Biographical Note
Roberta C. Frasier was appointed Family Life Specialist with the Oregon
State University Extension Service in 1959, a position she held until her
retirement in 1974. She trained Extension and 4-H educators and project
leaders on a variety of topics pertaining to families, child development,
aging, and communications within families; developed curriculum; and wrote
guides and publications. She was the recipient of the first Osborne
teaching award given by the National Council on Family Relations; the U.S.
Department of Agriculture awarded Frasier its Superior Service Award for
her creative programming in family life education.
Frasier earned a B.A from Washington State University and a Master of
Social Work from the University of Washington. Prior to her appointment at
Oregon State University, Frasier was chair of the Child Development
Department at Washington State University from 1947 to 1959.
A mother of three children, Frasier was widowed in 1948. In 1972, she
married Peter Rictor Anderson and began using the name Roberta Frasier
Anderson.
Content Description
The Roberta Frasier Anderson Papers consist of biographical materials;
newspaper clippings; lesson plans and training materials; speeches,
presentation outlines, and conference papers; correspondence; publication
drafts; and publications and article reprints. The biographical materials
include the extensive, detailed nomination of Anderson for the Superior
Service Award.
The bulk of the collection consists of publications written by Anderson
to serve as lessons plans and training materials for Home Economics
Extension family life and 4-H project leaders. These address a variety of
topics that reflect the major social changes of the 1960s and early 1970s,
including child development, the generation gap, sex education, teenagers,
unwed parents, the changing roles of women, deaths in families and
widowhood, and family communication. Instructional bulletins for a federal
extension program focused on low income families authored by Frasier are
also included.
The speeches include the text of a presentation by Anderson in the 1970
4-H Nutrition Education Workshop titled
Life Styles of Indian and Mexican-Americans as They
Affect EFNEP (the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program).
The correspondence is predominantly thank you letters and notes of
congratulations or inquiries regarding her presentations and
publications.