Roxie Willis Gibbs was an English instructor for the Army Special Training Program at Oregon State College from 1943 to 1946. Gibbs was born in 1914, in Manhattan, Kansas. She received her A.A. in education from Fullerton District Junior College in 1934 and her A.B. in English from Whittier College in 1936. She also studied education and English as a graduate at Stanford University from 1939 to 1940. Before coming to work at OSC, she worked as an English instructor for the Anaheim School District and McCloud High School in California. She was also a reporter and journalist for the Los Angeles Times. She joined the English Department at Oregon State in 1943 at a $225 per month salary. Gibbs was married when she came to OSC and her husband was stationed at Camp Addair. She resigned in 1946 to take a teaching position elsewhere.
Grace Elizabeth Gadeken was an emergency assistant home demonstration agent for Morrow County at Oregon State College from 1945 to 1946. Gadeken was born in 1920, in Bushnell, Nebraska, and was raised on a large farm in Iowa. She received her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics from the University of Nebraska College of Agriculture in 1944. Before coming to OSC in 1945, she was an active member of the 4-H club for twelve years, and worked as an assistant teacher in Vanport City Nursery Schools. She came to OSC following World War Two because the end of the war reduced the need for nursery teachers. She began work at OSC at an annual salary of $2,400. She resigned in 1946 to be married.
Viola Karen Hansen was a home demonstration agent at Oregon State College from 1944 to 1956. Hansen was in 1912, in Plainview, Nebraska. She received her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics from the University of California in 1944. Before coming to work at OSC, Hansen was a war emergency assistant for the 4-H Club in Linn County, Oregon. She was brought on to work at Oregon State at an annual salary of $2,400. For six years, Hansen served in Linn County as a home demonstration agent. In 1950, Hansen took a leave of absence to go to Europe with her church to help displaced persons, as Europe was still experiencing a refugee crisis from World War Two. She also received her master’s degree from Harvard in 1951. Hansen returned to work in 1952, and she was appointed to work under the Mutual Security Agency in Washington D.C. for four months. This was part of a federal government project dedicated to foreign agricultural relations. During this time, Hansen was in charge of a group of young women teachers from Northern European countries who were studying in the United States. She returned after four months and became acting home furnishings specialist and State Extension Agent for OSC at an annual salary of $6,624. In 1955, Hansen took sabbatical leave to obtain her Ph.D. in education from Columbia University. She resigned in 1956 to accept a position as State Leader of Home Economics Extension at the University of Kentucky.
Helen Hollandsworth was a home economics education instructor at Oregon State College in 1948. Hollandsworth was born in 1915, in Dondera, Montana. She received her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics from Montana State College in 1937. As a graduate, she studied at Oregon State College and the University of California. She was still working toward her master’s degree when she began working at Oregon State. Before coming to work at Oregon State, Hollandsworth taught home economics at Albany Senior High School in Albany, Oregon. She was appointed as instructor in home economics education in 1948 at an annual salary of $3,300 on a ten month basis.
Harriett Evelyn Swaim was a supervisory teacher in home economics from 1941 to 1943. She was born in 1911 in Marshall, Indiana. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics with additional study in English, biological science, chemistry, and physical education, from Purdue University in 1932. She completed graduate work at University of Colorado and Purdue University, graduating from the latter with an Master of Science in Home Economics Education, with additional study in clothing and home administration, in 1940. Her thesis for her master’s degree was titled “A Comparison of Integrated and Problem-Discussion-Demonstration Methods of Teaching Home Economics.” Before coming to OSC, she worked as an assistant in home economics education at Purdue for three years, and taught home economics at various high schools throughout Indiana. In 1941, she was hired at $1800 for a ten month term. She resigned in 1943.
Anaita Jurgenson was a Russian professor at Oregon State College from 1946 to 1968. Jurgenson was born in 1895, in Tiflis Caucasus, Russia. She graduated from the French College Alciander’s Institute in Petrograd, Russia in 1915. Before coming to Oregon State, she was a Russian instructor at the Navy Language School at the University of Colorado. Jurgenson applied for a position at Oregon State after the Navy Language School closed. She was brought on as an assistant instructor for the Department of Modern Languages at an annual salary of $3,000. Jurgenson took a sabbatical leave in 1957 to travel and study abroad in Paris and London to attend lectures given on Russian language and culture. Throughout her time within the Department of Modern Languages, Jurgenson enjoyed showing Russian films to OSC students. Given the time during which she worked at the college, Jugenson did on occasion experience tensions on campus regarding Cold War hostilities between the United States and Russia. On one occasion in 1949, she cancelled a film showing due to the political atmosphere on campus. On another occasion, Jurgenson was to present at a lecture on Russian Culture, but the visas of the Russian scholars who were to visit were cancelled by the United States. Despite this, she spoke fondly of her time at Oregon State, and in turn her department showed gratitude that she chose to work there. Jurgenson retired in 1965, after nineteen years of service at Oregon State. That same year, she suffered from severe health complications that resulted in her hospitalization, but she recovered and came back to work part-time at Oregon State in 1966 with the rank of professor. She continued to work until 1968.
Joan Booth Kearney briefly held the position of Emergency Assistant at Large (Instructor rank) in 1946. She was born in 1922 in Toledo, Oregon, and began attending Oregon State College as an undergraduate in 1939, with a focus on child development and political science. Before finishing her degree, she spent three years working for the War Department at Camp Adair in the purchasing department. She returned to OSC and completed her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics in Spring 1946, and shortly thereafter applied for a position at the college. She applied and was accepted for the position of Emergency Assistant at Large (Instructor rank) to the tune of $2,400 per year, with the eventual likelihood of becoming a home demonstration agent in the future. At this point, her husband had recently returned from overseas, and the two were currently childless. Due to unknown reasons, Mrs. Kearney soon found it impossible to accept the position and withdrew her application. She passed away in 1992, at the age of seventy.
Ruth Annetta Moser was an associate professor in the School of Clothing, Textiles, and Related Arts, employed at OSU from 1946 to 1974. She was born in 1908 in Harvey, North Dakota. She attended the Junior College of Santa Rosa, California, for a year, and in 1931 received her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics Education from North Dakota Agricultural College. She attended OSC for graduate work in home economics clothing and textiles, and applied for a graduate assistantship position while she completed her master’s degree. Before coming to OSC, she was a high school instructor in home economics in North Dakota for four and a half years. She spent another year as a home Management Supervisor with the Rural Resettlement Administration, and was an extension agent for eight and a half years. She was hired as a graduate assistant in CTRA and then, a year later, was hired as a part-time instructor. Due to resignations of a couple faculty members, her employment was increased to full-time, at a rate of $2,600 for ten months. She took sabbatical leave for Spring Term of 1965, when she studied related arts at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul campus. She was promoted to assistant professor in 1949 and associate professor in 1959. She was a member of the American Association of University Women; councilor, publicity and membership chairman with the American Home Economics Association; and president and secretary-treasurer of the National Home Demonstration Agents Association. While at OSU, she was involved with the OSU Academic Requirements Committee and the CT Clothing Placement Examination Chairman. She also helped develop the laboratory facilities for her program. She was awarded emeritus status in 1974, after being employed at OSU for 28 years. She began as an instructor at a salary of $2,600 for a ten month term, and retired at 10,400 in 1966. On the subject of her photo, Professor Moser submitted a new photo in 1957. She thought this version was an improvement, although she said that “the camera was never very kind to this particular subject.” She requested that they “please destroy the one you have.”
Miriam Ruth Shelton was a home demonstration agent for Deschutes County from 1948 to to 1951. She was born in 1920 in Corvallis, Oregon. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics from OSC in 1948, spending a year’s study at the University of Idaho. Before joining OSC on staff, she worked as a sales clerk in Idaho and a billing clerk in Portland. During the war, she served in the US Coast Guard as a storekeeper, 2nd class, for two and a half years, and completed her university education under the GI Bill of Rights. She was also State Treasurer of the Baptist Idaho Young People for two years, and was President of Campfire Girls Group. She was a member of the American Home Economics Association. She was hired at $3000 per year, and resigned in 1951.
Carolyn G Sullivan was an English instructor from 1942 to 1947, and was a graduate nursery school assistant for three years before that. She was born in 1912 in Corvallis, Oregon. She received her Bachelor of Science from OSC in 1937 in home economics and education. By 1940 she had completed all requirements or an Master of Science except a thesis. Her graduate field was household administration and child development, with additional study in education and psychology. Her thesis subject was “An Analysis of the Family Life Problems of 137 Freshmen.” She worked as a graduate assistant with State College Nursery School at OSC. Before coming to OSC in 1942, she gained experience as a home economics teacher at Independence High School, where she also was responsible for freshman English and the school library. She was also an English and typing instructor at Coos River High School in 1942. She spent some time as a clerical assistant and reference department page at the Oregon State College Library. In 1944, Sullivan had spent two years being hired by the term. She had been a civilian professor for some time and had been recently entrusted with responsibility for the Army Program. She requested a year’s contract for job security. She was then put on a yearly 10 month contract at a salary of $2270 per year. In 1947, she resigned to accept a position with the Long Beach City School System in California, which she hoped to use to further herself professionally and gain experience in a metropolitan area. She was married to J. A. Sullivan, with whom she had at least one child. She was a member of Delta Zeta, PEO Sisterhood, and the Methodist Episcopal Church.