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 Home Economics and Education Records, 1913-2000


RG 141







Encoded by, 2004
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.


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 141

 
Creator:
 

Oregon State University. College of Home Economics and Education.

 
Title:
 

College of Home Economics and Education Records

 
Dates:
 

1913-2000 (inclusive)
1952-1992 (bulk)

 
Quantity:
 

21 cubic ft.

 
Languages:
 

Materials in English. 

 
Summary:
 

These records were generated by the College of Home Economics and Education. In addition to documenting administrative aspects of the College such as curriculum development, committee work, and funding, these records also highlight faculty and student research, programs in home economics at other colleges and universities, professional home economics organizations, updates on alumni, and the accreditation of the college.

 

Historical Note

First established in 1889 as the Department of Household Economy and Hygiene, the College of Home Economics at OSU was the fifth such college program to be instituted in the U.S. and the first west of the Rocky Mountains. Margaret Comstock Snell served as the College's first Professor and Dean, a post she held until 1908. Having received a M.D., Snell's emphasis in her instruction and research was the importance of preventative health. Until 1895, when Mary Avery was hired as an assistant in sewing classes, Snell was the sole instructor and staff member of the department.

Initially only open to female students, the Department of Household Economy was one of four major areas of study (along with Agriculture, Mechanics and Pharmacy) offered by the College to students until about 1910. Within two years of the establishment of the department, options for a three-year and four-year program leading to a Bachelor of Household Economy and Letters degree were available to students. By 1897, these options were consolidated into a four-year program for a Bachelor of Science degree and as well as an option for Masters' in Household Science degree. For the undergraduate degree in Home Economics, the department developed a three tiered curricula, known after 1933 as Curricula A, B, and C. This system differentiated between students training for a professional career (teaching or social work) and those intending to apply their education at home.

In the first years of the department, a basic core curriculum of subjects were offered without specialization. These courses included: sewing, cooking, gardening, care of the sick, hygiene, social etiquette, and dressmaking. In 1908, two departments were formed in what was then renamed the School of Domestic Science and Art. The formation of these two departments, Domestic Science and Art, signaled an increasing specialization of the school with classes described in the catalog in the following groupings by 1919: Household Science, Household Art, Household Administration, Institutional Management, Applied Design, and the Industrial Education Group. As the school expanded in scope and size, these two departments underwent several name changes and divisions from which new departments were created (see list below). Meanwhile, a training program in gerontology was formed in 1972 as OSU became a member of the Oregon Center Gerontology Consortium. In 1983, the school was renamed to the College of Home Economics. In 1989, the College re-organized into three departments which reflect it's current form: Apparel, Interiors, Housing and Merchandising; Nutrition and Food Management; and Human Development Family and Sciences.

Another important aspect of the college has been Home Economics Education, which was administered in the School of Education from 1918 until 1994, when the School of Education merged with the College of Home Economics to form the College of Home Economics and Education. Home Economics Extension and Experiment Station Research are major functions of the College of Home Economics.

Originally housed on the third floor of Benton Hall, the department moved from Kidder Hall, then to Waldo Hall, and finally to Agriculture Hall before moving to its present location in the Home Economics Building in 1914. In addition to the Home Economics Building, the college managed several nursery schools and "practice houses" for courses in childcare and home management. The first practice house, Withycombe House, was established in 1917.

Deans of the College
1889-1908
Margaret Comstock Snell
1908-1911
Juliet Greer
1912-1915
Henrietta Calvin
1915-1917
Committee composed of Mary Eliza Fawcett, Ava Milam Clark, and Hellen B. Brooks
1917-1950
Ava Milam Clark
1950-1954
Vera Brandon
1954-1964
Miriam Scholl
1965-1984
Betty Hawthorne
1984-2001
Kinsey Green

Content Description

Series I consists primarily of correspondence and memoranda, but also reports and brochures. Among the subjects addressed in this series include: the accreditation of the College, committee efforts, conferences, gifts, building renovations and additions, state legislation, the Oregon Home Economics Association (OHEA), the Peace Corps, and special events such as dedications and anniversaries. This series also contains letters sent by Ava Milam Clark for general distribution to the staff of the College which document her travels in Asia and the Middle East as a researcher and coordinator for the Home Economics study abroad program. In these letters, Clark details the cultural and academic life of several countries, including: China, Japan, Syria, Korea, and the Philippines. There are also travel letters similar to those of Clark's from two other staff members: Margaret Fedde and Frances Clinton documenting visits to Germany and France.

Series II consists of minutes of faculty meetings and committees. There are also minutes from committees outside of the College, including: the Home Economics Club, Governor's Subcommittee on Education, Women's Study Group, and the Western Home Economics Research Administrative Council. Series III consists of reports and studies relating to the accreditation of the college, faculty retreats, class field trips, conference proceedings, survey and research statistics of other college Home Economics programs, and departmental development plans. Included in this series are reports generated by professional organizations and research institutes such as: American Home Economics Association (AHEA), Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, Cooperative State Research Service (CSRS), Western Regional Research Institute (WRRI), and the National Association of Land-Grant Colleges and State Universities (NALGCSU).

Series IV consists of materials relating to curriculum development and instruction and covers subjects such as pass/fail grading, summer term classes and publicity, enrollment data for Home Economics programs, theses granted by the College, and proposals for new degree programs. Records in this series include: Category I Proposals, correspondence, reports, brochures, and blank examination forms. Series V consists of correspondence and reports concerning the development of a guiding statement and objectives for the College, records retention, review and appeal guidelines, certification rules, the administrative code, job classification changes, and other policy and procedure issues.

Series VI pertains to grant proposals for the funding and development of various programs and projects including: a Women's Job Corps Center, a Gerontology Program at OSU, and a Head Start demonstration project in Oregon. Other proposals in this series include grants for specific research projects from departments in the College: Foods and Nutrition; Clothing, Textiles, and Related Arts; and the Family Life and Home Economics Administration. Series VII relates to slide presentations, radio programs, and speeches delivered by Home Economics faculty for classes, dedications, awards ceremonies, and media outreach. Among the materials in this series are: transcripts for speech and radio broadcasts, sound recordings of speeches and class lectures, slide show scripts, speech notes, and legislative testimony.

Series VIII consists of newspaper clippings from The Barometer, The Corvallis Gazette-Times, The Oregonian, The Oregon Journal, and other regional media relating to alumni and staff news and research, the Nutrition For Defense program, various anniversary events, building dedications, funding and curriculum issues, and the Oregon Home Economics Association (OHEA). Series IX are newsletters produced for the faculty and staff of the College of Home Economics, Extension Home Economics, and the Program on Gerontology. Series X contains theses and student papers prepared for degrees and various home economics classes. The topics of these papers include: student mortality, good grooming, home economics education in Asia, dress codes, and the fat content of eggs.

Series XI consists of articles, brochures, handbooks, magazines, and posters relating to events at OSU sponsored by the College of Home Economics, faculty publications and research, career information, the college nursery school, and the OSU Program on Gerontology. Included in this series are two volumes of bound publications. Entitled The House I and II, these volumes consist of a variety of bulletins and circulars printed by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, U.S. Dept. Of the Interior, the Federal Housing Administration, U.S. Dept. Of Commerce, and the OSC Extension Service. Dating from 1928 to 1942, these publications pertain to housing construction and design, home furnishings, and maintenance.

Series XII consists of historical essays, outlines, and notes on the history of the OSU College of Home Economics, the college nursery school, the development of home economics in the U.S. and the American Home Economics Association (AHEA). Series XIII consists of biographical files of home economics faculty and alumni and primarily contain newspaper clippings and correspondence. Included in this series are lists of staff and distinguished alumni as well as a collection of faculty vitas compiled in 1982. Series XIV pertains to awards and honors bestowed to faculty and students including: scholarships, fellowships, the OSU Distinguished Service Award, and the Westly College of Home Economics Teacher/Counselor of the Year Awards.

Series XV contains guestbooks of visitors for tours, dedications, and other special events at the Family Study Center, Kent House, and the Withycombe House Management House. Series XVI consists of 5 scrapbooks, 4 of which relate to the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). Covering the years 1967 to 1978, the EFNEP scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings and photographs of EFNEP activities throughout the state, in particular summer youth camps sponsored by the program. The fifth scrapbook pertains to the refurbishing of the Home Economics Conference Suite and contains photographs of the room and lists of patrons and other donors. Series XVII is the book Adventures of a Home Economist by Ava Milam Clark. Series XVIII is a wall calendar for the year 1925 printed especially for the College of Home Economics featuring quotes and proverbs about the family, tips for childcare and food preparation, and images of family life at home.

Series XIX consists of brochures, correspondence, county plans of work, minutes, newsletters, and reports generated by the Office of Extension Home Economics (now Family Extension and Community Development). Included among the subjects addressed in this series are: EFNEP, OSU Mini-college, Oregon Extension Management Information System, and the Family Living Program.

Series XX are architectural drawings and book plans relating to the construction, renovation, and addition to various structures managed and used by the College of Home Economics: Milam Hall, Kent House, Nursery School, Home Management House, and 6 quonset hut buildings identified only as A-F. Also included in this series are specifications for the building of household cabinetry, shelving, and furniture in a series of drawings by Maud Wilson labeled "Storage Arrangements and Furnishings." Another set of drawings by Maud Wilson consist of specifications for the construction of six, four, and three bedroom farmhouses.

Arrangement

The records are organized into twenty series: I. Correspondence; II. Minutes; III. Reports/Studies; IV. Curriculum Development/Instruction; V. Policies and Procedures; VI. Grant Proposals; VII. Presentations/Speeches; VIII. Newspaper Clippings; IX. Newsletters; X. Theses/Student Papers; XI. Publications; XII. Historical Essays; XIII. Biographical Files; XIV. Awards; XV. Guestbooks; XVI. Scrapbooks; XVII. Book; XVIII. Wall Calendar; XIX. Extension Home Economics; and XX. Architectural Drawings/Book Plans.

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Access 

Some of the files in series XIV (Awards) may contain confidential information. Access subject to review by Archivist.

Preferred Citation 

College of Home Economics and Education Records (RG 141), Oregon State University Archives, Corvallis, Oregon.

Related Information

Related Materials 

In addition to the records of the College of Home Economics, the Archives also has institutional records for individual departments in the college. These departments are: Apparel, Interiors, Housing, and Merchandising (RG 28); Nutrition and Food Management (RG 217); and Human Development and Family Sciences (RG 85). The Archives also has records for the School of Education (RG 184). There are publications and photographic collections for the College of Home Economics (P 44) and Home Economics Extension (P 115). The Archives has a number of collections of personal papers and records from alumni and faculty of the College of Home Economics, including Deans Ava Milam Clark and Betty Hawthorne. Records from home economic clubs and organizations such the Oregon Home Economics Association can also be found in the Archives.

Subjects

American Home Economics Association.
National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges.
Oregon Agricultural College. School of Home Economics.
Oregon Home Economics Association.
Oregon State College. School of Home Economics.
Oregon State University. College of Home Economics and Education.
Oregon State University. College of Home Economics.
Oregon State University. School of Home Economics.
Accreditation (Education)
Home economics extension work--Oregon.
Home economics students--Oregon.
Home economics--International cooperation.
Home economics--Study and teaching (Higher)--Oregon--History.
Home economics--Study and teaching--Oregon.
Home economists--Oregon.
Scrapbooks.
Other Creators :
Clark, Ava Milam, 1884-1976.
Hawthorne, Betty Eileen.

Detailed Description of the Collection

 

Series I:  Correspondence, 1917-1995

 
 
Container(s)
Description
   
Accreditation
 
box
1


American Home Economics Association (AHEA), 1967-1985
 


Northwest Association of Secondary and Higher Schools, 1958-1969
 


African Students, 1957-1963
   
American Home Economics Association
 


General, 1955-1970
 


Home Economists in Business Group, 1956-1968
 


Student Membership, 1968-1970
 


Alumni Advisory Council, 1968-1971
 


American Dietetic Association, 1958-1970
 


American Dietetic Association Journal Board, 1965-1969
 


Biennial Budget, 1975-1977, 1972-1975
 


Biennial Budget Review Before the Oregon Legislature, 1970-1971
 


Budget Reductions, 1981-1982
 


Centennial Convocation Lecture Recommendations, 1959
 


Center for Economic Education, 1971-1991
 


Changes in Curriculum for High School Teacher Prep, 1940
 


Circular Letters to High School Students, 1969-1971
 


Civil Rights/Student Data, 1968-1973
   
Committees
 
2

Ad Hoc Committee on Citizens Committee, 1981
 


Ad Hoc Home Economics Advisory Committee, 1979-1981
 


Administrative Committee, 1968-1978; 1984-1985
 


Audio-Visual Subcommittee, 1960-1962
 


Committee For Computing Planning, 1984-1988
 


Committee on the Future of Home Economics, 1964-1965
 


Committee on Major Items for Financial Gifts, 1982
 


Committee Membership Lists, 1949-1979
 


Computing Steering Committee, 1987-1988
 


Continuation of Educational Study Coordinating Committee, 1944-1946
 


Curriculum Committee, 1948-1963, 1967-1979
 


Faculty Recognition and Awards Committee, 1980-1982
 


Family/Staff Welfare Committee, 1988-1995
 


Governor's State Committee on Children and Youth, 1950-1953
 


Home Economics-Education Relationships Committee, 1991-1992
 


Name Change Committee, 1991-1992
 


Oregon Home Economics Week Committee, 1959
 


OSU Conference Center Planning Committee, 1964
 


Presidential Search Committee, 1969
 


President's Commission on University Goals, 1969
 


Public Relations Committee, 1969-1985
 


School Advisory Committee, 1980-1985
 


Summer Term Advisory Committee, 1973-1975
   
Conferences
 


Administration on Aging (AoA) Nutrition Training Program, 1973-1976
 


AHEA Research Conference at OSU, 1965-1966
 


Conference on University-Teacher Education Programming, 1970
 
3

Home Economics Seminar (NALGCSU), 1961
 


Home Economics (OSU) Staff Workshop, 1971
 


International Family Planning Institute (at OSU), 1973-1974
 


New Initiatives in Home Ec. Workshop (at OSU and two other schools), 1981-1982
 


Oregon Home Economics Association (OHEA) Annual Meetings, 1986, 1989, 1991-94
 


Oregon Program for the Advancement of Women in Higher Education, 1979-1980
 


OSU Faculty Conference, 1967-1968
 


OSU International Year of the Family Conference, 1993-1994
 


Pacific Regional Home Economics Education, 1961-1962
 


75th Anniversary Conference Series, 1963-1964
 


White House Conferences on Children and Youth, 1950-1952
 


Cooperative Joint Degree Program in Elementary Teacher Education, 1951-1954
 


Council on Curriculum and Academic Policy, 1966-1969
 


Dean Betty Hawthorne, 1976-1984
 


Dean's Dateline Newsletter, 1981-1984
 


Development of Institutional Guidelines for OSU, 1962-1964
 


Distinguished Visiting Professor Lectures, 1970-1973
 


Division of Continuing Education: Campus Day for Women, 1966-1967
 


Energy Conservation, 1973-1974
 


Exploring Global Community Program, 1978-1979
   
Facilities
 


Equipment Needs for (Home Ec.) Building, 1946-1950
 


Experimental Test Baking Oven, 1948-1957
 


Facility Needs of the School of home Economics in the 1970's, 1970
 
4

Hawthorne Conference Suite Refurbishing, 1976-1978
 
3

Home Economics West Wing Construction, 1939-1952
 


Instructional Resources and Materials Center Program Move into Agricultural Hall, 1981
 


Milam Conference Suite Remodel, 1977-1981
 


Remodel Plans for Home Economics Building, 1945-1955
 
5

Family Study Center, 1958-1970
 


FEAST Workshop-Summer Terms, 1972-1974
 


Food and Nutrition Dept.-Federal Rationing Regulations, 1942-1945
 


General, 1917-1988
   
Gifts
 


Ava Milam Clark's Will, 1978
 


General, 1944-1970; 1970-1982
 


Gill-Hammond Family Fund, 1980-1981
 


Lowenberg Book Collection, 1971-1979
 


Mother and Child Statue, 1960
 


Painting: " Mother and Child", 1954-1983
 


Health Care Administration, 1983-1985
 


History of Home Economics Training in Other Cities and States, 1950
 


Home Economics Alumni Organization, 1968-1972; 1976-1982
 


Home Economics Colloquia, 1967
 


Home Economics Honors Program, 1962-1980
 


Home Management Houses, 1932-1965
 


Hotel and Restaurant Management Program, 1972-1978
 


Inter-institutional Fee Structure, 1964
 


Job Recruitment, 1973-1983
 


Learning Resource Center, 1967-1978, 1984
   
Legislative Bills
 


Senate Bill 539; House Bill 2163 (Development of a Gerontology Program), 1975
 


House Bill 2696 (Proposal for OSU Center of Economic Education), 1989
 


List of Publications By Faculty (Compiling for Gazette Times OSU Edition), 1984
 


Naming of the Home Economics Building, 1967
 


National Home Demonstration Agent's Association, 1961-1963
 


National Science Foundation, 1964
 


Opening of the Academic Year-Circular Letters to Faculty, 1967-1990
   
Oregon Home Economics Association
 
6

General, 1955-1957; 1959-1960; 1977-1985
 


Home Economics Week in Oregon Proposal, 1955-1956, 1988
 


OSU/WOSC School of Education Merger, 1982-1988
   
Peace Corps
 


General, 1961-1969
 


Internship Program, 1968-1970
 


Turkey Program, 1963-1966
 


Prime Time (Student organization), 1985
 


Program on Gerontology, 1972-1983
 


Traineeships, 1971-1976
 


Recommendations for Job Applicants, 1971-1973
 


Research Concerning Department Cost and Enrollment Costs, 1981-1982
 


Research in the Home Economics Department, 1951-1963
 
4

Research in the Home Economics Dept., 1948-1966
 
6

Sigma Xi-OSU Chapter, 1976-1978
   
Special Events
 


Calendars of Conferences and Events, 1978-1984
 


Dean Hawthorne's Retirement Party, 1983
 


Dedication of " the Family" Sculpture, 1985
 


Dedication of West Wing-Home Economics Building, 1954
 


Faculty Recognition Luncheon, 1989
 


50th Anniversary of College of Home Economics, 1939-1940
 


Re-dedication of Milam Hall, 1976-1977
 


70th Anniversary Convocation Speech, 1959
 


60th Anniversary (of the College of Home Economics) Celebration, 1950
 


Submission of Information to HEW (Health, Education, and Welfare) for Reports on Home Economics in Degree-Granting Institutions), 1951-1959
 
7

Travel Letters (Ava Milam Clark), 1922-1952
 
China, Japan, New York, Korea, Philippines, Syria, Iraq.
 


Travel Letters (Margaret Fedde, Frances Clinton), 1951
 
Germany, France.
 


University Centennial Planning, 1966-1969