Biographical Note
Frederick V. Betts attended Oregon Agricultural College for the
1926/1927 and 1927/1928 academic years as a student in commerce. He was a
member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
A native of Seattle, Betts was born on June 8, 1908 and graduated from
Queen Ann High School in Seattle. Betts earned a law degree from the
University of Washington in 1933 and co-founded the Seattle law firm,
Betts, Patterson, and Mines. He died in Seattle on July 4, 2002.
Content Description
The Frederick V. Betts Scrapbook consists of photographs and ephemera
created and assembled by Betts during his student years at Oregon
Agricultural College in 1926-1928. Most of the photographs are snapshots
depicting students and student activities. Interior and exterior views of
the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house are included as well as images of
fraternity activities and rituals, such as "bowing before the ghost". The
scrapbook includes photographs of campus buildings, snow on campus, a
flood in downtown Corvallis, and recreation on the Willamette and Marys
Rivers. Student outings; campus events such as homecoming; various
athletic events, including football, track, and rowing; and military
cadets are depicted. Snapshots of college president William Jasper Kerr
are also included.
Ephemeral items include decals, dance cards, event programs, greeting
cards, newspaper clippings, receipts, grade reports, and student election
materials. Sigma Phi Epsilon newsletters and materials from the Sigma Phi
Epsilon conclave in Seattle in August 1928 are included.
The collection also includes several loose photographs that are not
affixed into the scrapbook. Two of these are of Sigma Phi Epsilon members
in 1958 and 1964.