Pacific University Origins and Founding Documents
Scope and Contents
The collections includes a variety of materials pertaining to the origins and founding of Tualatin Academy and Pacific University, including charters issued by the Territorial Legislature, articles of incorporation, constitution, items related to acquisition of land, financial records, and writings on the early history of both institutions.
Dates
- 1848-1956
- Majority of material found within 1848 - 1854
Creator
- Tualatin Academy (Creator, Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
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
Oregon's Pacific University is the oldest chartered university in the West. The Oregon Territorial Legislature granted its original charter as the Tualatin Academy on Sept. 26, 1849. The charter predates statehood by 10 years, and was the first formal act of the territorial government.
Pacific founders were also instrumental in the 1843 vote at Champoeg, which resulted in the formation of the Oregon Provisional Government, the first American government on the Pacific Coast.
The school traces its roots to a log cabin meeting house in Forest Grove where the Rev. Harvey Clark, a Congregationalist minister, and Tabitha Brown, a former teacher from Massachusetts, cared for and educated orphans of the Oregon Trail. The University issued the first baccalaureate degree in the region in 1863 to Harvey W. Scott, later the editor of The Oregonian. Pacific's Old College Hall, built in 1850, housed the original academy and is the oldest educational building in the West.
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.
Source: Pacific University website
Extent
0.5 Cubic Feet (1 box)
Language of Materials
English
Summary
Various documents pertaining to the founding and development of Tualatin Academy and Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon.
Accruals
Accurals are not expected.
Creator
- Tualatin Academy (Creator, Organization)
- Pacific University (Creator, Organization)
- Title
- Guide to the Pacific University Origins and Founding Documents Collection
- 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