Bill Wilkins Papers, 1912-2006

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Wilkins, Billy Hughel, 1931-
Title
Bill Wilkins Papers
Dates
1912-2006 (inclusive)
1961-1994 (bulk)
Quantity
10 cubic feet, including 150 photographs, (11 boxes, including 1 oversize box)
Collection Number
MSS Wilkins
Summary
The Bill Wilkins Papers consist of materials generated and assembled by Wilkins that document his research, teaching, and administrative career at Oregon State University as well as his posts with the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. House of Representatives. Wilkins was a Professor of Economics from 1961 until his retirement in 1994; he served as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts from 1982 to 1994.
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.

Additional Reference Guides

Preliminary container list available online.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Bill Wilkins was a faculty member and administrator at Oregon State University from 1961 until his retirement in 1994. He was appointed an Assistant Professor in the Economics Department in 1961 and served as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts from 1982 to 1994.

A native of Texas, Wilkins earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Texas A & I University and his Ph.D. from the University of Texas. His college education was interrupted by four years of active duty in the Air Force, including a combat tour in Korea. He remained in the Air Force Reserve until his retirement in 1982 as a colonel.

Wilkins was active in politics and served as chair of the Benton County Democratic Party and co-chair of the 1968 Robert Kennedy presidential campaign in Benton County.

During several leaves from OSU, he worked as a staff economist for the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and as an associate administrator for policy and international aviation affairs with the Federal Aviation Administration. He served as president of Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Bill Wilkins Papers consists of materials generated and collected by Economics Professor Bill Wilkins that document his research, teaching, and administrative career at OSU as well as his posts as administrator with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and as a staff economist with the U.S. House of Representatives. The bulk of the materials were assembled by Wilkins in the process of his research and writing and include certificates, conference papers, correspondence, nametags, newspaper clippings, manuscript drafts, meeting minutes, photographs, plaques, posters, publications, speech transcripts, and studies. The Papers also document Wilkins' participation in professional and aviation-oriented organizations and political campaigns. The photographs are primarily portrait images of Wilkins and also include a photograph album documenting Wilkins' visit to Russia in 1980 for the FAA.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

Bill Wilkins Papers, Oregon State University Archives, Corvallis, Oregon.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Processing Note

This collection is not fully processed; this guide is preliminary.

Related Materials

The College of Liberal Arts Records (RG 143)include materials pertaining to the Economics Department as well as the administration of the college. The Archives holds several collections pertaining to agricultural and resource economics including the Agricultural and Resources Economics Department Records; the papers of Emery N. Castle, D. Curtis Mumford, and Fred W. Obermiller; and the Western Agricultural Economics Research Council Records.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Aeronautics and state--Oregon.
  • Aeronautics and state--United States.
  • Airports--Oregon.
  • Economics--History--United States.
  • Economics--Study and teaching (Higher)--Oregon--Corvallis.
  • Electioneering--Oregon--Benton County.
  • Universities and colleges--Oregon--Corvallis--Administration.

Personal Names

  • Kennedy, Robert F., 1925-1968.

Corporate Names

  • Oregon State University--Faculty.
  • Oregon State University. College of Liberal Arts. (creator)
  • Oregon State University. Dept. of Economics.
  • United States. Congress. House. Committee on Ways and Means. (creator)
  • United States. Federal Aviation Administration. (creator)

Geographical Names

  • Benton County (Or.)--Politics and government.

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photograph albums.
  • Photographs.