Dr. Margaret Fincke was a home economics nutritionist at Oregon State College from 1935 to 1968. She was born in 1900, in Astoria, New York. Fincke received her A.B. from Mt. Holyoke College in 1921. She received her master’s degree from Columbia University in 1932, and her Ph.D. in 1935. Her dissertation for her Ph.D. was titled, “The Availability of Calcium from some Typical Foods”. She was also a member of the American Institute of Nutrition and the American Home Economics Association. Prior to coming to OSC, Fincke worked as an assistant researcher at the Chemistry Department at Columbia University. She began at OSC as an Associate Professor of Foods and Nutrition in 1935, becoming the first Ph.D. on the School of Home Economics staff. By 1943, she was promoted to the rank of professor. She became the head of the Foods and Nutrition Department in 1944. During World War Two, Fincke served on the Benton County Civil Defense Committee and was a nutrition chairman of the Benton County Red Cross. In 1955, she was nominated to become a consultant in Home Economics in Thailand for six months, following the contract formed between Oregon State and Kasetsart University. In the summer of 1961, she participated in the International Congress of Biochemistry in Moscow, Russia. She became Acting Dean of the School of Home Economics from 1963 to 1964 following the former Dean Scholl taking a sabbatical leave. Toward the end of her career, Fincke became president of the Oregon Dietetic Association. In 1966, she was nominated for the Oregon State University Alumni Association’s Distinguished Professor Award. She retired in 1968. By the end of her career, Fincke was an internationally recognized nutritionist, with significant contributions to the field of home economics and nutrition.
Elvera C. Horrell was an extension statistician and secretary for the Federal Cooperative Extension at Oregon State College from 1928 to 1937 and from 1939 to 1968. Horrell was born in 1906, in Portland, Oregon. She received her undergraduate education in business administration from Oregon State College from 1927 to 1937. She was brought on to work at Oregon State in 1928 as a stenographer for the Department of Agricultural Economics at $100 per month. Horrell was promoted to secretary of the office of Agricultural Economics in 1935. She resigned in 1937 to join her husband, Everett Horrell, in Eastern Oregon. She returned to work at OSC in 1939 as a secretary. In 1942, she was promoted to Junior Extension Statistician, at an annual salary of $1,800. In her new position, Horrell handled statistical questions for the County Agricultural program. She prepared statistical reports and handled special requests for her department’s statistical data. She was promoted to Agricultural Economist in 1965. She retired in 1968 with the rank of Assistant Professor.
Ruth McCorkle was an instructor in English for a year in 1946-47 and then again from 1956 to 1961. She was born in 1898 in Tygh Valley, Oregon. She received her Bachelor of Science from OSC in 1931 in the field of home economics and English, received a diploma from Oregon Normal School in 1923 (now known as Western Oregon University), and received an Master of Arts in Education and Anthropology from University of Washington in 1950. Her thesis was titled “Plan for Teaching Speed Reading to Young Adults.” She previously worked as home demonstration agent at Chewama High School, and was discharged from the army in 1946. In between her first and second appointments at OSC, she worked in high schools, some of which were in Alaska. She was a published writer, having published one short professional article in the Normal Instructor in 1925, one short story in Oregon Farmer in 1933, and a poem in Mothers Activities. One of her poems was set to music and published by Westmore Music Company in Portland. She was an active member the American Legion Veterans Association, the American Association of University Women, the Cosmopolitan Club, and a group called the Phratares. She was a class advisor, a school librarian for six years, the assistant director for several school plays, and assistant dean of girls at Nestucca High School. She returned to OSC as a temporary part-time replacement in 1956. However, enrollment at OSC significantly increased in 1957, bringing composition classes up to about 30 students per section, and literature classes up to 60. The head of the English department, Herbert B Nelson, asserted that composition classes should never be more than 25, and literature classes never more than 40. He campaigned for two new part-time positions to take up the increased enrollment, one of which was Professor McCorkle. It was quickly decided to shift her to full-time. Professor McCorkle was said to be very kind and courteous. A visiting professor of a local high school wrote to President Strand to express his appreciation for Professor McCorkle having gone out of her way to help him get his bearings on campus. In 1961, she was granted the rank of senior instructor, after eight years. However, for unknown reasons, her record was flagged with a “failure to receive increase in rank.” She began at a salary of $2,300 in 1946 and resigned in 1961 at a salary of $5,400.
Alice Maxine Headland was an instructor in English from 1946 to 1950. She was hired to replace Kenneth Mumford, and was reportedly offered three additional positions as instructor of English, one which was higher-paying than OSC’s offer. She married Alan George Mitchell in December of 1929, and changed her name to Alice Maxine Mitchell. She was hired at a salary of $2,400, and resigned in 1950 at a salary of $3,300.