Roo Rat Society Records, 1963-2005

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Roo Rat Society (Walla Walla, Wash.)
Title
Roo Rat Society Records
Dates
1963-2005 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.0 linear feet, (1 box and 1 oversize folder)
Collection Number
HTM_WCA18
Summary
Records and artifacts of the Roo Rat Society, a Whitman College conservation group
Repository
Whitman College and Northwest Archives
Whitman College and Northwest Archives
Penrose Library, Room 130
345 Boyer Avenue
Walla Walla, WA
99362
Telephone: 5095275922
Fax: 5095264785
archives@whitman.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Roo Rat Society was founded in 1963 by Whitman College science faculty and students interested in promoting humane means of capturing animals used for scientific purposes. The group was founded on a trip to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon to collect Kangaroo Rats (seed-eating rodents of the genus Dipodomys) for scientific study.

Members of the Society later shifted their aims to conservation of wildlife in general, and now the group attempts to achieve this goal by encouraging people to observe and hold the "Roo Rat" in its native environment. Initiates lead candidates for membership on hunts for the rat, which are governed by a series of rules designed to avoid harming the animal. Members are required to catch the rat in a humane way and then release it back into the wild as soon as a documentary photo is taken. Upon successfully catching and releasing a Roo Rat, the candidate becomes a member of the society. To remain an active member, each initiate must participate in a conservation project annually.

The hunts usually take place around Wallula Gap, about thirty miles West of Walla Walla. The Roo Rat Society is loosely organized and has over 200 members at the most recent count. It has received publicity for its unusual name and activities and counts at least three past Whitman College presidents among its members.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection includes "Hunt Logs" that describe each official Roo Rat hunt in detail. Rules of the hunt are printed on the back of the Hunt Logs. Also included are the group's official emblems, flag, and wooden mascot. Nearly 100 photographs document hunts from 1963 until the present date. Of particular interest are the society's clippings, which show the notoriety achieved by this unusual group. The clippings give insight into the aims and purposes of the society, and include quotes by members who believe the group made them more aware of the importance of wildlife conservation. Another set of clippings and articles describe the Kangaroo Rat, its habitat, and efforts to protect it across the United States. The society's correspondence is also of interest because it represents a broad cross-section of people interested in the conservation movement.

Also in the collection are several artifacts, including a model of a kangaroo rat, a license plate with the letters "ROO RAT," and maps that show the location of the first hunt and subsequent hunts made by members of the society.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. Copyright not transferred to Whitman College.

Preferred Citation

Roo Rat Society Records, Whitman College and Northwest Archives.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Flat arrangement; files organized alphabetically.

Acquisition Information

Collection donated by Jim Todd in 1992. Additional materials added in 2005.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1 Clippings about the Kangaroo Rat 1922-1991, undated
1/2 Clippings about the Roo Rat Society 1966-1992, undated
box-folder:oversize
MC1.2/5 Oversize clippings 1990, undated
Box/Folder
1/3 Correspondence 1965-1989, undated
1/4 Emblems Undated
1/5 "Hunt Logs" 1966-2005
box-folder:oversize
MC1.2/5 Maps Undated
Box/Folder
1/6 Membership Lists 1963-1999
1/7 Negatives Undated
1/8 Photographs 1963-1972
1/9 Photographs 1973-2002
1/10 Photographs Undated
1/11 "ROO RAT" License Plate circa 1991
box-container
1/C1 Roo Rat Flag Undated
1/C2 Roo Rat Model 1985

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Conservationists--Washington (state)--Walla Walla
  • Kangaroo rats

Personal Names

  • Todd, James S.

Corporate Names

  • Whitman College. Roo Rat Society--Archives

Geographical Names

  • Walla Walla valley--History