Historical Note
Corvallis College, the predecessor institution to Oregon State
University, was incorporated in 1858 as a coeducational institution of primary
and preparatory education. Plagued by financial instability, the College
changed hands several times and added college-level coursework in the 1860s. In
1868, Corvallis College was designated and adopted as the agricultural college
of the State of Oregon by the Oregon Legislative Assembly and given land grant
status.
The December 31, 1859 issue (number 48) of the
Oregon Weekly Union includes a notice that a
company of amateur performers will give a benefit entertainment for Corvallis
College that evening and states, "It is rumored that some of our prominent
citizens will appear."
Content Description
The Corvallis College Benefit Broadside publicizes a program of
vaudeville performances, music, and a blackface minstrel act on women's rights
presented on December 31, 1859 as a benefit for Corvallis College. Two copies
of the broadside are included in the collection.
Administrative Information
Custodial History The broadside was found by Mr. Gerhard, of Albany, Oregon, in 1889.
According to the November 27, 1889
Albany Democrat (reprinted in the November
29, 1889
Corvallis Gazette), Mr. Gerhard planned to
send the poster to Oregon Agricultural College to be "placed among its
curiosities."
Acquisition Information The broadside was transferred to the University Archives from the OSU
Libraries Special Collections in 2005.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Access Collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation Corvallis College Benefit Broadside, Oregon State University Archives,
Corvallis, Oregon.