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Title: Oregon State University Pennant Collection, ca. 1920-2020

Predominant Dates: 1942-2020

ID: MSS Pennant

Extent: 1.0 23x31 oversize box. More info below.

Date Acquired: 00/00/2021

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

The Oregon State University Pennant Collection is made up of six pennants promoting Oregon State University as well as its earlier incarnations: Oregon Agricultural College and Oregon State College. Two of the pennants specifically commemorate Oregon State College's participation in the 1942 and 1957 Rose Bowl games. The pennants were donated to the OSU Special Collections and Archives Research Center by the Office of University Relations and Marketing and two other donors.

The Oregon State University Pennant Collection is made up of six pennants promoting Oregon State University as well as its earlier forms: Oregon Agricultural College and Oregon State College. Dating from ca. 1920 to 2020, these pennants were mass-produced for sale as souvenirs and decoration. Two of the pennants specifically commemorate Oregon State College's participation in the 1942 and 1956 Rose Bowl games. The other four were produced for general promotion and depict OSU iconography such as the Beaver logo and the university seal.

Among collections documenting Oregon State University alumni, the earliest example of a pennant produced for Oregon Agricultural College is found in the papers of William L. Pate, who graduated in 1901. Photographs of pennants decorating student dorm walls are also found in several collections. Most of these views date from first two decades of the 20th century and depict pennants emblazoned with "OAC" and "Oregon Aggies". Pennants continue to be produced to help excite Beaver spririt.

Author: Karl McCreary

Accruals: Additions to the collection are expected.

More Extent Information: 6 items; 1 oversize box

Statement on Access: This collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: These pennants were transferred to the Special Collections and Archives Research Center from 2021 to 2023 by three donors: Peter Ames, Tom Ward, and the the Office of University Relations and Marketing.

Related Materials:

Pennants can be found in number of other collections, including the Oregon State University Memorabilia Collection (MSS MC); the Frank E. Hall Collection (MSS Hall);  the William L. Pate Collection (MSS Pate); the Sigurd D. Medhus Papers (MSS Medhus); the Harry C. Patton Collection of OSU Memorabilia (MSS Patton); the Dona Dinsdale Papers (MSS Dinsdale);  the George L. Crookham Papers (MSS Crookham); and the George J. and Florence Badura Collection (MSS Badura).

Historical views of pennants decorating walls in student housing are featured in a number of photograph collections, including: the James G. Arbuthnot Photographs (P 191); the Harold Troxel Vedder Photographs (P 190); the Henry C. Gilbert Photographs (P 158); the Walter R. Baker Photographs (P 018); and the Alumni Relations Photographs (P 017).

Preferred Citation: The Oregon State University Pennant Collection (MSS Pennant); Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Rose Bowl (Football game) (1942 : Durham, N.C.)
Rose Bowl (Football game) (1957 : Pasadena, Calif.)

Pennants.