Ethel Ida Sanborn was a Professor of Botany from 1914 to 1948. She was born in 1882 in Goodwin, South Dakota. She earned her Bachelor of Science from South Dakota State College in 1903, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Dakota in 1904, her Master of Arts from the University of South Dakota in 1907, and her PhD. from Stanford in 1928. She attended further graduate school at the University of Oregon and the Puget Sound Biological Station Friday Harbor. Before coming to OSC, she had extensive experience teaching botany at the University of Oregon, where she spent 18 years. She began at OSC in 1932 as an Assistant Professor of Botany, and graduated to Associate Professor the next year. She authored and co-authored several articles on Oregon botany, with titles such as “The Goshen Flora of west central Oregon,” and the “Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of western Oregon.” She took sabbatical leave at least four times during her career, for a year in 1919, 1923, and 1927. In 1940, she took another for the period April-July 1940 on full salary, conducting research, writing, and attending the International Botalian Congress at Stockholm. She worked with Max Doty conducting research on marine algae. After having worked at OSC for 34 years, she was given Emeritus status at her retirement in 1948, in recognition of her “able teaching” and outstanding work in paleobotany. Her research on algae at the Institute of Marine Biology since it opened in 1925 “[was] known all over the Pacific Coast.” She was a member of several societies, such as Phi Sigma, and the American Association for Advanced Science, and the Paleontological Society of America. She was also a member of the DAR, the Baptist Church, and lifetime member of the American Association of University Women.
Harriet Janet Warner was First Assistant in the Reference Department from 1930 to 1961. She was born in 1895 in Mason City, Iowa. She studied at Cornell College and the University of California at Berkeley, earning her Bachelor of Arts from the latter in 1919 in English Literature. For the next five years she taught at high schools in Idaho and California, and for the next four years was a librarian of the high school and junior college library in Reedley, California. She then spent a year with the Palo Alto Public Library as a member of the circulation department. She returned to school and studied at the University of California School of Librarianship, where she showed “ability and interest… particularly in the courses in reference materials.” Of the eight courses she took she received four A’s and four B’s, and was described as “alert, capable, and energetic…unhesitatingly recommended.” She was hired by OSC as First Assistant in the Reference Department, for $1700 per year. She was a substitute for Evangeline Thurber, who was on leave for the time period. She continued in this position for some time, periodically taking charge as Acting Head of the Reference Department when the permanent Head took leaves of absence. In 1943, Circulation Librarian Ruth Krueger took leave of absence to run her family farm in the summers, as her father had recently passed and her brother was drafted into the army. Warner was transferred to supervise the Circulation Department, due to her experience as periodic Acting Head of Reference. For this increase in work, her salary was raised from $1800 to $2000. Warner took sabbatical from March 1--June 30 1949 to rest, travel, and visit libraries throughout the southwestern states and Mexico, for which she took full salary. She retired in 1961, at which point she was earning $6695, and was given emeritus status. She passed away in 1982. She was a member of the American Library Association, the Pacific Northwest Library Association, and the Oregon LIbrary Association. She was described as active in community work, popular among faculty and students, and “Extremely loyal to the interests” of OSC.
Jean Alyce Williams was a recreation specialist with the extension service from 1946 to __. She was born in 1910 in LaGrande, Oregon. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oregon in 1931, in the field of English, drama, and speech. She attended graduate school at University of California, Berkeley, University of Southern California, University of Washington, and American University, studying drama, music, and physical education. She spent thirteen years as a high school teacher in Cove and LeGrande, Oregon, specializing in programs, plays, and operas. She was a recreation worker with the American Red Cross from 1943-45, where she worked overseas in France and England in clubs and hospitals. She used this experience to give at least 25 speeches on various occasions on her “Experiences Overseas with the American Red Cross.” She wrote several unpublished one-act plays and radio skits, which she used for “special occasions.” She was a member of the AAUW, National Collegiate Players, Sigma Alpha Chi, Young Women’s Educational Auxiliary, and the Recreation Director of Campfire GIrls in Portland. She was hired as a Specialist in Community Social Organization, with the rank of assistant professor, at $3204 per year. Her salary was later reduced to $2808 per year.
Marjorie Ann Wilson was a part-time instructor in Clothing, Textiles, and Related Arts in 1946. She was born in 1922 in Lebanon, Oregon. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics, with additional study in education, from OSC in 1943, where Dean Milam referred to her work as “outstanding.” She then became a part-time typist in the School of Home Economics, but this position was temporary. In summer of 1946, she was hired at $780 for the academic year, at 1/3 time. In the fall, her hours were increased to two-thirds. She was Vice-President of the Mortar Board, and a member of the honoraries Kappa Delta Pi, Omicron Nu, and Phi Kappa Phi. She was also a member of the social fraternity Kappa Kappa Gamma. She had tuberculosis and a temporarily collapsed lung at the time of her appointment.
Jean Alyce Williams was a recreation specialist with the extension service from 1946 to __. She was born in 1910 in LaGrande, Oregon. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oregon in 1931, in the field of English, drama, and speech. She attended graduate school at University of California, Berkeley, University of Southern California, University of Washington, and American University, studying drama, music, and physical education. She spent thirteen years as a high school teacher in Cove and LeGrande, Oregon, specializing in programs, plays, and operas. She was a recreation worker with the American Red Cross from 1943-45, where she worked overseas in France and England in clubs and hospitals. She used this experience to give at least 25 speeches on various occasions on her “Experiences Overseas with the American Red Cross.” She wrote several unpublished one-act plays and radio skits, which she used for “special occasions.” She was a member of the AAUW, National Collegiate Players, Sigma Alpha Chi, Young Women’s Educational Auxiliary, and the Recreation Director of Campfire GIrls in Portland. She was hired as a Specialist in Community Social Organization, with the rank of assistant professor, at $3204 per year. Her salary was later reduced to $2808 per year.
June Harriet Sullivan was a research assistant from 1946 to 1949. She was born in 1917 in Sioux City, Iowa. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Bacteriology, with additional study in physiology and chemistry, in 1938 from the University of Tennessee. She earned her Master of Science from the same institution in 1939 in bacteriology and nutrition, with additional study in physiology. She did graduate work at Cornell. Her thesis for her master’s degree was titled “A Comparison of the Diagnostic Tests for Pullorum disease in chickens
Marian Field was an art instructor at Oregon State College from 1942 to 1951. Field was born in 1885, in Oakes, North Dakota. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Art from the University of Oregon in 1930 and did graduate work from 1931-1933. From 1929 to 1933, Field was also an assistant in the university's art and architecture library. Before coming to OSC, she was head of the art department at the University of North Dakota from 1905-1909. She also owned and managed an art shop for several years. She published “Oregon Trees and Shrubs in Winter” in 1937 and “Outdoor Living and Learning” in 1938. She was brought on to work at Oregon State at an annual salary of $1,750. In 1946, Field was promoted to assistant professor and an annual salary of $3,000. She retired in 1951.
Maxine Alice Dull was an assistant in the library orders department at Oregon State College from 1944 to 1946. Dull was born in 1914, in Kremlin, Montana. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California in 1943 and received her Certificate in Librarianship from the University of California in 1944. When she came to OSC, she listed Los Angeles as her permanent address. She was single with no kids when she came to OSC. She was hired at an annual salary was $1,900. She resigned in 1946 to work at a Safeway Stores Library in Oakland, California, where she would receive higher pay. The OSC director of libraries W.H. Carlson mentioned in a letter the increasing competitiveness of industrial libraries with public and college libraries over professional librarians when Dull announced her resignation.
Elma Marshall Bemis began working at OSC as an Assistant Instructor in the Circulation Department at the library from 1944 to 1961. She received her Bachelor of Science in 1917 from Phillips University, and her Master of Arts in 1942 from the Colorado State College of Education. She also received a Bachelor of Science from the Denver University Library School in 1944. As an undergraduate and graduate student she studied English. She was born in 1896, in Mankato, Minnesota. Before coming to OSC, she was a teaching fellow at Colorado University and an Assistant in English at Phillips University, as well as a high school teacher. By the time she came to work at OSC, she was widowed with one child. She received a letter in 1954 from the director of libraries explaining that despite being due for a promotion, she would remain an instructor, as she had been for the previous six years. The director explained that given the workload in the department, she needed to stay on as an instructor, despite taking on an increase of work. In 1944, she received $1,800 a year for her salary. By 1961, she was listed as a senior instructor, with a $5,472 yearly salary. She died in 1973.
Mildred Riedesel was an instructor in Foods and Nutrition from 1946 to 1948. She was born in 1916 in Ames, Iowa. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics Education from Iowa State College in 1939, and her Master of Science in Foods and Institution Management in 1946. Her thesis for her master’s degree was titled “Palatability of Frozen Pork as Influenced by Defrosting and Cooking Methods