Apparel, Interiors, Housing, and Merchandising Department Records, 1918-2005

Title: Apparel, Interiors, Housing, and Merchandising Department Records, 1918-2005

ID: RG 028

Primary Creator: Oregon State University. Apparel, Interiors, Housing, and Merchandising Department

Extent: 11.0 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: The collection is divided into two subgroups: I. Department Administration and II. Flax Research. Subgroup one is divided into eight series: I. Enrollment; II. Biennial Reports; III. Curriculum; IV. Committees - School of Home Economics; V. Gifts; VI. Correspondence; VII. Curriculum-Course Outlines; and VIII. Scholarships; Awards and Fellowships. Subgroup two is divided into two series: I. Correspondence and II. Reports.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

Subgroup 1 records document the administration of the department, student enrollment, and curriculum. Subgroup 2 documents the research of Joan Patterson into the use of Oregon flax in commercial textiles and fabrics during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Her research was funded by grants from the Purnell Fund and the Oregon State Flax Board.

An addition to the Collection (Accession 2006:053) consists of materials generated by the Department of Design and Human Environment in the College of Health and Human Sciences. Primarily documenting the administration of the department, the items in this transfer include award records, biennial reports, correspondence, course materials, curricula vita, grant proposals, meeting minutes, newsletters, newspaper clippings, and publications. Among the subjects addressed in these materials include: accreditation, conference/workshop coordination, curriculum development, awarding of fellowships/scholarships, instruction, long range planning, research, maintenance of a clothing/textile collection, surveys, and involvement with professional Home Economics organizations.

A second addition to the Collection (Accession 2009:023) includes materials generated by the Department of Design and Human Environment and is made up of correspondence, curriculum proposals, flyers, meeting minutes and agendas, mission statements, notes, and reference materials. In addition to faculty and department meetings, these records also document department long range planning.

Courses associated with the domestic arts - sewing, dressmaking, house furnishing, and kitchen gardening - were first taught at Oregon Agricultural College in the early 1890s. In 1908 the Domestic Art Department was created, and became the Household Art Dept. in 1918. The name was changed to the Dept. of Clothing, Textiles and Related Arts in 1926, and retained that name for around 60 years. About 1986 the department was changed to Apparel, Interiors, & Merchandising, and by 1990 it was known as Apparel, Interiors, Housing & Merchandising.

Department heads have included Helen Brooks (1911-1917), Helen Lee Davis (1917-1930), Alma C. Fritchoff (1930-1948), Gertrude Strickland (1949-1953), Lucy Lane (1953-1954), Florence Petzel (1954-1961 & 1968-1976), Holly Schrank (1976-1980), and Sally Francis (1983-2000).

Accruals: Additions to the collection are expected.

More Extent Information: 13 boxes; 1 microfilm reel

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Related Materials: Other materials pertaining to this collection are in the College of Home Economics and Education Records (RG 141), the College of Home Economics Photograph Collection (P 044), and the OSU Memorabilia Collection (MSS MC).

Preferred Citation: Apparel, Interiors, Housing, and Merchandising Department Records (RG 028), 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 November 19, 2015.

Oregon State University. Apparel, Interiors, Housing, and Merchandising Department
Patterson, Joan (1907-)
Petzel, Florence Eloise

Flax--Oregon
Home economics--Study and teaching--Oregon.
Oregon State College. School of Home Economics
Oregon State University. Apparel, Interiors, Housing, and Merchandising Department
Textile research--Oregon--Corvallis.