Subgroup 1 records document the administration of the department, student enrollment, and curriculum. Subgroup 2 documents the research of Joan Patterson into the use of Oregon flax in commercial textiles and fabrics during the late 1940s and early 1950s.

The development of textiles in ancient Mesopotamia, Persia, & Egypt was related to the nature of the people & the region, economic & social systems, religion, astrology, astronomy, & foreign influences. Various devices & procedures were employed in the processing of fibers & the manufacture of yarn & fabric. Sources of fibers included plants such as flax, hemp, & cotton; animals such as sheep, goats, camels, & silkworms; & gold. Fabrics were constructed by weaving, netting, braiding, & felting. They were finished by bleaching, fulling, scouring, & calendering. Dyes, derived from vegetable & animal sources, were sometimes assisted by mordants. Designs were woven or applied by means of needlework, bracteates, beads, sequins, or paint. Among classes of motifs were geometric forms, plants, animals, architectural elements, hieroglyphic writing, & aspects of nature such as mountains, sun, moon, & stars. Certain uses of Mesopotamian & Persian textiles have been described. Send orders to: 625 N.W. 29th St., Corvallis, OR 97330.