O. H. (Orange Howard) Cessna was a professor of history and psychology and the college chaplain at Iowa State College (University). He was a member of Iowa State's first graduating class (1872) and returned to Iowa State to teach after spending 15 years as a Methodist minister in Illinois. This collection contains biographical information, addresses and orations, correspondence, notebooks, and notes and meditations. The bulk of the collection consists of notebooks, notes and meditations related to Cessna's work as professor and college chaplain and include preparatory notes for lectures and sermons, drafts of correspondence, and personal reflections. Copies of his column, "Chaplain's Corner", which was published in the student paper, can also be found in the collection.

Orange Howard Cessna was born to of Jonathan Wilson and Elizabeth Jane Matthews Cessna on July 31, 1852, near Kenton, Ohio. Cessna enrolled at Iowa State Agricultural College (Iowa State University) in 1869 and graduated as a member of Iowa State's first graduating class with a B.S. (1872). He later went on to earn his B.D. (1885) and D.D. (1900) at Garrett Biblical Institute (Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary) and his A.M. (1901) at Cornell College [Iowa].

Upon graduation from Iowa State, Cessna was named deputy county treasurer (1872-1874) for Story County [Iowa] and later worked as the bookkeeper (1877-1891) at Baldwin and Maxwell's General Store in Iowa Center (State Center, Iowa). While a student at Iowa State, Cessna realized he was interested in ministry, but it wasn't until 1878 that he finally enrolled in the Garrett Biblical Institute located on the campus of Northwestern University. After his ordination, he served as a pastor at Methodist churches in Elgin, Illinois (1891-1893), Dixon, Illinois (1893-1898), and Chicago, Illinois (1899-1900).

Cessna returned to Iowa State in 1900, this time as Professor (1900-1932) of history and psychology and, for a time, as Head (1900-1922) of the departments. Following the death of President Beardshear in 1902, Cessna also took on the duties of college chaplain (1902-1929). Cessna was a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Tau Theta.

Cessna married Lillian May Wheeler on August 31, 1881, and they had two children: Ethyl and Frank Wheeler. O. H. Cessna died on October 22, 1932.

This collection (1871-1940, undated) contains biographical information, addresses and speeches, correspondence, notebooks, and personal writings. The biographical material includes Cessna's diploma from Iowa State, news clippings, and some brief reminiscences. Files related to his orations and addresses can be found in the collection. These include funeral addresses (General James Rush Lincoln, S. A. Beach, Julia Stanton, and George MacKay); "Chaplain's Corner" articles for the student paper; and a notebook of writings from his student days. The rest of the collection consists of correspondence and a series of notebooks and personal writings related to his work as college chaplain and professor. These writings include drafts of correspondence, preparatory notes for class lectures and sermons, ideas for radio talks, and personal meditations.

The collection is organized alphabetically with biographical information at the front.