Dorothy Christoff papers

Collection — Box: Box 1

Identifier: MSA 304

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Dorothy Christoff papers (1963-1967; 0.5 cubic feet) document Christoff’s time at Purdue as an engineering student. The collection consists of various artifacts, including Christoff’s senior cord skirt, stickers and decals, a class photograph, and a decorative wooden t-square with Christoff’s affiliations on the front and signed by her classmates on the back. These materials reflect only Christoff’s time as an undergraduate civil engineering student at Purdue, although she did eventually complete a Master’s degree in education as well. The collection would be useful to researchers interested in women in higher education in the twentieth century, material culture of the mid-twentieth century, Purdue student social life and customs, and the early years of the Purdue Society of Women engineers. Included in the collection are various types of artifacts. The papers are organized into a single series.

Dates

Creation: ca. 1963-1967
Other: Date acquired: 01/06/2000

Creator

Christoff, Dorothy Jean, 1943-1998 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

All copyrights belong to Purdue University.

Biographical or Historical Information

Dorothy Christoff (1943-1998) was born to Boris and Luba Christoff in Northwest Indiana. An active member of the Purdue Society of Women Engineers, Christoff earned her BS in civil engineering in 1965. Two years later, Christoff also completed a MS degree in education at Purdue.

While a student, Christoff was very involved in extracurricular activities. Organizations with which she was affiliated include: Grand Prix, intramural sports, John Purdue Club, YWCA, Sycamore Girlscout Council, the Boilermaker Network, and the Lafayette Country Club.

After graduating, Christoff remained in the Greater Lafayette area and served as the Assistant Director of the Educational Placement Service. Subsequently, she held a position as the Assistant to the Head of the Department of Agriculture Economics. She was a lifetime member of the Purdue Alumni Association. She also served on the boards of Sycamore Girl Scout Council and the Lafayette Country Club, was a president of the YWCA of greater Lafayette, and was an advisor to the Pan Orthodox Student Fellowship at Purdue. Christoff passed away February 5, 1998.