Archives West Finding Aid

The Dean of Men Records consist of materials created or assembled by the Dean of Men and primarily reflect programs and activities for male students at Oregon State University. The records include a scrapbook; materials assembled for a history of housing at Oregon State; and microfilmed materials pertaining to various activities of the Dean of Men.

The scrapbook consists of materials produced and assembled by the Dean of Men from the mid-1920s until the mid-1930s and includes welcome letters to new students and their parents; tips to freshmen; Interfraternity Council booklets; instructions and policies for fraternities; and permits for student cars on campus.

The materials pertaining to the history of housing were assembled by former Dean of Men, Dan Poling, while preparing a manuscript (unpublished) on student housing at Oregon State University from 1889 to 1981. It includes information on dormitories, cooperative housing, fraternities and sororities, and married student housing. The materials include handwritten research notes, drafts, brochures, and newspaper clippings. Many of the handwritten notes are from research done in the OSU Archives. Two reports by Poling to President Strand in 1960-1961 on the membership restrictions of OSU living groups (primarily fraternities and sororities) and the OSU policy on non-discrimination are of particular interest. Documents pertaining to Adair Village (married student housing), Co-Resident Women, Inc., the construction dates of residence halls, the housemother policy, and housing regulations are included.

The bulk of the microfilmed materials are records of the Dad's Club from the early 1950s to mid-1960s. These include minutes of board meetings, correspondence, financial reports, constitutions, and materials pertaining to Dad's Day and Dad's Weekend.

The remainder of the microfilmed materials pertain to the annual Eagle Scout recognition day at Oregon State; honorarary societies, including Blue Key; Beaver Boys State; the Oregon State University Federation, a coalition of the Dad's Club, Mother's Club, Alumni Association, and ASOSU formed to advance and promote OSU; student recruitment activities such as Beaver Open House and Beaver Preview; fraternities at OSU, especially the Interfraternity Council; and the Administrative Council. The Administrative Council materials include various reports and statistics as well as documents pertaining to the name change from Oregon State College to Oregon State University.