Oregon State College History of World War II Project Records, 1940-1947

Overview of the Collection

Title
Oregon State College History of World War II Project Records
Dates
1940-1947 (inclusive)
1944-1947 (bulk)
Quantity
0.4 cubic foot, (2 boxes)
Collection Number
MSS OSCWW2
Summary
The Oregon State College History of World War II Project Records document military service of Oregon State students, alumni, and faculty as well as wartime activities and programs conducted by the College. The records were assembled in the mid-1940s by a committee charged with collecting and preserving records pertaining to Oregon State College's role in World War II.
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

Historical NoteReturn to Top

In 1944, Oregon State College President A.L. Strand established a campus committee with the assignment of "collecting and preserving all records having to do with Oregon State College's role in the present war". Delmer Goode, Editor of Publications, chaired the committee and coordinated this work. The committee was formed at the request of L.S. Cressman, Director of the World War II History Project of the Oregon State Defense Council's Committee on Conservation of Cultural Resources.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Oregon State College History of World II Project Records document the military service of Oregon State students, alumni and faculty as well as wartime programs and activities. The records include lists of materials compiled; reports from academic departments and administrative units on military service by faculty, programs and activities conducted by the unit during the war period, and the war work activities of faculty and staff; correspondence; brochures; and certificates. The reports include A History of the Development and Accomplishments of the Wartime Nutrition Program in Oregon, 1941-1945 and a School of Home Economics bulletin by Maud Wilson, Rooms for War Guests.

The records include lists of Oregon State College students, alumni, and faculty who served in the military during World War II, received honors, or died during the war. A compilation of information about staff members that were granted leaves of absence for military service or other war work in 1940-1946 is included; this compilation includes lists as well as a completed form, Record of Staff Members Released for War Activities, for each individual.

Of special note are completed war service record forms for Oregon State graduates and former students who died in World War II. These forms were completed by family members and include information about when the individual attended Oregon State, their military service, the date and circumstances of their death, and surviving family members. These forms were received by the Alumni Association. Some of the forms include accompanying correspondence or published obituaries.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

Oregon State College History of World War II Project Records (MSS OSCWW2), Oregon State University Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

The immediate source of these materials is unknown; the materials may have been assembled by Harriet Moore during the 1960s in her role as University Archivist. The records were separated from the Memorabilia Collection in 2012 to form this separate collection.

Related Materials

The Special Collections & Archives Research Center's holdings include many collections documenting the extensive role of Oregon State College in World War II. Of particular note are the records of the Army Specialized Training Program (RG 059), College of Science (RG 024), College of Engineering (RG 062); the Eugene Starr Papers; and the Oregon State Yank Collection. The Center's holdings also include collections documenting the wartime activities of individuals and organizations; these include the Alpha Lambda Delta Records, Delta Zeta Sorority Chi Chapter Scrapbook, and the Wesley Ross World War II Memoirs.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • World War, 1939-1945--War work--Oregon--Schools.

Corporate Names

  • Oregon State College--Alumni and alumnae.
  • Oregon State College--Faculty.

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Cressman, Luther Sheeleigh, 1897-1994. (creator)
    • Goode, Delmer M. (creator)
    Corporate Names
    • Oregon State Defense Council. (creator)