Jane Huston Rawlins was hired as an instructor in English in 1947 but withdrew from her appointment before it started. She was born in 1921 in Heppner, Oregon. She was married when she came to OSC. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English, with additional study in French and social studies, from the University of Oregon in 1943. She went on to complete 18 hours of graduate study with the University of Oregon Extension Service in Portland, in the summers of 1944 and 1945. She had about three years of experience teaching in high schools in Ione and Roseburg. She also graded examinations for Ernest G. Moll in 1942-43 at the UO. In July of 1947, a contract was written up decreeing that she should be hired at $2400 for a 10 month term. However, in August, Rawlins wrote that she was pregnant and therefore unable to accept the appointment. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Lambda Theta, and Pi Delta Phi. She was also president for two years of her college living organization.
Gertrude Geraldine Ellison was a part-time English instructor at Oregon State College from 1946 to 1957. She was married to Joseph Waldo Ellison with no children when she came to OSC. She was born in 1901, in Centralia, Washington. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Washington in 1921 and received some graduate education from the University of California in 1925. She had previously taught at high schools in Montana and Washington throughout the 1920s. She filed for retirement in 1957.
Lyda Mae LaPalombara was born Lyda Mae Ecke in 1924, in Chicago, Illinois. She worked at OSC as an Instructor of English from 1946 to 1950. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English from University of Illinois in 1945, where she minored in education and music. She completed some of a graduate degree at the University of Illinois, where she also concentrated in English and music. She taught freshman composition at the University of Illinois for one year before coming to OSC. In 1947, she married Joseph Guido La Palombara, and resigned in 1950 at a salary of $3,100.
Dorothy Magee was an instructor in freshman composition/english for a year in 1942 at a salary of $1700. She was born in 1910, in Indianapolis, Indiana. She completed undergraduate work at Barnard College, the University of Southern California, and the University of Michigan, receiving her Bachelor of Arts from the lattermost in 1940. For her undergraduate degree, she studied English, with additional study in history, philosophy, fine arts, French, and education. She received a record-breaking grade in economics while at the University of Michigan, and received their first A+. She completed graduate work at Smith College, where she received a scholarship, and the University of California, Los Angeles, receiving her Master of Arts from the former in 1933, where she focused on American Literature and education. Her thesis was “Some Relations Between New England Transcendentalism and Music and the Plastic Arts.” Before coming to OSC, she was a teacher in Grand Haven, Michigan, and had spent two years doing office work and three years in various retailing jobs. In her recommendations, her professors described her as quiet, brilliant, tactful, modest, possessing of initiative, and seemed very impressed by her physical attractiveness. In her time as a student, she was involved in many extracurricular activities, was a member of the glee, drama, riding, and journalism clubs--and was was the woman’s editor of a college newspaper. She was a member of numerous academic associations, including Theta Sigma Phi at University of Michigan, of which she was president in 1932. She spent her leisure time gardening, travelling, outdoor exercise, and going to concerts and plays. She attended some meetings during 1940 convention of the National Council of Teachers of English. She traveled to Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, and the Bahamas. She resigned in 1943 to complete advanced work at Stanford.
Elizabeth WIlliams Savage was an instructor in English from 1946 to 1950. She was born in 1908 in Santiago, Cuba. She was married to James William Savage, with whom she had two children ,when she came to OSC. She studied at the University of Florida, Stetson University, and Florida State College, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1931, with additional study in Spanish, education, and social sciences. She received her Master of Arts in 1939 from the University of Oregon, with additional study in English. Her thesis for her master’s degree was titled “A Study of Some of the Characters in Plays of Juan Ruiz de Alarcón y Mendoza.” She had several years’ teaching experience in the subjects of English and Spanish, but had been a homemaker for several years before starting at OSC. She sought a change because she enjoyed teaching, and had devoted much time to it. She was hired in January of 1947 at $2000 for a ten month term. She resigned in 1950, at which time she was earning $3000 for ten month terms. She was a member of several honor societies, including Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Delta Pi, and Phi Beta Sigma.
Elizabeth WIlliams Savage was an instructor in English from 1946 to 1950. She was born in 1908 in Santiago, Cuba. She was married to James William Savage, with whom she had two children ,when she came to OSC. She studied at the University of Florida, Stetson University, and Florida State College, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1931, with additional study in Spanish, education, and social sciences. She received her Master of Arts in 1939 from the University of Oregon, with additional study in English. Her thesis for her master’s degree was titled “A Study of Some of the Characters in Plays of Juan Ruiz de Alarcón y Mendoza.” She had several years’ teaching experience in the subjects of English and Spanish, but had been a homemaker for several years before starting at OSC. She sought a change because she enjoyed teaching, and had devoted much time to it. She was hired in January of 1947 at $2000 for a ten month term. She resigned in 1950, at which time she was earning $3000 for ten month terms. She was a member of several honor societies, including Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Delta Pi, and Phi Beta Sigma.