Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Round Table Club of Eugene records , 1912-2002
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Round Table Club of Eugene
- Title
- Round Table Club of Eugene records
- Dates
- 1912-2002 (inclusive)19122002
- Quantity
- 8.25 linear feet, (17 containers)
- Collection Number
- Coll 271
- Summary
- The Round Table Club of Eugene is a social and intellectual club, which began in 1912. Originally it was only open to men in the Eugene area with a college degree. It opened its membership to women in 1996. The collection includes programs, minutes, papers, club and member information, correspondence, and financial documents.
- Repository
-
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.
- Additional Reference Guides
-
See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.
- 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 Round Table Club of Eugene began in a preliminary meeting on the evening of November 20, 1912. A group of ten men met in Villard Hall at the University of Oregon to discuss "the advisability of organizing a college alumni association." Their interest was a gentlemen's club of college degree-holders living in Eugene. At the second meeting on December 9, the association's name, The Round Table Club of Eugene, was chosen and a constitution was drafted.
Article II of The Round Table's constitution states the club's primary objective: "The social and intellectual enjoyment of its members." The group accomplishes this with eight regular monthly meetings on the second Tuesday of each month, between October and May. Each meeting consists of a dinner, followed by the reading of a research paper by a member, written for the occasion.
The club started with only thirty members; half of them were University of Oregon professors and half were Eugene citizens of various professions. The Round Table has since grown to 70 active members, maintaining the rule of split membership between university professors and Eugene citizens. There are also honorary members. These members have all the rights of regular, active members, but cannot hold office. They are chosen based on an election among existing members. In addition to this, there are also life members: those over 65 years of age. They have all regular rights, but are not required to pay club dues.
The Round Table officers consist of a president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer. Officers are chosen by election among all club members and no officer may hold a single office for more than one year. It is the president's duty to appoint members of the club's two committees. The Executive Committee oversees due collection, speaker selection, and meeting place reservation for the club. The Membership Committee chooses new members from nomination forms submitted by existing members.
Although The Round Table began as club for men only, the final meeting in May of every year was observed as "Ladies' Night." Wives of the members were invited to take part in the meeting. Members are also invited to bring male guests to any meeting. However, in 1996, due to Declining numbers in membership, the club officially recognized females as members, but still enforced all other membership requirements. Although some members resigned because of the change, The Round Table prospered, both in membership numbers and in the newly recognized female perspective.
Many of the University of Oregon's and of Eugene's most noteworthy citizens have served as Knights of the Round Table. This includes University of Oregon presidents Donald Milton Erb, Orlando Hollis, Robert Clark, and David Frohnmayer.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Round Table Club of Eugene has donated all of their available materials to the Special Collections & University Archives department of the University of Oregon Knight Library. It includes the club's letters, original papers, programs, minutes, and other documents. This collection will continue to grow as long as the club remains active. It includes 16 boxes of 6 different series.
The first series consists of The Round Table's programs. The annual programs list the names of every member and who served in office for the year. The programs also list the title of each meeting's paper and the author.
The second series is a collection of the club's minutes. The minutes include the events of each meeting, as recorded by the secretary. They are housed in one box of folders as well as four different volumes.
The largest series is the third: The Round Table's monthly papers. These are the research papers presented at every meeting. They are separated into folders by club year, from October through May.
The club and member information is kept in the fourth series. It includes different drafts of the club's constitutions, attendance records, mailing lists, and original nomination forms. It also includes a folder of miscellaneous documents, those which were difficult to single out under a specific title.
The fifth series includes general correspondence. Separated by year, this series includes letters written by Round Table members regarding the club.
The sixth and final series consists of financial documents. This includes receipts for items purchased, as well as bank statements and financial reports by the treasurer.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Description |
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Guide to the Round Table Club of Eugene Records |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Clubs--Oregon--Eugene
- Learned Institutions and Societies--Oregon--Eugene
Corporate Names
- Round Table Club of Eugene
Geographical Names
- Eugene (Or.)--Intellectual life