Books and Brochures

• Campbell hall to 1971. Monmouth, 1971. WOU Library call number: F884.M74 C36 1971
• Clarke, Gordon.  The Streets We Live On. Monmouth, Polk County Historical Society, 1978. [History of street names in Monmouth, Independence, and Falls City] WOU Library call number: Reference F882.P7C52
• Gentle, Thomas.  Memoirs. Palo Alto, 1993 [Gentle was an Education Professor at ONS from 1911-1928]. WOU Library call number: LA2317.G35 A3 1993
• Who Dares to Teach:  A Novel based in part on a Lifetime of Teaching and Demonstration that “Who Dares to Teach Must Never Cease to Learn.” Palo Alto: Executive Book Service, 1982.  WOU Library call number: PS3513.E57 W4
• Great Events (Which Made Polk County). [A series of publications which originally appeared in the Polk County Itemizer-Observer newspaper.]
• Huxford, Gary.  Since 1856. . .Historical Views of the College at Monmouth. Monmouth, 1995. [Book contains 3 titles in one binding.  Book I: OCE Story, by Ellis Stebbins; Book II: Staying Alive-From OCE to WOSC, by Gary Huxford; Book III: More Personal Voices. Huxford, an emeritus Professor, taught  in the History Department from 1961 to 1994 .] WOU Library call number: F884.M74 S83
• Monmouth 1856-1956: The Growth of an Idea. Monmouth, 1956. WOU Library call number: F884.M74 1956 (Reference & circulating copies)
• Oregon Normal School Buildings. Monmouth, 1936. [Brochure summarizing the history of campus buildings up to 1936.]
• Pioneering the Future: Western Oregon State College.  Monmouth, 1986. [Brochure summarizing 130 years of college history, includes chronology.]
• Pioneering the Future: Campus Development Plan. Monmouth, 1987.
• Polk County Historical Society. History of Polk County Oregon. Monmouth, Taylor Publishing, 1987.  WOU Library call number: F882.P7 H58 1987 Reference
• Portrait and Biographical Record of the Willamette Valley.  Chicago: Chapman, 1903. WOU Library call number: F882.W6 P8 1903 Reference
• Powell, Clares, comp. Letters Written from Polk County, Oregon to Monmouth, Illinois, 1853-1863.  Appended with Records from the College, 1856-1886. Monmouth, 1976. [Appendix contains transcribed minutes of the Board of Trustees for Monmouth University and Christian College, as well as other records they kept.] WOU Library call number: F882.P7 L4 (reference and circulating copies)
• Schalock, H Del. From Commitment to Practice: The Oregon College of Education Elementary Teacher Education Program. Washington: American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, 1976. WOU Library call number: LB1942.M43 S33
• Schafer, Joseph. Prince Lucien Campbell. Eugene, University Press, 1926. [Biography of WOU’s 4th President who went on to become President of the University of Oregon.] WOU Library call number: LD4362.7 1902
• Smith, John E. Christian College. Monmouth, 1953. [Covers the college’s history from 1856-1882.] WOU Library call number: F884.B4 S5 (reference and circulating copies)
• Stebbins, Ellis. The OCE Story. Monmouth, 1973. [History of the college to the early 1960s written by the former Dean of Administration and Interim President.] WOU Library call number: F884.M74 S81 1973

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Journal Articles

• Almack, John C. “History of Oregon Normal Schools” Oregon Historical Quarterly 21 (March 1920) 95-168. [College history from 1890s to 1920]
• Huxford, Gary. “An Incident at Monmouth,” Journal of Higher Education 40 (May 1969) 369-380. [Describes local and statewide reaction to the 1961 campus visit of Gus Hall, Secretary of the American Communist Party]
• Santee, Joseph F.  “History of Christian College.” Oregon Historical Quarterly 42 (1941) 133-150. [College history between the 1870s and 1880s; Santee was an Education Professor at OCE.]

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Dissertations and Theses

• Almack, John C. “History of Oregon Normal Schools.” MA Thesis, University of Oregon, 1920.
• Clyne, Roger Dean. “A Follow-up Study of Three Selected Classes in Teacher Education from Oregon College of Education.”  MS Thesis, Oregon College of Education, 1969. WOU Library call number:  LB1941.C5
• Cox, Joseph Alfred.  “Development of Health and Physical Education for Men at the Oregon Normal School: A Proposed Set-Up.” MS, Oregon State University, 1938. [Cox served as football coach and PE director]
• Curtiss, Daniel.  “Policy Making on the Western Campus”. Senior Honors Thesis, Western Oregon State College, 1993. WOU Library call number: LD4344.41993.C97
• Howard, John Morton. “An Evaluation of the Elementary Teacher Education Program at the Oregon College of Education.”  PH.D., University of Oregon, 1961.
• Johnson, Bonnie J. “An Examination of Preferred Institutional Goals of Oregon State and Western Oregon State College as perceived by their Educational Faculties.” MS Thesis, Oregon State University, 1984.
• Jones, Helen Butler. “Contributions of Certain Leaders in the Development of Oregon Normal School, 1850-1930.” MS Thesis, University of Oregon, 1947.  WOU Microfilm Thesis #94; also available in paper, WOU Library call number: LD4344.A4 J6
• McMahon, John.  “An Organizational Analysis of Structural Characteristics During the Merger of Two Higher Educational Organizations [OSU/WOSC].” MS Thesis, Oregon State University, 1985.
• Miller, Deborah, “Customer Satisfaction with Registration, Fee Payment and Financial Aid Services at Western Oregon State College.” MHR Research Paper, George Fox University, 1995.
• Remley, Renee M. “The Role of the Werner College Center at Western Oregon State College.”  WOU Library call number: LD4344.4 1993 R38
• Roper, John B.  “Developing and Implementing a Procedures and Policies Manual for PE/Athletic Department Stores Clerk.” MHR Thesis, George Fox University, 1990.
• Santee, Joseph. “A History and Status of Public Elementary School Teacher Training in Oregon.” PH.D., University of Washington, 1939.
• Thiele, Martina.  “A Study of the Normal School in Oregon.”  BA Thesis, University of Oregon, 1914.
• Thompson, Janice P. “Administrative Reform in Education, Concept and Practice: The Landers Controversy, 1931.”  MA Thesis, University of Oregon, 1980. [Examines the presidency of Joseph landers, ONS President from 1921-1932.]
• Tripp, Carol J. “Development of a Classified Employees Training Program at Western Oregon State College Library.”  MHR Thesis, George Fox University, 1991.
• Wall, Lucille. “The Growth and Development of Practice Teaching Facilities at the Oregon Normal School.” MS Thesis, Oregon State University, 1938.
• Woods, Helen.  “The Student Teaching Experience: A Qualitative Examination.” PH.D., Oregon State University, 1991.
• Yates, Douglas P. “Older and Younger Students, Full-time and Part Time: A Comparison of their Perceptions of the Campus Environment at Oregon College of Education.” MS thesis, Oregon State University, 1979.

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Also consult past issues of:

• Norm and Grove Student Yearbooks
• LAMRON and Western Star Student Newspapers
• College Catalogs, 1870s – to date
• Monmouth Herald newspaper
• Polk County Itemizer-Observer newspaper
• Oregonian newspaper

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Founders‘ Day

Founders’ Day is January 18. On this day in 1856, 11 founders signed a charter established Monmouth University, the first name of Western Oregon University. The first official Founders’ Day was celebrated in January 1995.

Founders of WOU

Eleven individuals signed the charter creating Monmouth University on January 18, 1856 and are officially recognized as the founders of Western Oregon University.  A plaque honoring them and other early pioneer families who were instrumental in establishing the University hangs in the lobby of Campbell Hall.

The founders:

• Reuben Boise
• Hezekiah Burford
• Ira F.M. Butler
• Thomas Hutchinson
• David R. Lewis
• Thomas H. Lucas
• William Mason
• John E. Murphy
• Samuel Simmons
• John B. Smith
• Squire S. Whitman

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Institutional Names Changes

Presidents

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