Charles R. Ross Papers, 1936-2001

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Ross, Charles R. (Charles Robert), 1908-
Title
Charles R. Ross Papers
Dates
1936-2001 (inclusive)
1936-1964 (bulk)
Quantity
0.7 cubic foot, including 100 photographs, (2 boxes, including 1 oversize box)
Collection Number
MSS Ross
Summary
The Charles R. Ross Papers document the work of Ross as an Extension Forester with Oregon State University, a position he held from 1946 until 1970; his prior work in forestry in Alabama and the Carolinas; and his writings during retirement.
Repository
Oregon State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives Research Center
Special Collections and Archives Research Center
121 The Valley Library
Oregon State University
Corvallis OR
97331-4501
Telephone: 5417372075
Fax: 5417378674
scarc@oregonstate.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Charles R. Ross served as Extension Forester for Oregon State University from 1946 until his retirement in 1970. He earned his B.S. in forestry from the University of Georgia and M.S. from the University of Washington. From 1936 until 1946, he worked in the southeastern United States for the U.S. Forest Service, the Extension Services in South Carolina and Alabama, and as a regional consultant for the American Forestry Association.

Ross authored the popular OSU Extension publication, Trees to Know in Oregon and numerous other publications on 4-H forestry, tree planting, and forest management. He was also a prolific writer on land use and population issues; his letters were published in local and regional newspapers as well as the The New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, and other national publications.

A founding member of the Greenbelt Land Trust in Corvallis, Ross was instrumental in the preservation of forests and farmland surrounding Corvallis and helped with the purchase of land that would become Chip Ross Park and the Fitton Green Natural Area. Ross died in Corvallis in 2006.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Charles R. Ross Papers consist primarily of his publications and writing on forest resources, cultivation, harvesting, and timber marketing; land conservation, preservation of open space, and population growth; and the geography and culture of the southern Appalachians. These include reports prepared during his work in the southeastern United States from 1936 to 1946; publications written as an Extension Forester in Alabama and Oregon; and editorials, letters, and columns written from the 1930s through 2001 on various forestry, social, environmental, and political topics.

The reports document forest resources in Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Missouri; several of the reports include photographs. Field notebooks which Ross used to record information on forest acreage on private lands, people involved in harvesting of trees, and milling operations are included.

The Extension publications include materials produced at Oregon State University as well as by the Alabama Extension Service pertaining to farm forestry.

The editorials, letters and columns include original typescripts, photocopies of published items, and original newspaper clippings. Clippings of The Ranger's Corner columns that Ross wrote as an Assistant U.S. Forest Service Ranger in Georgia in 1937 and of his Let the Trees Grow columns for the Oregon Farmer are part of the collection.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

Charles R. Ross Papers, Oregon State University Archives, Corvallis, Oregon.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Future Additions

Additions to the collection are expected.

Related Materials

The Horner Museum Oral History Collection includes an oral history interview conducted of Ross in 1987. Biographical information for Ross is included in the Memorabilia Collection. Additional materials pertaining to forestry extension in Oregon are available in the Forestry Extension Records (RG 103) and the Extension Service Records (RG 111). The Archives' holdings include numerous other collections pertaining to forestry topics.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Forestry extension--Alabama.
  • Forestry extension--Oregon.
  • Forestry extension--South Carolina.
  • Forests and forestry--Alabama.
  • Forests and forestry--Georgia.
  • Forests and forestry--Multiple use--Oregon.
  • Forests and forestry--South Carolina.

Corporate Names

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photographic prints.

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names
    • Alabama Polytechnic Institute. Extension Service. (creator)
    • American Forestry Association. (creator)
    • Appalachian Forest Experiment Station (Asheville, N.C.) (creator)
    • Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina. Extension Service. (creator)
    • Oregon State College. Extension Forestry Program. (creator)
    • Oregon State College. Federal Cooperative Extension Service. (creator)
    • Oregon State University. Extension Forestry Program. (creator)
    • Oregon State University. Extension Service. (creator)