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Pacific University Records

 Collection
Identifier: AR-1

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of material from the various administrative offices and officers of Pacific University, Board of Trustees, schools and academic departments, clubs and organizations, and faculty and staff. Records include correspondence, self-studies, accreditation records, minutes, financial reports, newspaper clippings, yearbooks, course catalogs, handbooks, and special format items such as photographic images, motion picture films, videotapes, posters, plaques, and blueprints.

Dates

  • Creation: 1844-2011

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research with the exception of select materials which contain confidential information. Contact the Archivist for further information.

Conditions Governing Use

Pacific University owns the copyright to some, but not all, of the materials housed in its archives. Copyright for materials authored or otherwise produced as official business of Pacific University is retained by Pacific University and requires its permission for publication. Copyright status for other collection materials varies. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Historical Note

Pacific University's roots date to 1848 with the establishment of an 'orphan asylum,' in what would become Forest Grove, Oregon, for children whose parents had died on the Overland trail or otherwise perished. In 1849 a group of local Congregational leaders drafted a charter, passed by the Oregon Territorial Legislature, to create a "seminary of learning for the instruction of persons of both sexes in science and literature, to be called the 'Tualatin Academy...'" and located on the site of the orphan aslyum. A second charter, in 1854, re-established the institution as Tualatin Academy and Pacific University, with the Academy offering college prepatory courses and the University serving as the collegiate department. Sidney Harper Marsh become the University's first president in 1954. The Academy closed in 1915.

In 1945, the University expanded into the health professions through a merger with the North Pacific College of Optometry. Other health professions programs would follow, including Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Professional Psychology, Pharmacy, Dental Health Science, and a Masters in Healthcare administration program.

Today, Pacific is a comprehensive liberal arts and healthcare university with 3,200 graduate and undergraduate students attending classes at the original campus in Forest Grove, and campuses in Eugene, Hillsboro and Portland.

Extent

730 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Summary

Pacific University dates to 1848 in Forest Grove, Oregon. This collection documents its corporate memory and includes materials pertaining to administrative, curricular, and student activities, including minutes, correspondence, brochures, catalogs, reports, newsletters, photographs, and related items.

Arrangement

The records are arranged in 8 series: 1) Origins and Founding Documents; 2) Board of Trustees; 3) President; 4) University Relations; 5) Academic Affairs; 6) Finance and Administration; 7) Student Life; and 8) Special Format Materials.

Accruals

Additional accruals are expected.

Bibliography

Miranda, Gary and Rick Read. Splendid Audacity: The Story of Pacific University. Seattle: Documentary Book Publishers, 2000.

Subject

Title
Guide to the Pacific University Records
Status
In Progress
Author
Linda Morton-Keithley
Date
2011
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.
Sponsor
Sponsored by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission

Repository Details

Part of the Pacific University Archives Repository

Contact:
2043 College Way
Forest Grove OR 97116 United States