By Maya Bergmann and Elizabeth Nielsen
Title: President's Office General Subject File, 1905-1963
Predominant Dates: 1920-1949
ID: RG 013 - SG 06
Primary Creator: Oregon State University. Office of the President
Extent: 2.7 cubic feet. More info below.
Arrangement: The President's Office General Subject File is arranged in 29 series: 1. Association of Land Grant Colleges, 1940-1959; 2. Colleges and Universities, 1941-1959; 3. City of Corvallis, 1936-1938; 4. State System of Higher Education, 1911-1947; 5. Information and Inquiries, 1940-1956; 6. National Defense Program, 1940-1949; 7. Northwest Regional Council, 1940-1948; 8. Oregon State College, 1905-1963; 9. Oregon State Government, 1937-1942; 10. United States Government, 1914-1948; 11. Financial File, 1915-1945; 12. Audit Reports, 1913-1958; 13. Budgets, 1912-1947; 14. Budget Reports, 1903-1944; 15. Reports, 1927-1955; 16. Staff Data, 1907-1956; 17. Miscellaneous Reports, 1922-1956; 18. Buildings, 1926-1947; 19. Special Reports, 1933; 20. Association of American Universities, 1922-1926; 21. Reference File, 1908-1950; 22. Miscellaneous, 1912-1964; 23. Curriculum, 1931-1964; 24. Appointment Notices, 1919-1960; 25. Briefs, 1913-1941; 26. OSC Student Life - Intercollegiate Athletics, 1949-1960; 27. American Council of Education, 1943-1955; 28. Military, 1917-1950; and 29. Military Records, 1913-1923.
Languages of Materials: English [eng]
The President's Office General Subject File consists of microfilmed records documenting the administration and functioning of Oregon State University - primarily during the 1920s through 1940s, and including materials pertaining to World War II.
Components of this collection have been digitized and made available online through the links provided below.
The President's Office General Subject File consists of microfilmed records documenting the administration and functioning of Oregon State University - primarily during the 1920s through 1940s. The collection includes extensive materials pertaining to the impact of the Great Depression of the late 1920s and 1930s as well as World War II on Oregon State College.
Series 8 is the largest and most comprehensive series and documents the academic programs of the College, student activities and athletics, the Agricultural Experiment Station, the Extension Service, and other research and outreach programs.
Other series document the finances of the insitution, the physical campus, and relationships between Oregon State and other colleges and universities, Oregon state government, and the federal government.
Components of this collection have been digitized and made available online.
Since its designation as a land-grant institution of higher learning in 1868, Oregon State University has had 21 presidents, including 6 acting presidents. They have been William A. Finley, 1865-1872 (Finley was appointed president of the university's predecessor institution, Corvallis Academy, in 1865); Joseph Emery, acting, 1872; Benjamin L. Arnold, 1872-1892; John D. Letcher, acting, 1892; John M. Bloss, 1892-1896; H. B. Miller, 1896-1897; Thomas M. Gatch, 1897-1907; William Jasper Kerr, 1907- 1932; George W. Peavy, acting, 1932-1934, president, 1934-1940; Frank L. Ballard, 1940-1941; Francois A. Gilfillan, acting, 1941- 1942; August L. Strand, 1942-1961; James H. Jensen, 1961-1969; Roy A. Young, acting, 1969-1970; Robert W. MacVicar, 1970-1984; John V. Byrne, 1984-1995;Â Paul G. Risser, 1996-2002; Timothy P. White, 2002-2003 (acting); Edward John Ray, 2003-2020; F. King Alexander, 2020-2021; and Rebecca L. Johnson, 2021-2022 (acting).
The president is the chief executive officer of the university. From 1868 to 1929 the president reported to the college's Board of Trustees/Regents. Since the creation of the Oregon University System (formerly the Oregon State System of Higher Education) in 1929, the president has reported to the System's chancellor.
More Extent Information: 180 microfilm boxes
Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.
Acquisition Note: These materials were transferred to the University Archives in the 1960s and 1970s and microfilmed by the Archives.
Related Materials:
SCARC's holdings include myriad collections documenting the work of past OSU presidents and the President's Office as an entity, in a wide variety of formats.
Photographs of OSU presidents are available in the Presidents of Oregon State University Photographic Collection (P 001) and the President's Office Photographs (P 092) as well as many other photographic groups. Moving images of the presidents are available in the President's Office Motion Picture Film and Videotapes (FV 092). SCARC's manuscripts collections include the personal papers of several OSU Presidents; these include the William A. Finley Scrapbook (MSS FinleyWA), John McKnight Bloss Collection (MSS Bloss), F. A. Gilfillan Papers (MSS Gilfillan), George W. Peavy Papers (MSS Peavy), Roy A. Young Papers (MSS YoungRA), the Robert W. MacVicar Papers (MSS MacVicar), and the Paul G. Risser Papers (MSS Risser). The largest extant group of William Jasper Kerr's papers can be found in the Edwin T. Reed Papers (MSS Reed). Materials pertaining to August L. Strand and James A. Jensen are included in the Fred M. Shideler Papers (MSS Shideler).
President's Office publications (PUB 247) are also available in the Special Collections and Archives Research Center. Various files in the OSU Memorabilia Collection (MSS MC) also contain information on the OSU presidents.
Additional collections documenting the State Board/System of Higher Education include the Oregon State Board of Higher Education Records (RG 130), the Contract Administration Records (RG 212), the Oregon Higher Education Oral Histories Collection (OH 046), and the Registrar’s Office Records (RG053 - SG 1). Additional collections documenting the Association of Land Grant Colleges include the Alice L. Edwards Papers (MSS EdwardsAlice), the John V. Byrne Papers (MSS Byrne), the Edwin T. Reed Papers (MSS Reed), and the Maud Wilson Papers (MSS WilsonM). Additional collections documenting Budget/Annual Reports include the Academic Affairs Records (RG 022), the Business Affairs Records (RG 017), and the Finance and Administration Records (RG 131).
See also: The OSU Presidents Online Exhibit, featuring images and biographical sketches of OSU Presidents from 1865 to the present.
Preferred Citation: President's Office General Subject File (RG 013 - SG 06), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
Oregon State University. Office of the President
Ballard, Frank L. (Frank Llewellyn) (1891-1971)
Gatch, Thomas M. (Thomas Milton) (1833-1913)
Gilfillan, F. A. (Francois Archibald) (1893-1983)
Jensen, James H.
Kerr, William Jasper, 1863-1947
Oregon State Agricultural College. Office of the President
Oregon State College. Office of the President
Peavy, George Wilcox (1869-1951)
Strand, A. L. (August Leroy) (1894-)
Agricultural Experiment Station
American Council of Education
Army Specialized Training Program (U.S.)
Association of American Universities
Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges
College buildings--Oregon--Corvallis.
College presidents--Oregon--Corvallis.
Corvallis (Or.)
Education, Higher--Oregon.
KOAC (Radio station : Corvallis, Or.)
Military education--Oregon--Corvallis.
National Defense Program
Oregon State Agricultural College--Curricula
Oregon State Agricultural College. School of Agriculture
Oregon State Board of Higher Education
Oregon State College
Oregon State College--Curricula.
Oregon State College. Office of the President
Oregon State College. Physical Plant
Oregon State College. School of Agriculture
Oregon State College. School of Business and Technology
Oregon State College. School of Engineering
Oregon State College. School of Forestry
Oregon State College. School of Home Economics
Oregon State Government
Oregon State System of Higher Education
Oregon State University--Administration.
Oregon State University--Curricula.
Oregon State University--Finance.
Oregon State University--Sports.
Oregon State University--Students.
Oregon State University. School of Agriculture
Oregon State University. School of Business and Technology
Oregon State University. School of Engineering
Oregon State University. School of Forestry
Oregon State University. School of Home Economics
OSC Student Life - Intercollegiate Athletics
Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
United States. Air Force
United States. Army
United States. Navy
United States Government
Universities and colleges--Curricula--Oregon--Corvallis.
University History
World War, 1914-1918.
Microfilms