96 cubic ft. (The Extension Service records are housed in
93 cubic foot boxes, 1 document case, 5 oversize boxes, and 1 oversize
drawer.) 218 microfilm
reels
Collection Number:
RG
111
Summary:
The Extension Service Records pertain to
the administration and programmatic activities of the Oregon State University
Extension Service. The records document policies and procedures, research
activities, special events, and services provided to Oregonians at the state
and county levels. They also document the service's relationship with the
federal government and extension services in other states.
Repository:
Oregon State University
Libraries University
Archives
Funding for encoding this
finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for
the Humanities.
Historical Note
On July 24, 1911, Oregon Agricultural College's Board of Regents
organized the Oregon Extension Service in response to requests from citizens of
Oregon for assistance (particularly in agriculture) from the college. R. D.
Hetzel, professor of political science, was named as the first director of the
Extension Service. The first county extension agents began in Marion and
Wallowa Counties in September of 1912. Legislation permitting counties to
appropriate money for extension work that would be matched by state funds was
enacted in 1913.
In May of 1914, nearly three years after Oregon had established its
Extension Service, President Woodrow Wilson signed the federal Smith-Lever law,
which provided federal money for the establishment of extension services in all
states for developing off-campus programs, primarily in agriculture and home
economics. The first home extension agents were hired in August 1917 to do
wartime emergency work; several of the agents were retained by counties after
World War I. By 1937, all counties had at least one county extension agent.
During the Extension Service's first forty years, it concentrated on
three traditional programmatic areas -- agriculture, home economics, and 4-H.
After World War II, four other program areas were added -- forestry (late
1940s), the Marine Advisory Program (late 1940s and greatly expanded in the
1960s), Community Resource Development (1960s), and the Energy Extension
Service (1970s).
Traditionally, the Extension Service Director reported to (or was) the
Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences. In 1993, as part of a
university-wide reorganization, the OSU Extension Service was made part of the
Office of Extended Education under the university's Provost. As of 2004, the
Extension Service is a separate unit whose director reports to the Provost.
For an in-depth history of Oregon's Extension Service's first fifty
years, see Frank L. Ballard's "The Oregon State University Federal Cooperative
Extension Service, 1911-1961," located in this record group and in the
Memorabilia Collection's Extension Service-History file.
Content Description
Subgroup 1, Series I consists of annual reports from extension agents
assigned to specific programmatic areas and date from 1911 to 1973. Series II
includes annual reports from county extension offices in Oregon from 1914 to
1998. Very few county annual reports were generated after 1980. The remaining
series are reports of 4-H activities or of special projects and programs.
Because of the manner in which some of the records were microfilmed,
titles for series I through III differ in Subgroup 2 (Director's Office)
between the microfilmed records and those in paper format. The microfilm
records in Subgroup 2 comprise three series. Series I includes correspondence
pertaining to teaching administrative matters, events and projects from 1958 to
1968. Series II consists of extension agents' field reports from 1966-67.
Series III. is the
History of the Cooperative Extension Service in
Oregon, 1911-1961, by Frank L. Ballard.
In Subgroup 2, Series I pertains to the general administration of the
Extension Service in Oregon, including administrative policies and procedures,
civil rights compliance, history of the Extension Service, and personnel
issues. The records date from 1911-2002. Series II documents the Extension
Service's relationship with local, state and federal agencies and other
organizations between 1903 and 1997, particularly the National Association of
State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. Series III documents the
relationship between county extension offices and the extension administration
at Oregon State. Series IV includes records of economic development related
programs from the 1960s and 1970s. Series V documents special events and
activities, such as annual staff conferences and Urban-Rural Conferences.
Series VI documents the funding and budgeting of the Extension Service at both
the state and federal levels. Series VII documents the impact of federal higher
education legislation on the Extension Service. Series VIII pertains to office
space in county offices and on campus. Series IX documents the development of
various Extension Service programs, including the county economic conferences
held every decade from the 1920s to the 1970s. The series also contains records
pertaining to the Extension Service's long-range planning efforts. Series X
includes records of projects participated in by extension agents between 1914
and 1988. Particularly well documented are projects pertaining to marketing and
the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Series XI includes records pertaining to promotion of the Extension
Service and agreements with other entities such as the U.S. Soil Conservation
Service. Series XII includes records pertaining to publications of the
Extension Service and the U.S.D.A., and speeches and articles by extension
administrators and other OSU faculty. Series XIII and XIV include recurring and
routine reports, project plans of work and reports, annual and biennial reports
for the Extension Service, and special reports. Series XV documents the
professional development of extension service personnel as well as short course
offered in the 1960s and 1970s. Series XVI contains theses and dissertations
completed by extension agents as part of their graduate training while employed
by the Extension Service. Series XVII contains farmhouse plans from the 1930s
through the 1950s and plans and drawings pertaining to county and
administrative office space. Series XVIII includes oversize materials from
other series, such as maps, posters, and scrapbooks. Series XIX contains
correspondence, meeting minutes, reports and general information of a
commission created in 1975 by the Oregon Legislature and the State Board of
Higher Education to evaluate the OSU Extension Service. Series XX contains
files of major programs from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s.
Subgroup 3, Home Economics Extension (microfilm only), includes two
series: county demonstration agent reports and state leader annual reports,
written between 1915 and 1969.
Subgroup 4, 4-H & Youth Program , contains seven series: I.
Administration; II. Program Development; III. Associations, Agencies and
Organizations; IV. Events and Activities; V. Awards; VI. Reports; and VII.
Sound Recordings. Series I contains materials pertaining to the history of 4-H
in Oregon, policies, committees and task forces, and the Oregon 4-H Foundation.
Series II consists of plans of work and program reviews. Series III contains
records of 4-H related organizations, such as the Oregon 4-H Leaders
Association and Mu Beta Beta (4-H honorary society). Series IV documents 4-H
events and activities, such as the national 4-H congresses and conferences, the
International Farm Youth Exchange Program, and the 4-H summer school. Series V
consists of records of 4-H awards and scholarship winners on the national and
state levels. Series VI contains annual, statistical, enrollment and special
reports. Series VII contains recordings of musical performances given by 4-H
members and discussions on various topics by 4-H members and leaders.
Subgroup 5, Extension Council (microfilm only) contains records of a
board consisting of Dean of the School of Agriculture, the Director of
Extension, and 24 others who were either School of Agriculture department heads
or Extension staff. This board at one time set policy for Extension work in
Oregon. These records were originally a separate record group.
Subgroup 6, Records from Counties, consists of county level programs and
activities. Currently this subgroup consists of one series -- records
transferred from the Lane County Extension office in 1998 due to smoke damage.
They span 1940 to 1991 and consist of an annual report, 75th anniversary of
Extension materials, newspaper clippings, special events records, newletters,
and scrapbooks.
Use of the Collection
Preferred Citation :
Extension Service Records (RG 111), Oregon State University Archives,
Corvallis, Oregon.
Administrative Information
Arrangement :
The records are organized into six subgroups: 1. Reports, 2. Director's
Office, 3. Home Economics Extension, 4. 4-H & Youth Program, 5. Extension
Council, and 6. Records from Counties. Most of Subgroup 1 (Reports) and all of
Subgroups 3 (Home Economics Extension) and 5 (Extension Council) are on
microfilm. Most series/subseries are arranged chronologically.
The paper records component of Subgroup 2 consists of twenty series: I.
Administration; II. Associations, Agencies & Organizations; III. Counties;
IV. Economic Opportunity; V. Events & Activities; VI. Finance; VII. Higher
Education Act; VIII. Housing; IX. Program Determination and Development; X.
Projects, Extension Specialists; XI. Public Relations; XII. Publications; XIII.
Reports & Statistics; XIV. Reports, Publications & Bulletins; XV.
Teaching & Training; XVI. Theses, Dissertations & Class Papers; XVII.
Plans and Drawings; XVIII. Oversize Materials; XIX. Commission on the OSU
Extension Service; and XX. Programs.
Related Materials :
Other record groups pertaining to the Extension Service include the
Agricultural Experiment Station Records (RG 25); Extension and Experiment
Station Communications Records (RG 69); Forestry Extension Records (RG 103);
and the College of Agricultural Sciences Records (RG 158). Record groups of
many academic departments, especially those in the College of Agricultural
Sciences, also contain Extension Service records.
Photographic collections that include Extension Service related images
are the Extension Bulletin Illustrations Photograph Collection (P 20);
Extension Service Photograph Collection (P 62); Gwil Evans Photograph
Collection (P 82); E. R. Jackman Photograph Collection (P 89); Home Economics
Extension Photograph Collection (P 115); Agricultural Communications Photograph
Collection (P 120); Arthur S. King Photograph Collection (P 131); and the 4-H
Photograph Collection (P 146). Several Harriet's Collection files include
Extension Service images, particularly #969-975.
Several manuscripts collections are associated with the Extension
Service. Personal papers of extension agents and specialists include the James
F. Bishop Papers; Helen Cowgill Papers; Edwin Russell Jackman Papers; Arthur S.
King Papers; Buena Maris Mockmore Papers; Wallace L. Kadderly Papers Kenneth C.
Minnick Papers; Bill Rogers Papers; Janet Taylor Papers; J. D. Vertrees Papers;
Marvin Shearer Papers; and Esther Taskerud Papers.
Records of extension related organizations include the Malheur County
4-H Leaders' Council Records; the Clackamas County Jersey Cattle Club
Scrapbooks; the Multnomah County Home Economics Extension Units Collection; the
Oregon State University Extension Association Records; the Oregon State
University Extension Association (OSUEA)/4-H Records; the Oregon State
University Collegiate 4-H Club Records; and the OSU Steak and Chop Club
Records.
Several publications groups (PUBS) and Memorabilia Collection (MC) files
pertain to the Extension Service.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Subgroup 1: Reports, 1911-1998
Container(s)
Description
Series I: Extension Specialists'
Reports, 1911-1973
Administration
Reel
1-3
Annual Report of the
Director of Extension, 1911-1965
Reel
4
Administration and
Agricultural Economics, 1964-1965 and 1926-1938
Agricultural
Economics, 1937-1958
Reel
5-6
Farm and Market
Outlook
Reel
5-6
News
Releases
Reel
5-6
Oregon Commodity Data
Sheet
Reel
7
Agricultural Economics,
Oregon Commodity Data Sheet
Reel
7
Agricultural
Engineering, 1922-1949
Reel
8
Agricultural
Engineering, 1948-1949
Reel
8
Animal
Husbandry, 1915-1949
Reel
9
Animal
Husbandry, 1949-1966
Reel
9
Seed
Certification, 1947-1951
Reel
10
Seed Service, 1950-1961
Reel
11
Seed
Certification, 1960-1966
Reel
11
Clothing and
Textiles, 1920-1947
Reel
12
Clothing and
Textiles, 1946-1966
Reel
12
County Agent
Reports, 1913-1917
Reel
12
Community and Public
Affairs - Annual Report, 1962-1964
Reel
12
County Agent
Leaders, 1917-1920
Reel
13-14
County Agent
Leaders, 1920-1940
Reel
15
County Agent
Leaders, 1939-1953
Reel
15
Dairy
Husbandry, 1915-1931
Reel
16
Dairy
Husbandry, 1930-1945
Reel
17
Dairy
Husbandry, 1945-1957
Reel
17
Farm Crops, 1915-1933
Reel
18
Farm Crops, 1932-1942
Reel
19
Farm Crops, 1947-1956
Reel
19
Weeders
Reader
Reel
20
Farm Crops, 1956-1959
Reel
20
Entomology, 1943-1955
Reel
21
Entomology, 1954-1966
Reel
21
Family Life, 1935-1941
Reel
22
Family Life, 1946-1967
Reel
22
Farm Forestry, 1944-1952
Reel
23
Farm Forestry, 1951-1965
Reel
23
Farm Labor, 1943
Reel
24
Farm Labor, 1943-1947
Reel
24
State Club
Leader, 1924-1935
Reel
25
State Club
Leader, 1934-1936
Reel
25
Farm
Management, 1911-1964
Reel
25
4-H Clubs, 1914-1922
Reel
26
4-H Clubs, 1921-1943
Reel
27
4-H Clubs, 1942-1965
Reel
27
Home
Demonstrations, 1915-1930
Reel
28-30
Home
Demonstrations, 1930-1952
Reel
31
Home
Furnishings, 1937-1957 and 1966
Reel
31
Home Management
(incomplete), 1931-1960
Reel
32
Home
Management, 1960-1966
Reel
32
Hops, 1948-1955
Reel
32
Horticulture, 1915-1929
Reel
33-34
Horticulture, 1930-1956
Reel
35
Horticulture, 1955-1966
Reel
35
Housing, 1947-1954
Reel
35
Department of
Information, 1910-1937
Reel
36
Department of
Information, 1937-1960
Reel
37
Department of
Information, 1959-1964
Reel
37
Irrigation, 1952-1966
Reel
37
Marketing Consumer
Education, 1954-1962
Reel
37
Dairy
Marketing, 1950-1962
Reel
37
Fruit and Vegetable
Marketing, 1954-1959 & 1961-1962
Reel
37
Fruit and Vegetable
Processing, 1958-1960
Reel
37
Livestock
Marketing, 1949-1950
Reel
38
Livestock
Marketing, 1949-1959
Reel
38
Forest Products
Marketing, 1958-1962
Reel
38
Marketing Food
Technology, 1961-1962
Reel
38
Extension
Marketing, 1916-1942
Reel
39
Extension
Marketing, 1942-1957
Reel
39
Marketing
Poultry, 1955-1962
Reel
39
Marketing
Management, 1959-1962
Reel
39
Seed and Grain
Marketing, 1949-1955
Reel
40
Seed and Grain
Marketing, 1940-1965
Reel
40
Food and
Nutrition, 1919-1943
Reel
41
Food and
Nutrition, 1942-1963
Reel
42
Food and
Nutrition, 1963-1965
Reel
42
Poultry, 1915-1953
Reel
43
Poultry, 1953-1966
Reel
43
Plant
Pathology, 1949-1950
Reel
44
Plant
Pathology, 1961-1966
Reel
44
Plant
Certification, 1966
Reel
44
Range
Management, 1962-1966
Reel
44
Recreation, 1948-1962
Reel
44
Social
Organizations, 1929-1947
Reel
45
Social
Organizations, 1946-1947
Reel
45
Rural
Sociology, 1914-1953
Reel
45
Rural Health
Education, 1950-1954
Reel
45
Biological
Survey, 1919-1939
Reel
45
Soils and Soil
Conservation, 1923-1933
Reel
46-48
Soils and Soil
Conservation, 1932-1957
Reel
49
Soils and Soil
Conservation, 1956-1966
Reel
49
Vegetable
Production, 1958-1966
Reel
49
Visual
Instruction, 1919-1932
Reel
50
Visual
Instruction, 1931-1964
Reel
50
County
Agents-at-large, 1933-1951
Reel
50
Wildlife, 1953-1959
Reel
51
Wildlife, 1958-1966
Reel
51
Director of Extension
Reports, 1913-1930
1935-1969
Reel
213
County Agent Project:
Chas. W. Smith and Clifford L. Smith, 1944-1953