Mary Louise Armstrong Collection, 1936-1954

Title: Mary Louise Armstrong Collection, 1936-1954

Predominant Dates: 1940-1946

ID: MSS Armstrong

Primary Creator: Armstrong, Mary Louise

Extent: 0.04 cubic feet. More info below.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

Abstract

The Mary Louise Armstrong Collection consists of photographs and newspaper clippings documenting Armstrong's student years at Oregon State College and her work as a Regional Home Economist for the Live Stock and Meat Board in the 1940s. Armstrong earned a BS in home economics from Oregon State in 1943.

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

Scope and Content Notes

The Mary Louise Armstrong Collection consists of materials documenting Armstrong's student years at Oregon State College and her work as a Regional Home Economist for the Live Stock and Meat Board. The collection consists of newspaper clippings and photographs. The news clippings include announcements and news reports of public presentations on meat cookery given by Armstrong and others from the Live Stock and Meat Board. Several of the clippings are from newspapers in New England. The presentations addressed and demonstrated how to select cuts of meat and prepare meat dishes.

The photographs include group photographs of members of Mortar Board and the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. The Mortar Board photos were made by Howells Studio in Corvallis. The collection also includes promotional photos for Armstrong's demonstrations on meat cookery as well as an image of a group of young women in front of a Purina facility, perhaps in St. Louis, Missouri.

An addition to the Mary Louise Armstrong Collection (Accession 2013:076) is made up of photographs, a newspaper clipping, and a radio script. In addition to two portrait shots of Armstrong, the prints also depict Armstrong delivering public presentations on meat cookery as a part of her work with the Live Stock and Meat Board. There is also a portrait shot of Dean of Home Economics Ava Milam Clark. The script, written by Clark for her "Adventures of a Home Economist" radio show, details Armstrong's life and accomplishments.

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

Biographical / Historical Notes

Mary Louise (Mary Lou) Armstrong, from Portland, Oregon, earned a BS in home economics from Oregon State College in 1943. She enrolled at Oregon State in fall 1939 and participated in a variety of student activities including Mortar Board, the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, and the OSC Round Table. She was secretary of the Senior Class in 1942-1943. After graduation she worked as a Regional Home Economist for the Live Stock and Meat Board and gave public presentations on meat cookery.

Administrative Information

More Extent Information: 11 photographs; 1 box

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: The materials were transferred to the Archives by the College of Health and Human Sciences in 2010.

Related Materials: The Archives' collections include extensive resources documenting home economics instruction and research at Oregon State. The papers of numerous home economists and home economics faculty are held by the Archives including Edna P. Amidon, Ava Milam Clark, Alice L. Edwards, Betty Hole, and Clara Storvick. Mortar Board Scrapbooks are also available in the Archives.

Preferred Citation: Mary Louise Armstrong Collection (MSS Armstrong), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Creators

People, Places, and Topics

Armstrong, Mary Louise
Cooking (Meat)
Home economists.
Meat--Marketing.
Meat industry and trade.
National Live Stock and Meat Board
Oregon State Agricultural College--Students.
Student activities--Oregon--Corvallis.
University History
Women--Education (Higher)--Oregon--Corvallis.
Women--Oregon--Corvallis--Societies and clubs.