Oberlin Student Cooperative Association (OSCA) Records

The Oberlin Student Cooperative Association (OSCA) is a student-owned and operated nonprofit that began at Oberlin College as the Inter Cooperative Council in the 1950s. OSCA was founded on the Rochdale Principles, with nearly all of the labor required to run the cooperatives divided between student members throughout its history. As of 2026, OSCA’s combined housing and dining co-ops are Harkness House, Tank Hall, and Keep Cottage. Its dining only cooperatives are Pyle Inn, Third World Co-op, and Brown Bag Co-op. There is one housing only co-op, Third World Social Justice Co-op. As of the spring semester of 2026, about 370 students (12% of the student body) are members of OSCA. OSCA is entirely student run with the exception of two full-time (non-student) employees: a financial manager and a business coordinator. While all OSCA members are Oberlin students, OSCA transitioned from an official student organization to an independent nonprofit in 2020.

For the purposes of this history, cooperatives that would eventually become OSCA (Pyle Inn and Grey Gables) will be referred to as OSCA co-ops even though they predate its incorporation. Housing and dining cooperatives that were never affiliated with OSCA existed on Oberlin’s campus even before the 1950s. In 1933, Elmwood Cottage was proposed and organized as a cooperative house for women (with coed dining) in an attempt to alleviate some of the challenges in finding housing for women students. In the following year, a co-op was founded in Pyle Inn. Both were largely College-run, including an application process overseen by the College and a live-in matron. Plans for the first cooperative house for women were submitted by three students, Hatch, Hibbard, and Nash, and had a particular focus on allowing women students to save money on housing through cooperative labor. Originally, the group hoped that they would be able to live in Borroughs. They were inspired by co-ops at the University of Michigan, University Wisconsin, and Berea College.

In 1938, the cooperatives moved from Elmwood and Pyle Inn to Webster Co-op, which remained active until 1942. By the spring of 1949, a resolution by the Student Congress on Campus Affairs called for the (re)establishment of housing and dining co-ops. It recommended that “the administration should indicate its willingness to rent houses to Co-op groups, and to assist them in wholesale buying.”

What would become OSCA’s first cooperative was located in Pyle Inn. After meeting with Bill Long, manager of the local consumer cooperative, Grace Thompson (OC ’51, 1933-2008), Anne “KiKi” Heitkamp (OC ’51, 1928-2021), and Ruth Searles (OC ’51, 1929-) of the Dormitory Council Co-Op Committee brought a formal proposal before President Stevenson and Dean Mary Dolliver in the spring of 1950. Despite Stevenson’s reticence, the General Faculty provisionally approved members of what would become OSCA’s first cooperative to lease Pyle Inn. It opened in the fall of 1950 with 28 women residents and 28 men who boarded (dined) at the co-op. In February of 1951, the Pyle Inn co-op members reported an average of 44 percent savings on room and board during the fall semester.

This co-op was different than the earliest iteration of “Pyle Inn” (founded in the 1930s). The 1950 iteration of Pyle Inn Co-op was motivated by a desire for independence from strict College policies (particularly for women). Co-ops lacked the College’s dress code and provided a more relaxed atmosphere, including an open snacking policy. Membership in a cooperative also offered the potential for meaningful financial savings. This proved popular, with a second co-op, Grey Gables, opening in the fall of 1951. In the spring of 1951, The Oberlin Review reported the members saved 58 percent on room and board at the new cooperatives.

With the addition of Grey Gables, the co-ops’ capacity increased by 64 housing and dining members and 66 dining only members. Even with the capacity more than doubled from the prior academic year, there were more applicants than openings and a lottery was implemented. Initial screening included an application that prioritized financial need and rejected any students who did not meet other qualifications, including good grades. While many students supported the addition of a third co-op in the 1950s, there were years of debate about the culture of the co-ops and their place on Oberlin’s campus.

In 1961, the College Faculty voted to approve a third co-op. The Board of Trustees requested that a study of cooperatives take place and established a committee to supervise the survey. Ultimately, student co-ops were determined to be an integral part of the College. The study determined that co-opers were typically more involved in academics and extra curriculars than other students, which helped the committee to conclude that co-ops had a positive impact on Oberlin College.

In 1962, Pyle Inn merged with Gray Gables and the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association replaced the Inter-Cooperative Council. OSCA’s board included students, faculty, and community members. The board-level positions would eventually be known as “All-OSCA,” although the acronym “OSCA” would not become popular until the 1970s. Grey Gables was replaced by Tank Hall in 1963, offering ten additional housing spots. In 1964, OSCA received 462 applications for 162 co-op spaces, leading to additional pressure to open the third cooperative that had been approved by the General Faculty in 1961.

Keep Cottage became OSCA’s third cooperative, opening to students in the fall of 1966. OSCA still received more applicants than it had spaces available, so a fourth co-op was almost immediately planned. In 1967, Harkness Hall was approved as a student cooperative.

In 1971, Harkness, Tank, and Pyle became coed following votes by the OSCA Board and the College General Faculty. Keep followed suit in 1973.

Old Barrows was established as a women’s residential co-op in 1972, replacing Pyle Inn. It operated as an all-women’s housing co-op. Baldwin Cottage was approved as a dining cooperative in 1973. It provided 70 new dining-only slots for OSCA in response to continued high demand. By that time, there is evidence that OSCA was relying on student meal planners rather than the professional head cooks who supervised the co-op kitchens in the 1950s.

According to the Oberlin Review, Oberlin College administrators expressed hesitancy related to additional co-op expansion. Primarily, its concerns were the loss of potential revenue as students joined co-ops rather than paying for College-provided housing and dining. Despite these concerns, OSCA added its sixth cooperative, Fairchild House, in 1977. It was the first co-op to guarantee a vegetarian option at every meal, now a consistent practice throughout OSCA. OSCA also opened its doors to first years in 1977, reserving a certain number of slots each year.

OSCA joined the North American Students Cooperation (NASCO) in 1977 and the Federation of Ohio River Co-ops (FORC) in 1978. FORC, according to the Oberlin Alumni Magazine was responsible for the introduction of a distinctive variety of tortilla chips and the still-ubiquitous consensus-based decision-making process to OSCA. In 1978, OSCA received almost 1,000 applicants for 550 spaces.

In the 1980s, co-ops moved through buildings on campus based on the availability of buildings pending maintenance and repairs—see below for details. It also explored the possibility of purchasing property for the first time, establishing what would later become a separate nonprofit, “OSCA Properties,” to hold and maintain its own real estate. In the spring of 1985, OSCA purchased what would be known as Fuller House (121 East College). The house was planned to hold between 7 and 8 students per year, serving as an off-campus cooperative. To remain consistent with the Review, this history will not refer to Fuller as the seventh co-op. OSCA’s first property opened in the fall of 1985. OSCA Properties operated somewhat differently from the co-ops, including allowing residence of non-students. OSCA Properties purchased a second house, known as Langston-Bliss, in 1987. Administratively, OSCA struggled somewhat during the 1980s, including a near loss of tax-exempt status in 1987 as the result of an IRS audit.

In 1987, Kosher Co-op (later known as Kosher Halal Co-op or KHC) joined OSCA as the seventh co-op. A largely Jewish co-op that acted as a cultural center for anyone interested in learning about and participating in Kashrut, KHC joined OSCA for additional stability. There were concerns related to a potential loss of independence or culture for KHC, especially related to implementation of the OSCA lottery system. Despite this and an increase in membership costs, KHC still moved to become the seventh co-op, hoping for support in meal planning and financial matters.

As it considered access, OSCA began to offer winter terms geared toward students of color and/or low-income students interested in Third World issues. Known as Third World Co-op (TWC), the winter term was offered three times. The first of those took place in January of 1985. Also in the 1980s, OSCA began to advocate for increased physical accessibility, including a ramp to be installed at Harkness. Its focus on social issues led to loans used to help establish Oberlin’s Bike Co-op and Contraceptive Co-op. OSCA also began its partnership with Nicaragua’s National Union of Farmers and Ranchers, including an annual micro-loan for women farmers.

NASCO financial consultants worked with OSCA following the resignation of several board members during the 1990-1991 school year. Consultants recommended OSCA hire a financial assistant to ease the pressure on student administrators.

With the closure of Old Barrows suddenly required by the College in the spring of 1993, the Asia House kitchen was offered as a partial replacement. Third World Co-op (TWC) became OSCA’s eighth co-op in 1994. Upon its opening, TWC was “geared specifically to the needs of students of color and poor students” but still had a fairly significant white membership. As of 2026, it is described as a “safer space” for students of color.

In 1997, OSCA Properties legally separated from OSCA, creating a separate organization dedicated to offering scholarships and holding its physical properties. A facilities manager was hired to manage its two houses, Fuller and Langston-Bliss. Upon the sale of the properties, the organization was renamed the OSCA Foundation, which is still in operation today. It funds specific supplies and OSCA scholarships. OSCA hired a part time office assistant in 1999 to ease the workload of its financial manager.

In 2001, OSCA celebrated its 50th anniversary with an all-OSCA picnic. It continued to add staff positions in the 2000s, with a food safety advisor joining the team in 2004 and a business coordinator position founded in 2010. Staff positions helped to ease the burden on students and provide consistency for especially critical matters and in light of the four-year student turnover within OSCA.

Amidst negotiations in 2016, OSCA employees conducted a strike related to several issues, including the potential closure of Old Barrows.

In 2019, OSCA and Oberlin College had a particularly difficult lease negotiation. With a one-year OSCA contract extension in place, the College released the One Oberlin Report, outlining financial recommendations for the College projected to lead to a sustainable future. The report noted that OSCA led to a loss of potential profit, projecting that, “[i]n fiscal year 2020, if the terms of the College’s agreement with OSCA do not change, this agreement is calculated to have a net negative $1.9 million impact on the College operating budget.” The report cites the money it would net if all OSCA students joined College housing and dining but does not say that OSCA students cost the College $1.9 million dollars. The report also “recognized OSCA’s service to students in fostering leadership skills, community building, business management, communication, and career development.” At the time of the report, money not spent by the co-ops was refunded to members, making the co-ops less expensive even than advertised. The One Oberlin Report set the tone for the College’s further interactions with OSCA, which generally sought to ensure that Oberlin College would collect the same revenue from OSCA members as other students while working to preserve the broad values of OSCA’s existence. Negotiations, which had been postponed to 2020, were even more difficult given the temporary drop in OSCA membership due to the pandemic. Oberlin College offered to assist OSCA in working through the rent contract, which resulted in shorter negotiations.

The 2020 rent contract removed OSCA’s status as a student organization, a major change that increased the administrative work and cost required to run OSCA. Other changes included the establishment of an Oberlin College Liaison, the move of the OSCA office from Wilder Hall to Tank Hall, and a loss of savings for OSCA students (resulting in fewer members). OSCA relied on its savings to survive the challenging transitional period. Officer teams during this period worried it might mark the end of OSCA, leading to a tense relationship between OSCA and Oberlin College. The relationship between the two organizations has steadily improved since 2020. OSCA’s finances have also improved, and OSCA marked its first deficit-free year since 2020 in the 2025-2026 academic year.

Two longstanding co-ops, Fairchild and Old Barrows, closed in 2021. With the closure of Old Barrows, the Brown Bag Co-op changed locations.

It is in part because of OSCA’s loss of status as an Oberlin student organization (along with the decisions of its members and the move from Wilder to Tank) that it maintains a collection of its own records in Tank Hall. These should be consulted along with the records in the Oberlin College Archives to provide a more complete picture of OSCA’s operations and history. The organization of the College Archives’ OSCA Records, acquired in several accessions, took place during a 2026 winter term course led by Associate Archivist Emily Rebmann. The course included OSCA members, incorporated consultation with OSCA alumni, and encouraged participatory archiving.

Non-OSCA Cooperatives

Elmwood Co-op (1933-1938): Elmwood Cottage (117 Elm) served as cooperative housing for Oberlin women from 1933-1938. It housed 20 women and provided accommodations for 45 additional students to board.

Pyle Inn (1934-1938): Located at 158 West College, Pyle Inn was operated as a cooperative women’s dorm on Oberlin’s campus from 1934-1938. It had space for 30 residents and 30 additional boarders.

Webster Co-op (1938-1942): Webster Hall (51 South Professor) served as housing for 34 women students and provided board for 40 men. A note of it being “conducted on a cooperative basis” comes from the 1938-1939 College Catalogue. It offered cooperative housing for women (to replace Pyle and Elmwood) and coeducational dining. Webster Hall was not renewed as a cooperative women’s residence after the 1942-1943 academic year, although its dining room remained open.

OSCA Cooperatives

Pyle Inn (1950-1972): Pyle Inn (158 West College) was the location of Oberlin’s first student cooperative considered to be an OSCA co-op. The 1950-1951 College catalogue notes that the building was leased to students for use as a cooperative. The building’s use was discontinued in 1972.

Grey Gables (1951-1963): Grey Gables (163 West College) became Oberlin’s second co-op in 1951. It was torn down in the summer of 1963 and replaced as a co-op by Tank Hall. It had space to accommodate 43 women residents and 82 diners.

Tank Hall (1963-present): Tank Hall (110 East College) became an OSCA co-op in 1963, offering housing for 49 students. It was temporarily replaced by Johnson House in 1983, when Tank Hall closed due to a fire hazard. When it reopened after renovations, it continued to accommodate more than 40 residential students and an additional 35 dining members.

Keep Cottage (1965-present): Keep Cottage (154 North Main) was built in 1913, when it opened as a dormitory for 52 women residents. In 1965, Keep Cottage became the third OSCA cooperative. It houses more than 50 members and has an additional approximately 25 diners. Keep makes vegan and vegetarian options available at every meal.

Harkness Hall (1967-present): Harkness Hall opened as a cooperative in the fall of 1967. Often referred to as “Hark,” it is still operating as a living and dining co-op as of 2026. Currently, Harkness is also home to the Third World Social Justice co-op, a housing program hall located on the third floor of Harkness.

Old Barrows (1972-1993, 1993-2021): Old Barrows (Old B) replaced Pyle Inn, opening as a women’s housing co-op in 1972. The College discussed the closure of Old Barrows—often referred to as “Old B” beginning in the 1990s. In the spring of 1993, The Oberlin Review noted that a decision had not been finalized for the following school year. OSCA recommended that the decision be postponed a year to give the organization time to plan for the change and accommodate its members. Citing the rent contract, OSCA noted that the “…College and OSCA shall negotiate facility use regarding space allocation and capacity alternatives.” The College’s General Faculty Planning Committee decided to close Old Barrows in the 1993-1994 school year so that a long-term plan could be created without consulting OSCA and citing safety concerns.

Between 2011-2016, OSCA and the College discussed the future of Old Barrows at length. In 2016, the College proposed its closure. At the time, it hosted 80 dining members and 15 residents, acting as a safe space for women and trans students. In May of 2017, The Review announced the closure of the Old B dining room following a lengthy period of negotiations. It continued to operate as the Brown Bag co-op until the building was closed in 2021. It housed between 12-21 students at the time of its closure, operating primarily as a space for trans or nonbinary students.

Baldwin Cottage (1973-present): Baldwin Cottage opened 70 dining only co-op slots in 1973. Today, it is home to Third World Co-op.

Fairchild House (1977-2021): Added as the sixth OSCA co-op in 1977. Often referred to as “Fairkid,” it focused on “all-natural” foods and guaranteed a vegetarian option at every meal. The Fairchild dining facilities were transferred from OSCA to Oberlin College in 2021.

Johnson House (1983): Johnson House briefly replaced Tank Hall as a co-op in the fall of 1983, when 16 rooming slots were made available to Tank residents. The Tank kitchen remained open, according to an article in The Oberlin Review.

Fuller House (1985-2010): Using its Building Fund, OSCA purchased the house at 121 East College, which it named Fuller House, in 1985. The house was intended to house co-opers who wanted to live off campus. In 1987, the bike co-op, then located behind Fuller House, had issues related to its “retail” business and its location in a residential district. With the separation of OSCA Properties and OSCA in 1997, management of Fuller House moved to OSCA Properties. After that time, the house was rented to both students and community members. As the College implemented more restrictions related to students living off campus, OSCA made the decision to sell Fuller House, which it announced in 2010.

Langston-Bliss House (1987-ca. 2002): OSCA’s second property, the ca. 1855 frame Langston-Bliss House (207 East College) was purchased in 1987. The former home of prominent abolitionist and Oberlin College graduate John Mercer Langston, the increasing repair costs necessary to maintain the building led to a 2001 announcement of OSCA’s plan to sell the building.

Kosher Halal Co-op (KHC) (1987-2013): Originally known only as Kosher Co-op, KHC became OSCA’s seventh co-op in 1987. It already existed independently on campus prior to joining OSCA. KHC continued to operate after separating from OSCA in 2013. An article in The Oberlin Review noted that issues arose as OSCA’s request for 24/7 access to the co-op for health inspections could compromise kashrut. Kosher Halal Co-op closed in 2021. At the time of the closure, it was operating in the basement of Talcott.

Third World Co-op (1985, 1993, 1994-present): Third World Co-op is a dining safer space for students of color. Founded on the principles of the Third World Liberation Front during the 1985 winter term, each semester members define their community values and agreements. During winter term 1993, Third World Co-op was hosted in Fairchild. It opened a permanent co-op dining location in Baldwin in 1994. As of 2026, TWC is located on the first floor of Baldwin Cottage. Its housing counterpart, Third World Social Justice, is located in Harkness.

Pyle Inn (Asia House) (1993, 1995-present): Oberlin College offered the Asia House kitchen as a partial replacement to OSCA when it called for the closure of Old Barrows in 1993. The OSCA Board voted against this new location based on opposition to a co-op by the extant Asia House residents. The layout of Asia House would also require co-opers to walk through community spaces to reach the co-op kitchen. Still, it was decided that Asia House would provide a temporary dining room while Old Barrows was closed. In 1995, the Asia House basement became the location of the revived Pyle Inn, a dining-only co-op that can accommodate 100 diners.

Brown Bag Co-op (2004-present): A co-op grocery store that was originally operated from the basement of Fairchild, Brown Bag Co-op (BBC) joined OSCA in 2004. It closed with Old Barrows in 2021 and was revived in Asia House (Pyle In Co-op) in 2023.

Administrative history written by Josh Surprenant OC ’29 and adapted for ArchivesSpace by Emily Rebmann. To review Josh’s entire history, please email archive@oberlin.edu to set up a time to visit the Archives.