Forest History Society Photograph Collection Exhibit Features OAC!

The Forest History Society in Durham, NC, has posted a gallery of historic photos called “Early Forestry Education in America.” The photos come from the Society of American Foresters Collection, and depict forestry education activities, facilities, students and personnel at six different forestry schools from 1920-1923. In addition to OSU, other schools included are Michigan Agricultural College, Penn State, University of Washington (Seattle), New York State College of Forestry, and UC Berkeley.

The images from OAC were collected in 1923 by Col. Henry S. Graves, then Dean of the Yale School of Forestry. He intended to have them mounted in an album to be placed in the new library building at Yale. These 6 Oregon Agricultural College photos were submitted by Dean George W. Peavy on August 20, 1923. Dean Peavy wrote the following in his correspondence to Graves: “Possibly the more staid and dignified forestry students at Yale would be interested in more strictly technical matters. However, these prints seem to be the ones most readily available at the time.”

For reference assistance, please contact the Forest History Society Photographic Archivist, Elizabeth Hull. Mailing address: Archives, Forest History Society, 701 William Vickers Avenue, Durham, North Carolina, 27701. Phone: 919-682-9319. Fax: 919-682-2349.