Agnes Osgood Papers

Collection

Identifier: MS-0180

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Agnes Osgood Collection documents her involvement as a community activist in the San Diego area, with a particular focus on the Lemon Grove community. The collection is comprised of correspondence, employee business cards, newspaper clippings, Congregational church membership documentation, and documentation detailing the history of Lemon Grove. Highlights of the collection include letters to Osgood from Project Concern's South Vietnamese branch during the Vietnam War, Synanon, a book by Guy Endore, scrapbooks pertaining to life in Lemon Grove, and personal records written by Osgood.

Dates

Creation: 1894-1977
Creation: Majority of material found in 1960-1975

Creator

Osgood, Agnes (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The copyright interests in some or all of these materials have not been transferred to San Diego State University. Copyright resides with the creator(s) of materials contained in the collection or their heirs. The nature of archival collections is such that multiple creators are often applicable and copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine. In any case, the user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, obtaining publication rights and copyright infringement. When requesting images from Special Collections & University Archives for publication, we require a signed agreement waiving San Diego State University of any liability in the event of a copyright violation.

Biographical Note

Born in 1890, Agnes Osgood was a community activist in Lemon Grove, San Diego. She primarily devoted her time to Project Concern, a national non profit medical relief organization emphasizing preventative medical care, medical education, and public health issues. While working for Project Concern, Osgood was responsible for creating 2500 quilts for South Vietnamese refugees and American Soldiers. She also helped to organize Project Concern’s donations of food, clothing, and vaccination supplies to South Vietnam. In addition to Project Concern, Osgood was also involved with Synanon, a Christian-based organization that helped to rehabilitate drug addicts, convicts, and prostitutes. Osgood was involved with several other institutions over the span of her career, including the American Red Cross, Lemon Grove Presbyterian Church, and the Department of Public Welfare.