, 1926-1935, relates to the reorganization of higher education in Oregon. Series II, News Releases and Publications, 1907-ca. 1960, includes materials submitted to Oregon newspapers and publications, as well as information about and artwork pertaining to Oregon State College publications. Other series in Subgroup 1 include Series III. Typing Jobs, 1929-1937; Series IV. General Subject File, 1908-1995; Series V. Index of Publications; and Series VI. Correspondence.

Subgroup 2 consists of two series. Series I, Birds of Oregon, 1940, includes the edited typescript and illustrations to the monograph. It was number two in the Studies in Zoology series, and was published by what later became the OSU Press. Series II contains materials relating to Improving College and University Teaching, a journal published 1954-1978 and yearbook published 1975-1977. Delmer M. Goode was the editor. The series includes correspondence, manuscripts, mock-ups and proofs for the journal and yearbook.

Accession 2004:036 consists of records generated by the Office of University Publications and OSU Press which includes article reprints, correspondence, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, original drawings and artwork printing job order ledgers, publications, and status reports. In addition to publication files (which constitute about half of the materials in this accession), there are also records from the OSU Press Editorial Board, OSU Press Board of Governors, and the Faculty Publications Committee. Also included in this transfer are examples of original artwork and graphic design by Office of Publications staff John Subert and Amy Charron.

Accession 2004:065 is made up of materials generated by the Office of University Publications/OSU Press and includes article reprints, brochures, correspondence, flyers, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, photographs, press releases, and publications. Primarily pertaining to the printing, promotion, and publicity of various books published by the OSU Press, this accession includes materials from university press and regional literature association meetings and conferences. Also found among these records are minutes from OSU Press Board of Governors' meetings.

Accession 2007:073 consists of materials generated and collected by the office of OSU Press and includes contracts, correspondence, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, and accounting paperwork. Primarily made up of book production files that document the editing, printing, and distribution of titles, this transfer also includes minutes from the OSU Press Editorial Board, the OSU Press Board of Governors, and the Faculty Publications Committee.

Accession 2007:093 consists of materials generated by the OSU Press and includes book project proposals, brochures, contracts, correspondence, financial statements, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, and reports. Primarily documenting the process of reviewing book proposals and preparing them for publication, these records also pertain to copyright laws and the beaver "totem" symbol. Other topics covered in these records include: the administrative split between the OSU Press and the University Publications Office, the process of securing movie rights for a particular book, the impact of ballot Measure 5, and interaction between the office and the Vice President for University Relations.

Accession 2011:033 consists of materials generated by the Office of University Publications that document the design and production of various print media and websites. In addition to original sketches and artwork created in the course of the design process (primarily by graphic designer Amy Charron), this transfer includes contracts, correspondence, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, notes, photographs, receipts, and a few examples of the final printed publications. Associated activities reflected in these records include mockup reviews, the organization of photo shoots, publication deadline scheduling, and the arrangement of printing. The design work was featured in many different formats, such as course catalogs, posters, signage at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, event invitations, flyers, brochures, and webpages. There is also design work that was never utilized in these files. Materials collected for reference include maps, line drawings of campus buildings, and examples of fonts. Totaling about 700 photographs in all (340 prints, 300 negatives, 60 slides/transparencies), most of the images depict Publications Office staff. Among those depicted in the images include: Amy Charron, Jennifer Bushman, Jeff Grass, John Gill, Larry Luta, Madge Patterson, Kate Sanders, Carol Mason, and Nick Houtman.There are also images of an undated OSU Hawaiian Night Luau.

Accession 2011:064 consists of materials generated and collected by the OSU Press that include correspondence, meeting agendas, newsletters, newspaper clippings, notes, photographs, and reports. Primarily reflecting budgetary and sales data for press titles featured in retreat notes and annual reports, some of these materials document the response of the OSU Press the to passage of Ballot Measure 5 in 1990. This measure, which cut funding to state universities, almost shut down the OSU Press. Numbering 85 images in total (80 prints, 4 negatives, and 1 slide), the photographs were featured in two books published by the OSU Press: "Sandy: The Sandhill Crane Who Joined Our Family" and "Webfoot Volunteer: The Diary of William M. Hilleary."

Publications include OSU Press catalogs and brochures as well as Bookmark, the OSU Press newsletter published in 1995-2002.  The newsletter includes a column from the Press Director, announcements about new books, and profiles of authors.  The publications also include 3 reels (reels 10-12) of microfilmed promotional materials for OSU Press publications and a variety of Press publications issued in 1966-1968.

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

The Office of University Publications began in 1912; Edwin T. Reed was the first college editor and served until 1943. The office has published a variety of items over the years, but its mainstay has always been the university's General Catalog. Subsequent directors of the office have included Delmer Goode, 1943-56; J. Kenneth Munford, 1956-77; Gwil Evans, 1977-79; Tom Sanders, 1979-84; and Jeffrey Grass, 1984-2000 (also director of OSU Press 1984-present); and Tina Chovanec, 2000-present. Until 2000, the director of the University Publications Office also directed the OSU Press.

The forerunner of the OSU Press was the Committee on Publications, organized in 1936. Its charge, with funding from the State Board of Higher Education, was to publish suitable research material of the monograph type. It published 87 books and monographs prior to the establishment of the OSU Press in 1961. Since that time the Press has published more than 165 books.

More Extent Information: 28 boxes, including 4 oversize boxes and 1 map folder; 9 microfilm reels

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Related Materials:

Related materials include the University Publications Photographs (P 094), Edwin T. Reed Papers (MSS Reed), the OSU Press Brochures and Catalogs (PUB 7-35d), and the OSU Memorabilia Collection (MSS MC).

An oral history interview with Jo Alexander and Jeff Grass, documenting their careers at the OSU Press, is available in the Oregon State University Sesquicentennial Oral History Collection (OH 026).

Preferred Citation: Office of University Publications and OSU Press Records (RG 018), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Processing Information:

We acknowledge that materials in SCARC collections and the language that describes them may be harmful. We are actively working to address our descriptive practices; for more information please see our SCARC Anti-Racist Actions Statement online.

SCARC describes the contents of its collections using the language and terminology of the collections themselves. Since culturally acceptable terminology shifts over time, some of the terms that appear in these materials are currently outdated or offensive.

Historically, "squaw" has been used as a misogynist and racist slur to disparage indigenous American women. Within this historic usage, it has been applied to place names, and scientific or colloquial names for plants. In this collection, the term "squaw" is used in the context of the name of a bridge.

In order to provide historical context and to enable standardized searching and access across our collecctions, we have retained the use of this phrase in the collection description. We acknowledge the racism represented by this language and the harm it may cause our users. Providing access to these historical materials does not endorse any attitidues or behavior depicted therein. For more information on impacted collections, see the blog post.

[Date of Acknowledgement: December 2023]

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

Oregon State University. Office of University Publications
Evans, Gwil, 1939-
Gabrielson, Ira Noel (1889-)
Goode, Delmer M.
Munford, James Kenneth
Oregon State University. Graduate School
Oregon State University. Press
Reed, Edwin Thomas (1872-1948)

American Association of Agricultural College Editors
Association of American University Presses
Birds of Oregon
College publications--Oregon.
College publicity--Oregon.
College teaching--Periodicals.
Improving college and university teaching
Kerr, William Jasper, 1863-1947
Oregon Agricultural College--History.
Oregon State Board of Higher Education
Oregon State College--History.
Oregon State University. Office of Publications
Oregon State University. Press
Reed, Edwin Thomas, 1872-1948
Universities and colleges--Curricula--Oregon--Catalogs.
University presses--Oregon.