Daily Archives: December 6, 2013

Friday Feature: new treasures now described online

The arrangers and describers in SCARC were busy during October and November writing up finding aids (guides to collections)! The following is a list of the 15 finding aids for SCARC collections that were completed during October and November 2013. All are available through the NWDA finding aids database and on the SCARC collections page.

This batch consists primarily of “new” collections (10) that were received in 2012 or 2013. Maps, faculty, and alumni really shine in these new additions.

The National Forests in Oregon Maps collection consists of maps of all the national forests in Oregon, prepared by the U.S. Forest Service. It includes maps of the entire forests, regional maps depicting all the forests in Oregon, some Ranger District maps, and maps of the wilderness areas and Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. The collection includes 375 maps.

The maps in the Oregon Park Sites and Timber Reserves Maps collection depict park sites acquired for the State of Oregon by the Oregon State Highway Commission as well as lands acquired for the Blue Mountain and Wallowa Timber Reserves in northeastern Oregon. Most are large scale and include many details of property lines, roads, streams, land features, and county boundaries. The collection includes 59 maps.

The Lehi F. Hintze Geological Reconnaissance Maps of Oregon collection consists of 117 geologic maps were prepared and assembled by Hintze and document the geology for much of the state of Oregon. Lehi Ferdinand Hintze was a faculty member in the Oregon State College Geology Department from 1949 to 1955.

The maps in the Oregon State Highway Division Maps of Oregon Cities and Towns collection depict street and roads, political boundaries, public structures, and some landscape features for 230 municipalities in Oregon. Included are 521 maps.

The Denis P. Lavender Papers reflect the forestry research conducted by Denis P. Lavender at Oregon State University and the University of British Columbia, especially pertaining to conifer seedlings and reforestation. Lavender earned his MS and Ph.D. degrees in forestry at Oregon State University in the late 1950s and early 1960s and then became a Professor of Forest Science until 1984. In 1985-1992, he was head of the Forest Science Department at the University of British Columbia. The collection includes 300 photographs.

Also related to forestry, the Doryce J. McDonald Papers were assembled and generated by McDonald in the course of two internship projects with the Horner Museum pertaining to the history of forestry. Doryce McDonald completed an MA in Interdisciplinary Studies at Oregon State University in 1995. This collection includes 161 photographs and 2 computer disks.

The Oregon and Washington Offshore Oil Exploration Research Records were assembled by Robert S. Yeats, Professor Emeritus of Geology at Oregon State, and document oil exploration offshore of Oregon and Washington in the 1960s. Of special note is an article that includes a brief historical summary of oil and gas exploration in western Oregon and Washington through the 1960s.

The William G. Pearcy Papers document his research, honors and awards, and interactions with colleagues and collaborators. Pearcy was a Professor of Oceanography at Oregon State University from 1960 until his retirement in 1990. As a biological oceanographer, he studied the ocean ecology of Pacific salmon. The collection includes one photograph.

The John C. Ringle Papers document his career as a professor of nuclear engineering at Oregon State University, the history and development of OSU’s nuclear engineering program, and the controversial issue of the nuclear power in the United States during the 20th century. Ringle joined the faculty in the OSU Department of Nuclear Engineering in 1966 and was Assistant Reactor Administrator from 1966 to 1980. The collection includes about 40 photographs and a small quantity of born-digital materials. This guide includes a detailed list of the collection contents. More about the collection is available in this blog post: http://wpmu.library.oregonstate.edu/osu_archives/2013/11/22/friday-feature-john-ringle-50-years-of-nuclear-power/.

The Dona Dinsdale (MSS Dinsdale) and Beverly J. Leach (MSS Leach) collections consist of materials created and assembled during their student years at Oregon State College

Also added this month…

The Wesley Ross Memoir of World War II consists of personal remembrances and research conducted by Wesley Ross on the activities of the 146th Engineer Combat Battalion.  Ross attended Oregon State College form 1938 to 1943 and earned a BS degree in electrical engineering.

The single issues of newspapers in the Collection of Historical Newspaper Issues collection were separated from the McDonald Rare Book Collection to form a separate collection. Included are items printed in Canada, England, France, Germany, Japan, Scotland, Siberia, and the United States. Areas of emphasis include U.S. military serials, newspapers from the northeastern and northwestern United States, and materials published in the 1910s. The online guide includes an item-level list for the collection.

These Oregon State University History Students Association Records document the activities and programs of the student organization for students majoring in history at Oregon State University.

Limited Reading Room Hours: Friday, December 6th.

Due to staff shortages resulting from today’s inclement weather, access to the Special Collections & Archives Reading Room will be limited today, Friday December 6th.  Access will vary as follows:

  • 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Access by appointment only. Please phone 541-737-2075 to gain entry.
  • 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Normal access.
  • 3:00 PM: Closed for the weekend.

Our apologies for the inconvenience. Stay warm out there!