Clytie May Workinger was a secretary in the School of Agriculture and Vocational Education, and an Appointment Secretary. She was employed at OSC from 1910 to 1955. She was born in 1889 in Shedds, Oregon. She began at OAC in 1910 as a stenographer for $600 per year. She took a number of other positions as secretary, including in the Office of the Dean and Director of Agriculture, and with the School of Agriculture. She took the position of Secretary of the School of Vocational Education in 1918, for $1400 per year. In 1923, she was given the rank of Assistant Professor, despite the fact that she did not have a bachelor’s degree. She joined the Placement Office in 1928, where she remained for the next 27 years. In 1927, she took a leave of absence to stay in Arizona. She had contracted tuberculosis and her physician advised her that with rest, diet, and heliotherapy for several months she could get the disease under control. While on leave, she kept in touch with her office, visited schools where OAC students were teaching, and visited schools where she thought she could place teacher graduates the following year. Many people expressed their appreciation for Workinger’s work. L.B. Mayfield, Assistant Superintendent of City Schools, wrote that she was always available and ready to help to the point that she “appeared to be on a twenty-four hour day.” Her help directed them to “think of Oregon State first in filling our vacancies.” H.E. Summers, Chief of the Bureau of Readjustment Education, wrote that she was a “true ambassadress of good will and the ideal for which Oregon State College stands.” She retired in 1955 as an Assistant Professor Emeritus of Education. She was a member of the American Association of Appointment Secretaries, the OSTA, and the College Folk Club. She was also a member of the the United Presbyterian Church.
Emma S. Coe was a secretary for the Department of Housing and Employment for Men at OSC from 1941 to 1945. Coe was born in 1888, in Niverville, Manitoba, Canada. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Dakota in 1915. Previously, she had been a high school and substitute teacher and worked for several newspapers in North Dakota. She also published an article titled “History of Crary, North Dakota and Southern Ramsey County”, which was published to the North Dakota State Historical Collections. Coe moved to Corvallis in 1936. Before coming to OSC, she was a housewife, and she explained on her job application that she wanted to help the family income. She was paid an annual salary of $1,200.
Jane White Jensen was a catalog assistant at the Oregon State College library from 1949 to 1951. She was born Jane White in 1926, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Pittsburgh in 1947, and her Master of Science in Library Science and history from the University of Illinois Library School in 1949. She was also a member of the American Library Association. Before coming to OSC, she worked as a cataloger at the University of Pittsburgh. She was hired at Oregon State at an annual salary of $3,100. She married Thorkel H. Jensen, a fellow assistant librarian at Oregon State, in 1950 and became Jane Jensen. In 1951, the married couple both resigned from Oregon State. Mr. Jensen planned to attend the University of Chicago and Jane Jensen accompanied him.
Philis Louise Parsons was a laboratory assistant in the Department of Art and Architecture in 1946. She was born in 1912 in Twin Falls, Idaho. She was divorced with four children, who ranged in age from 14 to 8 at the time of her hire at OSC. She attended undergraduate college at Chapman College in Los Angeles, and then received her degree in arts and crafts, with additional study in painting, from Oregon State in 1945. Before coming to OSC, she was the Arts and Skills Coordinator for the Camp Adair Navy Hospital. She also had experience teaching art in an eighth grade country school on a volunteer basis, and lived for two years in Alaska. At OSC, she was hired at $1,500 on a nine-month basis. She worked from nine to five every weekday with instructors and their classes, taking care of supplies and equipment, and organizing materials for “demonstration and reference.” As a recent student at OSC, she was familiar with the classes. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Alpha, as well as the secretary of the Valley Rangers, an amateur riding club.
Philis Louise Parsons was a laboratory assistant in the Department of Art and Architecture in 1946. She was born in 1912 in Twin Falls, Idaho. She was divorced with four children, who ranged in age from 14 to 8 at the time of her hire at OSC. She attended undergraduate college at Chapman College in Los Angeles, and then received her degree in arts and crafts, with additional study in painting, from Oregon State in 1945. Before coming to OSC, she was the Arts and Skills Coordinator for the Camp Adair Navy Hospital. She also had experience teaching art in an eighth grade country school on a volunteer basis, and lived for two years in Alaska. At OSC, she was hired at $1,500 on a nine-month basis. She worked from nine to five every weekday with instructors and their classes, taking care of supplies and equipment, and organizing materials for “demonstration and reference.” As a recent student at OSC, she was familiar with the classes. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Alpha, as well as the secretary of the Valley Rangers, an amateur riding club.
Florence Euren was a librarian at Oregon State College from 1946 to 1972. Euren was born in 1906, in Moorhead, Minnesota. She received her Bachelor of Science in Education from the State Teachers College, and received her Bachelor of Science in Library Science from the University of Minnesota. She began as an assistant circulation librarian in 1946 with an annual salary of $2,620. She left in 1949 to accept a job as a Bookmobile Librarian in Washington. She came back in 1957 as a librarian with an annual pay of $5,000. She retired in 1972.
Shirley A. Drawz was an order assistant at the Oregon State College library in 1946. She was born in 1922, in Superior, Wisconsin. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the College of St. Scholactica in 1944, and her A.B.L.S. from the University of Michigan in 1946. She had previously worked as an assistant at the circulations department at the University of Michigan library before coming to OSC. She was hired for a twelve month period, with an annual salary of $2,000.
Lena Currier Emerson was the secretary to the Dean of Lower Division at Oregon State College from 1943 to 1952. She was single without children when she came to work at OSC. Previously, she worked as a secretary to the president at Nebraska State Teachers College from 1925 to 1943. She decided to work at Oregon State to be closer to her parents, who lived in California. She received her degree from Columbus Commercial College. She was born in 1890, in Waterloo, Nebraska. Her annual salary was $1,920. She resigned in 1952 to work in Salem.
Leone Sans Johnson was a program consultant for the Memorial Union at Oregon State College from 1948 to 1964. Johnson was born in 1902, in Stonington, Illinois. She received her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics from North Dakota State College in 1926, and her Master of Science in Personnel and Guidance from Oregon State College in 1948. Her master’s thesis was, “An Analysis of Religious Activities at Oregon State College”. Before becoming a program consultant for the Memorial Union, Johnson worked as an executive secretary for the YMCA at Oregon State College. She was married to Tracy W. Johnson with two children when she began her work in 1948. She was brought on to work in auxiliary activities at an annual salary of $3,000. Throughout her time there, she aimed to make the Memorial Union a fully functioning and active center for the students, alumni and faculty of Oregon State. She resigned due to health problems in 1964, after seventeen years of service.
Erna Marguerite Plagemen was the supervising nurse and then Assistant Director for Student Health Services from 1929 until her death in 1964. She was born in 1902 in Columbus, Nebraska. She received her Registered Nurse degree from University of Michigan School of Nursing in 1926. Before coming to OSC, she spent three years working as a nurse with the Health Service at the University of Michigan. OSC hired her at $1800 per year for a 10 month appointment in 1929. The next year, she received a $200 raise out of appreciation for her ability and responsibilities. As the supervising nurse, she was responsible for all the other nurses, all supplies, office records, and the “care and cleanliness of both the Health Service and the Hospital,” in addition to her routine nursing duties. She was given faculty status upon her hire, but in 1954 her rank was changed to civil service, though she gained the position of Assistant Director. This was because her position and work did not fall under what qualified for academic status, as it did not include teaching, research, extension, or counseling. Plagemen hoped to regain academic status and indefinite tenure, as she thought it would come with a “recovery of prestige.” She pointed out that she was involved in a research project exploring the effect of academic probation on physical and mental illness, which involved student counseling. The Director of Student Health Services, Charles E. Kremer, helped lobby for her to regain academic status, and spoke highly of her “professional character.” In 1961, she was granted an Assistant Professorship. In 1963, after 34 years with OSC, she took several months off work due to a serious illness. Due to her exemplary work and dedication, her supervisor Kremer suggested that she be granted “the most generous terms of sick leave possible,” which was granted. She had accrued significant sick leave, although it was acknowledged that she was not expected to live much longer. She passed away from cancer January 26, 1964. At the time of her death, she was earning $4,776 yearly. Her service was held at Zion Lutheran Church in Corvallis. Her memorial pamphlet quoted the 23rd Psalm, and listed Dr. Kremer as an honorary bearer.