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Oregon State University
Special Collections and Archives
Research Center

Karl F. Drlica Papers, 1909-2018

Predominant Dates: 1946-1980

The Karl F. Drlica Papers are comprised of materials generated and collected by Oregon State College alumnus, physical education professor, and crew coach Karl F. Drlica. This collection documents Drlica's management of the Oregon State University crew teams, instruction of courses, involvement in organizations, and work as an educator for the United States Military in post World War II Japan. Among the materials included in this collection are correspondence, game programs, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, photographs, a scrapbook, artifacts, and a thesis. Drlica graduated from Oregon State College with bachelor's and master's degrees in education in 1940 and 1952, respectively. From 1950 to 1983, Drlica coached and coordinated crew activity at OSU.

Reference access to the digital materials described in Series 14 that reflect research and writings by Karl A. Drlica about the history of OSU crew and his father's experience in shaping it is available upon request.

ID: MSS Drlica
Extent: 7.0 cubic feet
More Extent Information
Scope and Content Notes
Biographical / Historical Notes
Statement on Access: This collection is open for research.
Arrangement
Preferred Citation: Karl F. Drlica Papers (MSS Drlica) Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
Acquisition Note: These materials were donated to the OSU Special Collections and Archives in 2018 by Karl A. Drlica, the son of Karl F. Drlica.
Acquired: 2018.
Languages of Materials
Other

Container List

Series 1: Correspondence, 1923-2002 Add to Shelf
Series 1 is made up of correspondence and memoranda that reflects Drlica's interaction with OSU administrators, crew coaches at other universities, OSU crew team alumni, and other staff in the crew program. In addition to letters and memoranda, this series also includes curriculum vitae, newspaper clippings, photographs, and publications. Subjects addressed in the correspondence include: requests for promotion to the rank of professor, crew equipment and facility maintenance, budget management, instructional development, the women's OSU crew program, and Drlica's involvement in crew coach organizations. This series contains 6 photographs.
Box-Folder 1.1: Adler, Steve, 1973-1980 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.2: Athletic Department Funding for Crew Program, 1977-1980 Add to Shelf
Mostly related to travel costs.
Box-Folder 1.3: Awards and Recognitions, 1969-2000 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.4: Carruthers, Eben, 1963-1991 Add to Shelf
Correspondence and clippings about crew team member Jim Carruthers.
Box-Folder 1.5: Crew Coaches at Other Universities, 1968-1980 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.6 - 1.9: Crew Facilities and Equipment, 1948-1982 Add to Shelf
4 folders. Includes purchase requests submitted by Drlica. Contains 1 photographic print.
Box-Folder 1.10: Dean, School of Health and Physical Education, 1974-1978 Add to Shelf
Interaction between Dean James Long, Drlica, and other OSU administrators. Primarily relates to the controversy over Long's decision to remove the gym suit service and showers at the crew facility. Decision was reversed after a public outcry. Issues over Title IX regulations were among the points addressed in the ensuing debate.
Box-Folder 1.11: Ebright (Ky), Carroll, 1951-1959 Add to Shelf
University of California crew coach.
Box-Folder 1.12 - 1.13: General, 1952-2002 Add to Shelf
2 folders. Contains 3 photographs.
Box-Folder 1.14: Instruction, 1950-1969 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.15: Letters of Support for the Crew Program, 1975-1983 Add to Shelf
Most of the letters are responses to plans presented by OSU administration in 1975 to eliminate the crew program.
Box-Folder 1.16: Mathison, Ralph, 1971-1980 Add to Shelf
Contains 1 print.
Box-Folder 1.17: Moore, Kelly, 1979 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.18: Newell, Fred, 1923-1969 Add to Shelf
The Portland Rowing Club.
Box-Folder 1.19: Oregon Centennial Regatta Project, 1958-1959 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.20: PAC-8 (Pacific Athletic Conference) Sponsored Crew Championship, 1976-1978 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.21: Press Releases and Write-ups to Local Media, 1959-1972 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.22 - 1.24: Promotion and Salary, 1955-1980 Add to Shelf
3 folders. Primarily relates to Drlica's requests for a promotion to the rank of full professor in the Physical Education Department. Includes letters of recommendation sent on Drlica's behalf, curriculum vitae, certificates, and employment records.
Box-Folder 1.25: Recreational Sports Committee, 1963-1966 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 1.26: Research, 1935-1977 Add to Shelf
Includes copies of student papers.
Box-Folder 2.1: Response to Black Student Union (BSU) Walkout, 1969 Add to Shelf
Regards Drlica's draft of a "standard operating procedure" contract for male crew members concerning their facial hair. Includes drawings of different male hair types and profiles. Newspaper clippings about the BSU walkout can also be found in this file.
Box-Folder 2.2: River Management and Incidents, 1950-1998 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 2.3: Rowing Coaches of Organization America, 1969-1971 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 2.4: Stevens, Edward A., 1952 Add to Shelf
Oregon State College crew coach from 1931 to 1950.
Box-Folder 2.5: Student Petition for a New Coach, 1979-1980 Add to Shelf
A campaign among crew team members to remove Drlica as men's coach. Includes questionnaires circulated and completed by team members to gauge opinion on the state of crew program and future directions. Drlica had labeled these files under the heading "revolt."
Box-Folder 2.6 - 2.7: Western Intercollegiate Crew Coaches Association, 1971-1978 Add to Shelf
2 folders.
Box-Folder 2.8 - 2.9 : Women's Crew, 1957-2002 Add to Shelf
2 folders. Includes reports, event programs, budget information, and essays by Drlica on Women's crew history at OSU. 1 photo.
Box-Folder 2.10: Woodman, Tom, 1979-1981 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 2.11: Zahorski Memorial Fund, 1956-1958 Add to Shelf
Mike Zahorski Memorial Fund.
Series 2: Writings, 1933-2001 Add to Shelf
Series 2 consists of writings by Drlica that are comprised of articles, essays, historical timelines, letters to the editor, presentations, and student papers. About half of the writings relate to the history of the OSU crew program and some of these essays appear to have prepared as chapters for a larger book project. The presentations are written remarks delivered by Drlica before the Corvallis City Council.
Box-Folder 2.12: Articles, 1953-1988 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 2.13 - 2.15: Crew History at OSU, 1933-1999 Add to Shelf
3 folders. 2 prints.
Box-Folder 2.16: Letters to the Editor, 1974-2001 Add to Shelf
Letters to the editor written by Drlica on various topics, mostly published in the Corvallis Gazette-Times newspaper.
Box-Folder 2.17: National Women's Rowing Association History, 1991-1996 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 2.18: OSU Faculty Forum Papers, 1971-1973 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 2.19: Remarks Before Corvallis City Council, 1993-1997 Add to Shelf
Written remarks delivered by Drlica before the Corvallis City Council.
Box-Folder 2.20: Student Paper: Empire Retention or Intercollegiate Athletics - 1984, 1969 Add to Shelf
Paper submitted by Drlica as part of an OSU class in Student Personnel in Higher Education (ED 555).
Box-Folder 2.21: A Survey of Rowing In Colleges and Universities, 1959 Add to Shelf
Report by Drlica.
Series 3: Instruction, 1951-1986 Add to Shelf
Series 3 documents Drlica's teaching of crew classes in the Physical Education department and consists of course materials, class evaluation information, and instructional guides. The course materials are comprised of a combination of sylabi, test blanks, class outlines, and handouts. The guides were written by Drlica.
Box-Folder 2.22: Course Evaluation Survey Information, 1977-1979 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 2.23: Course Outlines and Sylabi, 1951-1970 Add to Shelf
Includes technical drawings of shell construction.
Box-Folder 2.24 - 2.27: Crew Instructional Guides, 1956-1986 Add to Shelf
4 folders.
Series 4: Publications, 1929-1980 Add to Shelf
Series 4 consists of publications documenting the OSU crew program and is made up of game programs, informational brochures, Beaver Yearbook sections on crew, annual crew schedules, postcards, and a media guide for OSU Women's Intercollegiate Athletics.
Box-Folder 2.28: Crew Schedules, 1960-1979 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 2.29: Game Programs, 1929-1980 Add to Shelf
Among the athletic contests reflected in these programs include: the Corvallis Invitational Regatta, the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Championships, and the Women's National Rowing Association Regatta.
Box-Folder 3.1: Informational Brochures and Flyers, 1970-1976 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 3.2: Media Guide: OSU Women's Intercollegiate Athletics, 1978 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 3.3: Postcards, undated Add to Shelf
The image on the postcards depict an aerial view of the crew facilities on the Willamette River.
Box-Folder 3.4: Yearbook Sections on Crew Teams, 1962-1979 Add to Shelf
Descriptions of the OSU crew teams published in various editions of the Beaver Yearbook.
Series 5: Race Records, 1970-1980 Add to Shelf
Series 5 is comprised of published results from crew races dating from 1970 to 1980.
Box-Folder 3.5: Race Records, 1970-1980 Add to Shelf
Series 6: Newspaper Clippings, 1918-2003 Add to Shelf
Series 6 is made up of newspaper clippings featuring stories and articles about OSU crew team races, updates on crew members in their post OSU lives, coach E.A. Stevens, the Corvallis Invitational Regatta, crew programs at other universities, and Drlica's runs for political offices.
Box-Folder 3.6: Corvallis Invitational Regatta, 1966-1997 Add to Shelf
Annual race organized by OSU featuring competition between a variety of collegiate and regional crew teams.
Box-Folder 3.7: Crew Programs at Other Universities, 1958-2003 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 3.8: Drlica's Political Candidacies, 1970-1978 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 3.9 - 3.10: General, 1926-2003 Add to Shelf
2 folders.
Box-Folder 3.11: Stevens, Edward A., 1918-1960 Add to Shelf
Series 7: Oregon State Rowing Club, 1930-1985 Add to Shelf
Series 7 documents the Oregon State Rowing Club and contains constitutions, correspondence, event programs, meeting minutes, newsletters, and committee reports.
Box-Folder 3.12: Constitutions, 1963-1964 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 3.13 - 3.15: Correspondence, 1930-1984 Add to Shelf
3 folders.
Box-Folder 6.1: Financial Records, 1976-1978 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 3.16: Meeting Minutes, 1937-1967 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 6.2: Newsletters, 1951-1972 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 6.3: Petition for Formal Recognition, 1935 Add to Shelf
2 copies of a petition submitted by the Oregon State Rowing Club to the Oregon State College Board of Control for recognition of rowing as a varsity sport at Oregon State College. Petition was presented and approved on May 16, 1935.
Box-Folder 3.17: Reports, 1935-1976 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 3.18: Society of Hell Divers, 1959-1985 Add to Shelf
A group within the Oregon State Rowing Club for crew members who accidentally fell into the river. Includes a certificate, membership rosters, and constitution/bylaws.
Series 8: Beaver Crew Association, 1962-1992 Add to Shelf
Series 8 relates to the Beaver Crew Association and their coordination and publicity of fundraising activities to support the OSU crew program. In addition to lists of crew alumni and association members, this series also includes brochures, bylaws, constitutions, correspondence, flyers, forms, newspaper clippings, and photographs.
Box-Folder 3.19: Beaver Crew Association, 1962-1992 Add to Shelf
1 photo.
Box-Folder 6.4: Certificate of Incorporation, 1970 Add to Shelf
Series 9: National Women's Rowing Association, 1963-1987 Add to Shelf
Series 9 relates to the National Women's Rowing Association (NWRA) and is made up of correspondence, meeting minutes, and bylaws. Documenting the OSU crew program's involvement in the NWRA, the correspondence reflects the interaction of OSU coaches Drlica and Astrid Hancock with other association members. Among the subjects addressed in this series include association bylaw revisions, the annual NWRA regatta race, and the United States Olympic Women's Rowing Committee.
Box-Folder 3.20 - 3.22: National Women's Rowing Association, 1963-1987 Add to Shelf
3 folders.
Box-Folder 6.5: National Women's Rowing Association, 1967-1971 Add to Shelf
Series 10: Scrapbook, 1926-1980 Add to Shelf
Series 10 consists of a scrapbook assembled by Drlica that contains documentation about the OSU crew program that is made up of newspaper clippings, photographs, game programs, flyers, and newsletters. Arranged in rough chronological order, the scrapbook has been unbound with the plywood covers removed and discarded. This series contains 36 photographs.
Box-Item 7.1: Scrapbook, 1926-1980 Add to Shelf
Series 11: Photographs, 1909-2004 Add to Shelf
Series 11 consists of photographic images depicting crew teams engaged in races, crew members in portrait and group shots, the boathouse and other crew facilities, damage caused by flooding, trophies won by the teams, and Drlica's family. There are a total of 4494 photographs (2209 prints, 2279 negatives, and 6 slides) in this series.
Box-Folder 3.23: Coaching Launches, 1938-1958 Add to Shelf
Images of the motor boats used in the coaching of the crew teams. Occupants of the launches are identified as Mike Oxborrow, Jack Lystra, Ken Colley, Bob Janz, and Bob Torley.
Box-Folder 3.24: Commissioning Ceremonies for Crew Shells, 1980 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 3.25: Corvallis Junior High Shop Facilities, ca. 1942 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 3.26 - 3.27: Crew Facilities and Equipment, 1954-1987 Add to Shelf
2 folders. Exterior and Interior views of the buildings and docks used by the crew teams. Includes shots of crew members training on rowing machines in the crewhouse, building construction/renovation activity, crew shell repair, the naval barges, and aerial views of the entire complex of crew facilities.
Box-Folder 3.28: Crew Facilities at Other Universities, 1957-1958 Add to Shelf
University of Washington.
Box-Folder 3.29: Crew Tee Shirts, Undated Add to Shelf
Images of official OSU crew team tee shirts and those of other universities in the Pacific Conference.
Box-Folder 3.30: Crew Team Trip to California, 1940 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 3.31: Drlica - Portrait Shots, ca. 1942-2004 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 7.1: Drlica - Portrait Shot, undated Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 3.32: Family and Home Related Images, Undated Add to Shelf
Unidentified and undated images depicting children, animals, and various people mostly in a home setting, assumed to be members of the Drlica family. Entirely made up of photographic negatives.
Box-Folder 3.33: First Crewhouse Facility, 1933 Add to Shelf
First structure used for crew program storage. Views include interior shots and the construction of an addition to the building. The building was formerly known as the Oregon Electric Railway Station.
Box-Folder 3.34: Flood Damage, 1963-1974 Add to Shelf
Images of damage to crew facilities by flooding on the Willamette River.
Box-Folder 3.35 - 4.19: General, 1928-1990 Add to Shelf
20 folders, arranged chronologically. Views of crew matches, rowing practice sessions, team group shots, and social gatherings.
Box-Folder 4.20 - 4.28: General, Undated Add to Shelf
9 folders.
Box-Folder 4.29: Graphic of Rowing Positions for IMS Publication, Undated Add to Shelf
The graphic depicts a stylized rower and not a person.
Box-Folder 4.30: Images for Report on Crew Facilities and Equipment, Undated Add to Shelf
Prints taped onto a paste-up of a report with accompanying text. Images roughly date from 1950 to 1965.
Box-Folder 4.31: Oregon State College Images Taken by Drlica During Student Years, Undated Add to Shelf
The images depict student gatherings, campus views, construction of Homecoming bonfire, and a parade of ROTC cadets. Entirely made up of photographic negatives.
Box-Folder 4.32: Oregon State Rowing Club Officers-Portrait Shots, 1938-1965 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 4.33: Portrait Shots of Crew Members, 1961-1967 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 4.34: Rowing Posture Studies, 1956 Add to Shelf
Crew member modeling rowing postures on practice barge.
Box-Folder 4.35: Rowing Club Awards Banquet, Undated Add to Shelf
Banquet held at the University of British Columbia.
Box-Folder 6.6: Stevens, Edward A., 1909-1910 Add to Shelf
Group shots of Stevens with team mates at Cornell University.
Box-Folder 4.36: Stevens, Edward A., 1935 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 4.37: Trophies, Ribbons, and Plaques, 1956-1975 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 4.38 - 4.39: Women's Crew Team, 1965-1992 Add to Shelf
2 folders. Images of the OSU women's crew team at race meets, practice, and in group shots. A designated crew team for women, not associated with specific living groups, was formed in 1964 as a part of the OSU Women's Recreation Association. Astrid Frolich Hancock served as coach and advisor for the team from 1964 until 1977, when the team achieved varsity status.
Box-Folder 4.40: Women's Rowing Teams Related to Sororities and Living Groups, 1957-1965 Add to Shelf
Images of women's intramural crew race meets and rowing practice at OSU. These intramural teams operated from 1955 to 1967 and were organized into groupings that represented sororities, living groups, and dormitories. The teams identified in the photos represent the Sigma Kappa Sorority, Azalea House, Winston House, the Alpha Chi Sorority, the Chi Omega Sorority, Coed Cottage, Heather Rae, and Sackett B.
Series 12: Post World War II Japan Education Work, 1944-2006 Add to Shelf
Series 12 relates to Drlica's experience working as an educator for the United States Military in post World War II Japan from 1946 to 1950. Drlica's recollections of his work in Japan are documented in his Oregon State College master's of education thesis "The Teachers' Union in a Typical Prefecture in Occupied Japan" and his 2005 self-published memoir Reforming the Rising Sun: A Personal Account of Americanizing Occupied Japan. In addition to these writings, this series also contains reference materials made up of reports, newspaper clippings, and photographs collected by Drlica that document his work and the educational landscape of Japan at that time. Some of the reference materials were reproduced in the thesis and memoir. Some of the materials is in Japanese. The images are a combination of photographs taken by the U.S. Army and by Drlica himself. There are a total of 372 photographs (195 prints and 177 negatives) in this series.
Box-Folder 5.1: Book: Reforming the Rising Sun: A Personal Account of Americanizing Occupied Japan , 2005 Add to Shelf
Box-Folder 5.2 - 5.5: Book Manuscript Drafts and Pre-production Proofs, 2002-2006 Add to Shelf
4 folders. Includes correspondence
Box-Folder 5.6 : Thesis: The Teacher's Union in a Typical Prefecture in Occupied Japan, 1951-1952 Add to Shelf
Drlica's thesis for his MS degree in the Oregon State College School of Education. Awarded 1952.
Box-Folder 5.7: Correspondence, 1947-1949 Add to Shelf
Letters received by Drlica from colleagues working with him in Japan, primarily Ed Harrington and Charles Endicott. There are also copies of letters written by Gail Drlica to her parents describing the Drlica's family life in Japan.
Box-Folder 5.8: Office Memoranda and Reports, 1948-1950 Add to Shelf
Memoranda and reports written by Drlica as part of his work for the Miyagi Military Government Civil Information and Education Section.
Box-Folder 6.7: Office Memoranda and Reports, 1949 Add to Shelf
Includes the transcript of a speech given by Drlica to the Lower Secondary School Principals Association meeting and the translation of a news story about it.
Box-Folder 5.9 - 5.11: Photographs, 1947-1949 Add to Shelf
3 folders. The images depict students and classroom scenes of schools in the Miyagi Prefecture, street views in the town of Sendai, and agricultural operations in the region. The shots of Drlica document him in attendance at official ceremonies, giving speeches to large gatherings, and on vacation with his family.
Box-Folder 5.12: Newspaper Clippings, 1946-1984 Add to Shelf
Articles about Drlica's work in Japan, two of which are in Japanese. The most recent article (1984) is a general report on the Japanese school system at that point.
Box-Folder 5.13 - 5.19: Reference Materials, 1944-2003 Add to Shelf
7 folders. These materials were collected as background information for the memoir "Reforming the Rising Sun" and consist of reports, memoranda, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, photographs (incorporated into a report), brochures, currency, and informal recollections penned by Drlica on some of his experiences in Japan. The bulk of these documents are photocopies, some of the originals of which are found elsewhere in this series.
Box-Folder 7.2: Reference Materials, undated Add to Shelf
A Japanese poster.
Series 13: Artifacts, 1963-1980 Add to Shelf
Series 13 is made up of three plaques presented to Drlica and three varsity letters for rowing.
Box-Folder 5.20: Varsity Letters for Crew, circa 1967 Add to Shelf
Three varisty letters representing first, second, and third years on crew team.
Box-Item 5.1: Plaque: Crew Sprints, Redwood City, California, May 18, 1963 Add to Shelf
Box-Item 5.2: Plaque: To Coach Drlica in Appreciation from the Crew at OSU, 1973 Add to Shelf
Box-Item 5.3: Plaque: Coach Drlica in Appreciation, 1980 Add to Shelf
Title plate only.
Series 14: Digital Files, 2018 Add to Shelf
Series 14 consists of born digital files made up of pdf and Word documents reflecting a book project on the history of OSU crew written by Karl A. Drlica, son of coach Karl F. Drlica. The 683 files are organized into two folders: manuscript drafts of the crew history "Bitten By the Rowing Bug" and reference materials collected in the course of research and writing the book. The bulk of the files are digitized copies of letters, newspaper clippings, game programs, and photographs. Many of the original documents from which these were scanned reside elsewhere in this collection. Totaling 1.12 Gbytes in size, reference access to the files described in this series are available upon request.