Ruth Caroline Krueger was born in 1901, in Gunnison, Colorado. She was employed at OSC between 1937 to 1947 as Head of the Library Circulation Department, earning a $3,100 yearly salary by the time she retired. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Education, with a minor in English, from Eastern South Dakota State Teachers College in 1925, where she worked as a student assistant for two years. She went back to school to achieve her Bachelor of Science in Library Science in 1927, from the University of Illinois, Urbana. She went on to achieve her Master of Arts in Library Science as well, also from the University of Illinois, Urbana. Here she was student assistant for one year, a cataloger for two years, and spent a year as an assistant in reference and circulation for one year respectively. Before coming to OSC, she was a librarian for seven years at Eastern South Dakota State Teachers College, and was a librarian for Western State College of Colorado for one year. She was offered the position at OSC and took it because she wanted to work in a larger state. In 1943, she considered leaving her position as Circulation Department Head to do farm work at her home, but was convinced by a colleague to ask for sabbatical leave instead--although she was not eligible until 1945. Her application was rejected, as it was against board policy to offer sabbatical leave for remunerative activity, and was granted instead leave of absence without pay. She was granted another leave of absence without pay in 1946 to 1947, to care for her elderly mother. Finally, Professor Krueger resigned in 1947, feeling that she should remain at home longer in the summers.
M. Irene Leach was an Assistant Professor and home demonstration agent as OSC from 1940 to 1941, for a salary of $2,400. She was born in 1906, in Minot, North Dakota. She received her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics Education and institutional management from Montana State College in 1930. She attended Colorado State College summer session of 1933, and Oregon State College summer sessions 1936, 1939, and 1940 to receive her Master’s degree in Home Economics. The topic of her master’s thesis was “Housing in High School.” Before coming to OSC, she spent a cumulative ten years as Head of Home Economics departments in Oregon and Montana. She published an article titled “Apprentice Teaching at Oregon City” for Forecast Magazine in December of 1939. She also had experience teaching in rural environments, and was a former waitress for three summers. In 1941, she resigned to be married.
Helen Sellie Hazard was a home demonstration agent for Tillamook County at Oregon State College from 1946 to 1954. Sellie was born in 1913, in Cathay, North Dakota. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Home Economics from Concordia College in 1935. She received some graduate education at the University of Minnesota, the University of Idaho, and Oregon State College. Before becoming a home demonstration agent at Oregon State, Hazard taught home economics at a junior high school in Pendleton, Oregon. She also worked as an assistant for the Memorial Union Dining Services. She started out at an annual salary of $2,604. In 1950, Hazard was transferred to work in Benton County so she could be closer to her church. She left Oregon State in 1952 to become a home demonstration agent in Virginia, but returned a year later. In 1953, she was appointed to serve in Columbia County with the rank of Assistant Professor and married Frank Hazard that same year. She resigned in 1954 to move with her husband to Virginia.
Esther Allen was a general assistant and instructor for the library in 1939. Her salary was $1200 and her term of service was 12 months. She was born in 1904, in Parsons, Kansas. When she came to work for OSC, she listed that she was from Vancouver, Washington. Before coming to work at OSC, she was a librarian at Pacific College. She left her previous library position because the college she worked for was unable to pay her full salary. She attended Washington State College from 1923 to 1926, Willamette University from 1923 to 1924, University of Oregon from 1927 to 1931, and she received her Bachelor of Arts in 1926 from Washington State College and her Bachelor of Science in Library Science from the University of Denver in 1936. As an undergraduate she studied French and Spanish and music, and as a graduate she studied education and library science. She was brought on to work at Oregon State as a substitute for another librarian, “Miss Haley”, who was taking a leave of absence.
Mary Edith Fry was a library circulation assistant at Oregon State College from 1937 to 1940. She was born in 1910, in Prosser, Washington. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Goucher College in 1934. She also earned her Bachelor of Science in Library Science from the Columbia Library School in 1937. Fry was brought on as science specialist for Oregon State’s Circulation Department in 1937. Her annual salary was $1,500. She resigned in 1940 to pursue graduate studies.