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Title: Frank P. McWhorter Papers, 1942-1961

ID: MSS McWhorter

Primary Creator: McWhorter, Frank (1896-1985)

Extent: 1.0 cubic feet

Arrangement: This collection consists of three series: I. Research Notebooks; II. Journals; and III. Other Research Records.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

The Frank P. McWhorter Papers document McWhorter’s research on plant diseases as a plant pathologist for the Agricultural Experiment Station at Oregon State College.

This collection consists of three series: Research Notebooks; Journals; and Other Research Records. The research notebooks include information on vegetable habits and gladiolus; photographs of lilies, both horticultural and viral in nature; and charts pertaining to yellow mosaic, ring spot, Western ring spot, and other types of viruses. The three Journals consist of information on viral diseases affecting peas, legumes and other crops. The third journal also includes a seed inventory list, observations on animal viruses, and accessions and observations; some of the data came from the Portland Airport area. Other research records include project reports; pea virus reports, summaries and literature reviews. Photographs and transparencies are interspersed within many of the reports and were left in place.

Frank P. McWhorter was born in Nashville, Tennessee on April 20, 1896. He received his B.S. degree from Vanderbilt in 1917, Master Degree in 1920 from the University of Chicago, and his Ph. D from Cornell in 1928. McWhorter married Margaret Myers in January of 1922 and was the father of one son, Malcolm M., a 1946 OSU graduate. McWhorter was a plant pathologist with the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA. He came to Oregon State in 1930, and was stationed at the OSU Agricultural Experiment Station. His specialty was the study of viruses affecting lilies, gladiolus, and other flowers. McWhorter authored more than 140 technical and semi-technical publications, as well as the 1956 book, Diseases and Pests of Lilies. McWhorter was skilled in black and white photography, especially the photographing of diseased plant specimens. He took a leave of absence from March 1958 to April 1959 to become vicologist to the Philippine Government at the request of the United Nations. He studied and success fully identified Kadang Kadang, a disease that affected 35 percent of the coconut trees there. McWhorter retired from OSU in 1967, was honored as Professor Emeritus, and died November 16, 1985 at Carmel, California.

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: The collection was donated in November 1995 by Dr. Richard O. Hampton, Professor Emeritus of Botany and Plant Pathology.

Related Materials:

There are several items in the OSU Memorabilia Collection (MSS MC) related to Dr. McWhorter, including a news article and several publications written by him. There are related photographs in several collections including Agricultural Experiment Station Photographic Collection (P 029), Agriculture Photograph Collection (P 040), Botany and Plant Pathology Department Photograph Collection (P 075), and the Experiment Station Publications Photographic Collection (P 132). In addition, the Oversized Photographic Collection (P 176) has one photo listed under Dr. McWhorter's name. The Barometer Index lists Dr. McWhorter's name for January and December 1930, November 1941, February 1943, November 1954, February 1958, and May 1959.

The Botany and Plant Pathology Department Records (RG 054) and the Agricultural Experiment Station Records (RG 025) also have related materials.

Preferred Citation: Frank P. McWhorter Papers (MSS McWhorter), 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 Decemeber 11, 2015.

McWhorter, Frank (1896-1985)

Gladiolus--Diseases and pests
History of Science
Lilies--Diseases and pests
McWhorter, Frank, 1896-1985
Mosaic diseases
Natural Resources
Plant viruses
University History
Vegetables--Diseases and pests--Oregon
Virus diseases of plants

Photographic prints.