Oregon State University Libraries
University Archives
121 The Valley Library
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331-4501
Phone: 541-737-2165
Email: archives@oregonstate.edu
Web: http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/archives



Guide to the College of Engineering Records, 1930-2002


RG 062





Finding aid prepared by Karl McCreary.

Finding aid encoded by Elizabeth Nielsen., 2008


Overview of the Collection

 
Repository Name:
 

Oregon State University Libraries
University Archives

121 The Valley Library
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331-4501
Phone: 541-737-2165
Email: archives@oregonstate.edu
Web: http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/archives

 
Collection Number:
 

RG 062

 
Creator:
 

Oregon State University. College of Engineering.

 
Title:
 

College of Engineering Records

 
Dates:
 

1930-2002 (inclusive)
1943-1983 (bulk)

 
Quantity:
 

23 cubic feet
24 boxes, including 1 oversize box
9 microfilm reels

 
Languages:
 

Materials in English. 

 
Summary:
 

These records were generated and assembled by the College of Engineering and document the administration of the College and the instructional, research, and professional activities of engineering faculty at Oregon State University.

 

Historical Note

Instruction in engineering at Oregon State dates back to the 1880s, when mathematics professors incorporated concepts in engineering as a part of their teaching of math. In 1889, Grant Adelbert Covell was appointed to the first professorship exclusively devoted to engineering and soon following this appointment, he formed the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The first two graduates of this new department received their degrees in 1893. Soon after the first undergraduate degrees in mechanical engineering were awarded, the college established instructional departments in three other branches of engineering: Electrical (1897), Mining (1904), and Civil (1905).

In 1908, a School of Engineering was formed to bring the four engineering departments together under a single administrative umbrella. Covell served as the school’s first dean. Chemical Engineering, which was established in 1917 as an independent department reporting to the President’s office, later incorporated into the school in 1932. Other engineering curricula established at OSU that expanded the school further included Industrial Engineering (1943), Nuclear Engineering (1968), and Computer Science (1974). In 1947, the Schools of Agriculture and Engineering reached an agreement to cooperatively administer curriculum in Agricultural Engineering (later to become Biological and Ecological Engineering).

Other benchmarks reflecting the growth of engineering curricula at OSU are the establishment of a doctorate program in engineering in 1945 and the upgrade of the school to the status of college in 1983. Since the inception of engineering coursework in 1889, it is estimated that a total of about 29,000 students have received degrees in engineering at Oregon State.

Collaboration between the School of Engineering and the Extension Service was an early feature of engineering research and instruction at OSU, beginning with the establishment of the Experimental Engineering Department in 1914. A year later, the first Extension courses in engineering were offered in Portland and by 1927, the college created the Engineering Experiment Station.

In addition to the management of instructional departments, the College of Engineering has also administered a number of research center and institutes at OSU, one of the earliest of which was the Water Resources Research Institute. Others currently include the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory, the Kiewit Center for Infrastructure and Transportation, the Western Regional Hazardous Substance Research Center, the Space Grant Program, the National Center for Accessible Transportation, and the Energy Resource Research Laboratory.

The first building constructed to serve the needs of engineering students and faculty was Mechanical Hall, which was erected in 1889 and expanded significantly in 1893. This original Mechanical Hall burned in 1898 and was rebuilt in 1900. The second Mechanical Hall was renamed Apperson Hall in 1920. It is currently undergoing an extensive remodel and will be renamed Kearney Hall when completed in 2008.

As instruction and research in engineering expanded rapidly at OSU into the twentieth century, other buildings were constructed on campus to satisfy the growing demand for space among the various branches of engineering. These buildings consist of the following: Merryfield Hall (1909), Batcheller Hall (1913), Graf Hall (1920), Covell Hall (1928), Dearborn Hall (1949), Gleeson Hall (1955), the Radiation Center (1963), Rogers Hall (1967), Owen Hall (1988), and the Kelly Engineering Center (2006).

Deans of Engineering
1908-1927
Grant Adelbert Covell
1927-1933
H.S. Rogers
1934-1944
R.H. Dearborn
1944-1970
George W. Gleeson
1970-1990
Fred J. Burgess
1990-1997
John Owen
1997-1998
Thomas West
1998-
Ron Adams

Content Description

The College of Engineering Records document the instruction, research, and outreach activities of the College, the professional activities of engineering faculty, and the collaborative programs between the College and other OSU units. The records include reports, correspondence, proposals, publications, news clippintgs, and floor plans. The bulk of the records are in paper form; some series are available only on microfilm.

The records address a variety of topics in addition to engineering instruction and research, including regional and national professional engineering associations, accreditation of the the College's degree programs, development of the Water Resources Research Institute, women and minorities in engineering, facilities and buildings, the Capitol Planning Commission for Oregon, the cooperative program between Oregon State College and Kasetsart University in Thailand, and Oregon State College's involvement in the Army Specialized Training Program during World War II and other military training activities

Arrangement

The records consist of 24 series: I. Deans's Office, 1936-2001; II. Instruction, 1944-1991; III. Conferences and Short Courses, 1944-2001; IV. Facilities and Equipment, 1930-1988; V. Research, 1942-1996; VI. Water Resources Research Institute, 1966-1971; VII. Historical Essays and Outlines, 1946-1984; VIII. Students, 1946-2000; IX. Organizations - Civic and Research, 1945-1961; X. Engineering Organizations - Educational, 1944-1969; XI. Engineering Organizations - Professional, 1946-1981; XII. Engineering Extension Services, 1944-1969; XIII. Engineering Experiment Station, 1944-1979; XIV. OSU Administration and Services, 1939-1972; XV. Committees, 1942-1983; XVI. OSU Instructional Divisions, 1931-1981; XVII. Oregon State System of Higher Education(OSSHE), 1951-1989; XVIII. U.S. Governments, 1947-1971; XIX. Oregon State Government, 1948-1981; XX. Colleges and Universities, 1952-2000; XXI. Accreditation, 1960-1993; XXII. Publications, 1973-2002; XXIII. Army Specialized Training Program, 1943-1945; and XXIV. Academic Year Institute for High School Science and Math Teachers, 1953-1965.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information 

Transferred from the College of Engineering in numerous accessions from the 1960s through 2007.

Future Additions 

Additions to the collection are expected.

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Access 

Collection is open for research with the exception of materials in Series VIII (Women in Engineering folder) and XXIII (Transcripts of Academic Record) that require approval of the University Archivist for access.

Preferred Citation 

College of Engineering Records (RG 062), Oregon State University Archives, Corvallis, Oregon.

Related Information

Related Materials 

Documentation of engineering faculty, students, research, and instruction at OSU is also represented elsewhere in the holdings of the Archives. Interaction between the College of Engineering and other administrative and academic units of the university can be found in the records of the President’s Office (RG 13) (text/html) , the Agricultural Experiment Station (RG 25) (text/html) , and the College of Agricultural Sciences (RG 158) (text/html) . Records of the Research Office (RG 170) (text/html)  contain materials from the Water Resource Research Institute.

There are also records from the various departments within the College: Bioresource Engineering (RG 1) (text/html) , Chemical Engineering (RG 153), Civil Engineering (RG 30), Electrical Engineering (RG 121), and Mechanical Engineering (RG 213).

Collections of working and personal papers from engineering faculty can also be found in the holdings: Dean Booster, Grant Covell, Samuel Graf (text/html) , Hugh J. Hansen, J. Ronald Miner, James A. Moore (text/html) , Edgar Raymond Shepard (text/html) , and Robert C. Wilson.

The archives also has a number of collections of from alumni of the College: Jean Mater, John H. Gallagher Sr. (text/html) , Emile Pernot, Robert Rankin, Arthur Byron Smith (text/html) , Mervyn Stephenson, Neal Van Devender, and Ralph York.

Images depicting engineering faculty, students, instruction, buildings, and research activities can be found in the following photograph collections: College of Engineering (P 69), the Bioresource Engineering department (P 106), the Industrial Engineering and Industrial Arts Department (P 189), the Mechanical Engineering Department (P 229), Experiment Station Publications (P 132) (text/html) , Buildings Collection (P 16), the President’s Office (P 92), E. E. Wilson (P 101), John Garman (P 95), Gwil Evans (P 82), and Harriet’s Collection.

Documentation of engineering at OSU on films, videotapes, and other moving images are featured in the following collections: College of Engineering (P 69), the Agricultural Engineering Department (P 106) (text/html) , the Industrial Engineering and Industrial Arts Department (P 189), and News and Communications Services (P 57).

Newsletters and other publications generated by engineering students are also represented in the Archives. In addition to paper copies of the Technical Record (PUB 10-15b) of the Associated Students of Engineering, several other student publications such as Electrical Discharge (PUB 10-22d), Survey (PUB 10-22g), and Slide Rule (PUB 10-22h) can be found on microfilm in the Archives. Circulars, bulletins, and reprints reflecting Engineering Experiment Station research and activities are also featured in publication groups in the archives.

Subjects

Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology (U.S.)
Army Specialized Training Program (U.S.)
KOAC (Radio station: Corvallis, Or.)
Mahāwitthayālai Kasētsāt.
Oregon State College. Engineering Experiment Station.
Oregon State College--Faculty.
Oregon State College--Research.
Oregon State College--Students.
Oregon State University. Water Resources Research Institute.
Oregon State University--Buildings.
Oregon State University--Faculty.
Oregon State University--Research.
Oregon State University--Students.
Oregon. Capitol Planning Commission.
Engineering schools--Oregon.
Engineering students--Oregon--Corvallis.
Engineering--Study and teaching--Oregon.
Military education--Oregon--Corvallis.
Technical education--Oregon.
Women in engineering--Oregon--Corvallis.
World War, 1939-1945--War work--Schools.
Salem (Or.)
Other Creators :
Burgess, Fredrick J., 1926-
Dearborn, Richard Harold
Gleeson, George Walter, 1905-
Rogers, Harry Stanley, 1890-
Oregon State College. School of Engineering.
Oregon State University. School of Engineering.

Detailed Description of the Collection

 

Series I:  Dean's Office, 1936-2001

Series I reflects the administration of the college through the Dean’s Office and covers subjects such as: the clarification of policies/procedures, computer center development, conference participation, budget management, acknowledgement of gifts and donations, cooperative education, and trends in student enrollment. The materials in this series include correspondence, faculty/staff directories, meeting minutes, annual reports, policy statements, and statistical information.
 
 
Container(s)
Description
 
box
1


Administrative Procedures, 1940-1948
 


Affirmative Action Statistical Information, 1972-1980
 


Annual Report, 2000-2001
 


Biennial Report Data, 1945-1963
 
2 folders
   
Budgets, 1962-1968
 


"B" Budgets for 1967-1968 Biennium, 1966-1968
 


Department Plans - "B" Budget, 1962-1964
 


Chemical Plant Design Textbook, 1950
 


College Work-Study Program, 1965-1969
 


Committee Appointments, 1942-1962
   
Computing, 1962-1970
 


Computers and Computer Center, 1962-1967
 
3 folders
 


Computer Instruction, 1966-1970
 
5 folders
   
Conferences and Meetings Attended, 1964-1971
 


1964-1971
 
2 folders
 
2

1968-1971
   
Cooperative Education, 1967-1970
 


General, 1967-1970
 


Association of General Contractors (AGC) Cooperative Program, 1966-1969
 


Cooperative Agreements, 1967
 


Cooperative Education Association, 1967-1968
   
Correspondence, 1968-1988
 


Council for Advanced Science and Engineering Education - Research For Industry (CASEERI), 1982-1983
 


Donations for the Construction and Engineering Hall at the LaSells Stewart Center, 1981
 


General, 1968-1970
 
5 folders
 


Gift Acknowledgement, 1972-1988
 


Research Projects and Funding, 1977-1981
 


Tektronix Inc. - Collaboration with, 1972-1983
 


Department Heads' Meetings and Retreat, 1990-1994
 
3 folders
 


Examination Schedules, 1948-1972
 
2 folders
 


Field Trip Requests, 1962-1972
 


Gifts, 1946-1969
   
High Schools, 1950-1970
 
3

Admission and Vocational Information, 1950-1969
 


Career Days and Campus Visitations, 1968-1970
 


General Correspondence, 1967-1969
 


Improvement Account (equipment purchases), 1965-1967
 
2 folders
   
Inquiries, 1953-1972
 


General, 1960-1972
 


Neutralizers, 1953-1957
 


Institutional Resource Inventory, 1960
 
A statement from the Dean listing the college’s different projects with off-campus organizations and impacts upon the state.
   
Junior Engineers' and Scientists' Summer Institute (JESSI), 1964-1971
 


General, 1965-1971
 


Letters from participants, 1966
 


Board of Trustees Meetings, 1964-1970
 
3 folders
 


Management Course, 1957-1960
 


Membership in Organizations, 1968-1971
 


Nicholls Minerals Corporation, 1951-1952
 


Policy Statements, 1972-1983
   
Publicity and Promotion, 1995-1996
 


Promotional Videotape Enginuity, 1995-1996
   
Staff, 1944-1983
 


Directories of Engineering School Faculty and Staff, 1952-1971
 


The Faculty of the School of Engineering, 1966 , 1966
 
A listing of engineering faculty that includes biographical information and portraits.
 


General Notices and Correspondence, 1946-1983
   
Department Head Notices, 1945-1972
 


1945-1960
 
3 folders
 
4

1967-1972
 
2 folders
 


Clearance Classifications for Classified Federal Projects, 1951-1954
 


Barrington Survey, 1955
 


Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization Project, 1961
 


Promotion and Tenure Guidelines, 1972-1977
 


Selective Service Correspondence, 1944-1951
   
Statistics, 1936-1971
 


Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) Summary, 1945
 


Enrollment Statistics and Degrees, 1936-1971
 


Grades, Credit Hours, FTE, 1945-1954
 


Graphed Statistics on Enrollment Trends and other Data, circa 1951
 


Salary and Requisition Budgets, 1947-1950
 


Television - Instructional, 1956-1964
 
2 folders
 


Undergraduate Instruction, Grants and Awards to Improve, 1969
 


Workshop/Forum Participation by Technology Firms, 1981

 

Series II:  Instruction, 1944-1991

Series II relates to curriculum development and instruction in the various engineering departments and programs of the College. In addition to proposals for new degree programs, this series includes correspondence, course syllabi, meeting minutes, policies/procedures, publications, and reports.
 
 
Container(s)
Description
   
By Department, 1944-1983
 
box
4


Air Resources Center, 1962-1969
   
Agricultural Engineering, 1947-1971
 


General, 1947-1971
 


Executive Council Minutes, 1953-1970
 
3 folders
   
Chemical Engineering, 1945-1971
 


General, 1945-1971
 
3 folders
 


Mining Engineering, 1950-1953
 


Executive Council Minutes, 1956-1957
   
Civil Engineering, 1952-1972
 
4-5

General, 1953-1972
 
6 folders
 
5

Executive Council Minutes, 1952-1957
 


Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Management, 1972-1980
 


Computer Center, 1964-1968
 


Computer Science Program, 1978
 


Curricula and Curricula Coordination Committee, 1954-1958
 
2 folders
 


Departmental Monthly Reports, 1953-1956
 


Departmental Organization Bylaws and Procedures, 1955
 


Electrical and Computer Engineering, 1967-1983
   
Electrical Engineering, 1945-1970
 


General, 1945-1970
 
3 folders
 


Executive Council Minutes, 1955-1956
   
General Engineering, 1945-1969
 


General, 1945-1969
 
2 folders
 


Executive Council Minutes, 1952-1956
 


Industrial Engineering and Industrial Arts, 1946-1979
 
5 folders
 


Manufacturing Engineering Technology, 1970-1971
   
Mechanical Engineering, 1944-1981
 


General, 1944-1974
 
2 folders
 


Executive Council Minutes, 1950-1959
 


Pilot Training, 1945-1950
 
6

Metallurgical Engineering, 1969
 


Nuclear Engineering, 1968-1977
 


Organization Procedures, 1950-1955
 


Production Technology, 1962-1970
 


Professional Engineering Program, 1979-1981
 


Course Syllabi List, 1979
 


Graduate Students, 1976
 


Graduate Studies - Off Campus Cooperative Programs, 1967-1975
 


Information Systems Technology Data Processing Systems Option, 1977
   
Proposals, 1944-1991
 


Audio-Visual Instruction Development, 1978
 


Biomedical Engineering Degree, 1975
 


Boeing Professorship in Mechanical Engineering, 1991
 


Master of Engineering, 1973
 


Permission to Grant the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 1944
 


Sanitary Engineering Graduate Training Program Annual Report, 1966

 

Series III:  Conferences and Short Courses, 1944-2001

Series III documents training offered through short courses and conferences organized by the College of Engineering on various topics such as building code inspection, traffic safety, highway engineering, road construction, sewage operation management, and motor vehicle fleet supervision. In addition to conference proceedings and registration rosters, this series contains correspondence, brochures, speech notes, newspaper clippings, and questionnaires.
 
 
Container(s)
Description
 
box
6


Air Conditioning Conference, 1945-1952
 


Automotive Short Course, 1958-1962
 


Building Code Training School, 1946-1947
 
Proposed, but never developed.
 


Building Inspectors Short Course, 1956-1969
 


Concrete Inspectors Short Course, 1959-1963
 


General, 1950-1981
 
4 folders
 


Industrial Waste Conference, 1949-1963
 


Northwest Conference on Road Building, 1955-1964
 
Formerly Roads and Streets Conference.
 


Northwest Highway Engineering Conference, 1950-1960
 


Northwest Public Power Administration (NWPPA) Meter School, 1953-1963
 


Northwest Traffic Engineering Conference, 1944-1961
 
2 folders
 


Oregon Motor Vehicle Fleet Supervisors Course, 1945-1962
   
Oregon Traffic Safety Workshop Packets, 2000-2001
 
Prepared by the Kiewit Center.
 


Access Management Workshop, 2001
 
2 folders
 


Highway Capacity Analysis, 2001
 
7

Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 2001
 
2 folders
 


Traffic Engineering Fundamentals, 2000
 
2 folders
 


Traffic Calming: Basics and Beyond, 2001
 
2 folders
 


Pima Seminar Workshop, 1956-1968
 


Roads and Streets Conference, 1950-1962
 
2 folders
 


Sanitarians' Short Course, 1950-1966
 


Sewage Works Operator's Short School, 1954-1970
 
2 folders
 


Waterworks' Operators Short Course, 1948-1970
 
2 folders
 


Off-Campus Conferences, 1947-1952
 


U. S. Geological Survey Short Course, 1956

 

Series IV:  Facilities and Equipment, 1930-1988

Series IV pertains to the management of facilities and equipment by the College of Engineering and addresses topics such as building renovation and remodel, space needs analysis, long term building program planning, and allocations for equipment. In addition to floor plans and drawings, this series contains correspondence and reports.
 
 
Con