Nellie Catherine Lyle was a Home Demonstration Agent from 1939 to 1947. She was born in 1913 in Glendale, Arizona. After completing work at University of California, Los Angeles, University of California, Berkeley, and OSC, she received a Bachelor of Arts in Home Economics from the Arizona State Teacher’s College in 1936. She received her Master of Science from OSC in 1939 in household administration. Her thesis was titled Normative Study of Growth and Development of 1938-1939 Oregon State College Home Management House Infants. During her final year of school, she worked as a graduate assistant in the Home Management House. In addition, she had five years’ cumulative experience teaching elementary school and home making in Arizona. She also co-led a 4-H home economics club. In 1947, her superiors at OSU planned to arrange sabbatical leave for her so she could take on research in additional areas, thereby allowing her to become an extension specialist in housing or home management, as they expected rural families’ needs for housing information to increase considerably. They expressed that she showed a “marked ability” for the field. Instead, she chose to resign later in the year to be married, at which point she was earning a salary of $3,456.
Wanda Cecil Thorson was a home demonstration agent for Douglas County for the 1946-1947 school year. She was born in 1920 in Tacoma, Washington. She received her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics from OSC in 1943. Before coming to OSC, she spent three years serving in the Navy as a supply officer at the Mare Island Naval shipyard. She attended high school in Myrtle Creek, Oregon, and was a resident of Douglas County herself. In December, she married and changed her name to Mrs. Wanda Matson. She began to work half time in June of 1947, and resigned at the end of the month.
Mary Ellen Heckathorn Debunce was a home demonstration agent in Deschutes County for Oregon State College from 1941 to 1943. Her annual salary was $2,100. She had previously worked as an assistant dietitian in Hollywood and Santa Barbara, California. She received her Bachelor of Science in Foods and Nutrition from the University of Idaho in 1932, and as a graduate she studied clothing and textiles at the University of Idaho from 1935 to 1937 and Oregon State College from 1940 to 1941. Her master’s thesis was titled, “Household Administration, Home Economics Education Problems of Oregon Women Purchasing Ready-Made Dresses”. She was single when she came to work at OSC, but later married in 1942. She resigned in 1943 due to health problems. She was born in 1910, in Hartford City, Indiana.
Miriam Jenely Black Colford was an emergency assistant home demonstration agent in Malheur County for Oregon State College from 1945 to 1950. Her salary was $2,400 a year. She previously worked as a nutrition counselor and cafeteria manager at various navy shipyards during World War 2. She also worked as a dietitian at Washington State College. She received her Bachelor of Science in Foods from Washington State University in 1942. She married Dr. Thomas E. Colford and was promoted to assistant professor home demonstration agent in 1948. Her salary increased to $3,300 a year. She resigned in 1950 because her husband’s business moved. She was born in 1908, in Sifton, Washington.
Kathleen Jean McCrae was a Home Demonstration Agent-at-Large from 1939 to 1941, with a salary of $2,100. She was born in 1914, in Florence, Oregon. After completing work at Oregon Normal School, San Francisco Teacher’s College, and OSC, she received her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics Education and Physical Education from the lattermost in 1938. Before coming to OSC, she was a home economics and physical education teacher in Prineville, Oregon. Before that, she spent four years teaching at rural schools in Oregon. She sought a position at OSC because she reportedly desired to work with adults and enjoy farm life. She was a member of the Oregon State Teachers Association, Omicron Nu at OSC, and the Presbyterian Church. She transferred to Washington County in 1940. In 1941, she resigned to be married.
Zaneta Isabel Reiner was assistant supervisor of the Memorial Union Dining Service, and later was a home demonstration agent at large from 1943 to 1947. She was born in 1916 in Gettysburg, South Dakota. She earned her Bachelor of Science in institutional management from OSC in 1943, with additional study in nutrition and clothing. She immediately began work as assistant supervisor of the MU Dining Service after her graduation, making an annual salary of $1200. However, in 1944, it became clear that enrollment in the Army Specialist Training Unit program had dropped, making it no longer necessary to employ her services. She was let go, and began serving temporarily as a home demonstration agent in Umatilla County. She applied to be a home demonstration agent at large in 1946. She was hired at an annual salary of $2400, and she resigned from this position the next year to go into business in Pendleton.
Geraldine Danzl was an assistant extension agent for the U.S. Department of Agriculture at Oregon State College from 1947 to 1950. Her annual salary was $2,400. She had previously worked as an assistant 4-H Club leader in Stillwater, Oklahoma. She was also an assistant home demonstration agent and 4-H club leader in Wellington, Kansas. She received her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics Education from Oklahoma A&M in 1944. She was married to Francis Danzl with no children when she came to work for OSC. Francis Danzl was going to school at OSC while she worked. In 1948, she was promoted to an Extension Agent for Benton County, with an annual salary of $3,300. She resigned in 1950 because her husband obtained his degree and obtained employment in Seattle, Washington. She was described as “an exceptionally able staff member”. She was born in 1923, in Sallisaw, Oklahoma.
Mary Lou George was a county extension agent at Oregon State College in 1949. She was born in 1924, in Philomath, Oregon. She received her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics Education from Oregon State in 1948 and studied home economics at Cornell University as a graduate student. Before coming to work at OSC, George worked as a high school homemaking teacher in Heppner, Oregon. She was brought on to work as an extension agent in Washington County at an annual salary of $3,540. She was chosen for the position due to her previous work as a teacher and active participation in community activities. However, George only worked a little over a month before resigning to be married and devote her time to her family.
Erma Holliday Little was a specialist in family relationships with OSC’s Home Extension service in 1946. She was born in 1911, in Milan, Missouri. She received her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics and Social Science from the State Teachers College in Kirksville, Missouri, in 1940; and her Master of Science in Family Relationships and Sociology from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1944. Her thesis subject was “A Study of the Dominative and Integrative Practices of a Group of Parents in Relation to their Preschool Children.” Before coming to OSC, she was a teacher of family life at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, Virginia, from 1944-1946. She and her husband left because he wished to move west and work with rural people. She was also formerly a high school home economics teacher, a home management supervisor for farm security in Missouri, and frequently taught in rural schools. She was married to Dr. James Little.
Katherine Monahan was a home demonstration agent in Morrow and Umatilla Counties from 1946-1952. She was born in 1913 in Condon, Oregon. She received her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics from OSC in 1942, and her graduate degree in the same field from Eastern Oregon College of Education in 1934. Before finding employment with OSU, she was an elementary school teacher for six years in Gilliam and Sherman Counties. She then spent two years assisting her parents on their sheep ranch in Condon. She prepared for extension work by taking summer classes at OSC, focusing on housing and extension methods. In Morrow County, she carried on a full program in home economics extension work and helped to double the 4-H enrollment in the county. However, Morrow County found itself in financial difficulty and could not afford to continue supporting extension work there. She was transferred to Umatilla County in 1947, which came with an increase in rank to assistant professor and an increase in salary to $3,336 with indefinite tenure. She resigned at the start of 1952 to take care of her parents. She was hired at a yearly salary of $2,700 and departed at a salary of $4,356.