Virgil L. Choate Collection

Virgil L. Choate Collection, 1953-1957

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Choate, Virgil L.
Title: Virgil L. Choate Collection
Dates: 1953-1957 (inclusive)
19531957
Quantity: 0.05 cubic foot, including 25 photographs, (1 box)
Collection Number: MSS Choate
Summary: The Virgil L. Choate Collection consists of ephemera and photographs assembled by Choate during his student years at Oregon State College (OSC). Choate attended OSC in 1953-1958 and earned a BS in Agricultural Education. He was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
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

Virgil L. Choate attended Oregon State College in 1953-1958 and earned a BS in Agricultural Education in June 1958. Choate was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He was enrolled as a graduate student for one term in the fall of 1958. Virgil Lewis Choate was born on March 5, 1935 in LaGrande, Oregon; he graduated from LaGrande High School in 1953. After completing his degree at Oregon State, Choate worked for the Columbia River Bank and lived in The Dalles, Oregon. Choate received a Diamond Pioneer Award from the Oregon State University College of Agricultural Sciences in 2010 for his work in the banking sector and his service to many agriculture-related organizations and events.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Virgil L. Choate Collection consists of ephemera and photographs assembled by Choate during his student years at Oregon State College in the mid-1950s. The ephemeral items include a dance card, newspaper clippings, the January 29, 1954 Dad's Day issue of the Daily Barometer campus newspaper, a campus map, and basketball game tickets. The game tickets are for NCAA Western Regional championship games played at Gill Coliseum. The campus map indicates the locations of the Deans' offices on campus.

The photographs are all duplicate prints of the original images; most are b/w and a few are color. The bulk of the images depict activities at the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, including house dances. Images of the interior and exterior of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house and of fraternity members are also included. Several images depict the fate of University of Oregon students who were captured after an attempt to prematurely light the homecoming bonfire.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

Virgil L. Choate Collection (MSS Choate), Oregon State University Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

These materials were transferred by the Oregon State University Alumni Association in 2012.

Related Materials

The Phi Delta Theta Fraternity OSU Chapter Record Book (MSS PhiDeltaTheta) and the Bill Tomscheck Scrapbook include additional information about the Phi Delta Theta chapter at Oregon State. Additional information about Phi Delta Theta and other fraternities is available in the Memorabilia Collection; the Dean of Men (RG 134), Student Involvement (RG 232), and Greek Life Office (RG 223) Records; the Living Groups Index; and many other collections held by the Special Collections & Archives Research Center.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

College students--Oregon--Corvallis.
Greek letter societies--Oregon--Corvallis.
Student activities--Oregon--Corvallis.

Corporate Names

Oregon State College--Students.
Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. Oregon Beta Chapter.

Form or Genre Terms

Ephemera.
Photographic prints.

Archives West Finding Aid

Table of Contents