Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Harriette Cushman Extension Service Records, 1898-1975
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Cushman, Harriette Eliza, 1890-1978
- Title
- Harriette Cushman Extension Service Records
- Dates
- 1898-197518981975
- Quantity
- 2.6 linear feet
- Collection Number
- Accession 75040, MtBC, us (accession)
- Summary
- The Harriette Cushman Extension Service Records comprise a group of files from multiple accessions acquired over the course of several years. The files in this collection traverse a spectrum of Cushman’s working activities ranging from her career as Extension Poultry Specialist to working with the Friends of the Montana State College Library to improvement of Native American education, as well as documenting the Montana Extension Service history.
- Repository
-
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
- Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Harriette Cushman was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on December 6, 1890. She grew up in New York, attended Mt. Holyoke College, and obtained her degree in chemistry and bacteriology from Cornell University in 1914. She later earned a special certificate in poultry husbandry from Rutgers. Cushman worked as a bio-chemist but eventually began to work in the poultry industry. She worked in Idaho and later at the University of California. In 1922, she accepted a position at Montana State College. She worked as Extension Poultry Specialist until 1955. Harriette Cushman was one of the first women in her field. She led the formation of Montana's cooperative turkey marketing pools, worked to spread poultry production in the Indian reservations, and helped upgrade state poultry flocks and improve egg marketing. Along with other awards and recognition, Cushman was given the honorary degree of Doctor of Agriculture from Montana State University in 1963. During her retirement, Harriette worked with 4H, the Montana Institute of the Arts, the Friends of the Library, the Museum of the Rockies, assisted Indian youth through Montana State University, and worked to benefit Montana's natural resources. She died in 1978.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Harriette Cushman Extension Service Records comprise a group of files from multiple accessions acquired over the course of several years. The files in this collection traverse a spectrum of Cushman’s working activities ranging from her career as Extension Poultry Specialist to working with the Friends of the Montana State College Library to improvement of Native American education, as well as documenting the Montana Extension Service history. Of interest is Cushman’s unpublished manuscript “Built for the Land: A History of the Montana Extension Service” in series four, referenced by Merrill G. Burlingame for his text The Montana Cooperative Extension Service: a History. The collection has been divided into seven series developed by Cushman to organize her work. Each series has been categorized alphabetically then chronologically when appropriate. When possible the folder titles provided by Cushman have been utilized and denoted by quotations (“ ”).
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Series 1 Correspondence
Series 2 Extension Service Administrative Records
Series 3 Extension Service Annual Reports
Series 4 Extension Service History
Series 5 Plains Indian Center
Series 6 Poultry Records
Series 7 Poultry Photographs
Acquisition Information
The Harriette Cushman Extension Service Records incorporates accessions 75040, 78036, and 79013. Accession 75040 was donated to Special Collections in 1977 by Harriette Cushman.
Processing Note
This collection was processed 2011 April 22
Related Materials
Harriette Cushman's personal papers and correspondence, including an extensive set of family and personal photographs, have been arranged within Collection 1253, the Harriette Eliza Cushman Papers, 1893-1978.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series 1: CorrespondenceReturn to Top
Primarily business correspondence, the letters in this series were either written to Cushman or her predecessors in the extension service and the university. The letters relate primarily to Cushman's poultry work, extension activities, and work with the Friends of the Montana State College Library. Correspondents include Merrill G. Burlingame, Minnie Paugh, Leslie Heathcote, Frederic B. Linfield, M. L. Wilson, Carl H. Peterson, and Montana State Senator James Griffin. An index card file precedes the letters. These cards were kept by Cushman to track extension service inquiries by county of origin. The cards were completed with the name and address of the writer, the nature of the request, and the date. The actual inquiry letters were apparently discarded by Cushman after recording the information on the cards.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Card File - Correspondents
[by county]
|
|
2/1 | “Frederic B. Linfield” |
1898 |
2/2 | “Frederic B. Linfield” |
1908 |
2/3 | “Frederic B. Linfield” |
1910-1912 |
2/4 | “Friends of the MSC Library” |
1952-1953 |
2/5 | “Friends of the MSC Library” |
1961-1962 |
2/6 | “Friends of the MSC Library” |
1963 |
2/7 | “Friends of the MSC Library” |
1964-1966 |
2/8 | “Harriette Cushman” |
1927 |
2/9 | “Harriette Cushman” |
1932-1939 |
2/10 | “Harriette Cushman” |
1940 |
2/11 | “Harriette Cushman” |
1956 |
2/12 | “Milburn L. Wilson” |
1913-1914 |
2/13 | “Milburn L. Wilson” |
1915-1919 |
2/14 | “Milburn L. Wilson” |
1922-1924 |
2/15 | “Senator James Griffin” |
1916 |
2/16 | “Senator James Griffin” |
1927 |
Series 2: Extension Service Administrative RecordsReturn to Top
Documents pertaining to the financial, contractual, and general faculty activities of Cushman during and after her tenure as Extension Poultry Specialist for Montana State College.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
2/17 | Cooperative extension service in
agricultural and home economics; poultry account |
|
2/18 | Contracts
Faculty record
|
1922-1951 |
2/19 | Estimated Expenditures–Poultry
Account |
1901-1902 |
2/20 | Farm family account book |
1941 |
2/21 | Outstanding Alumni Award–Virginia Ferguson
Dougherty |
1978 |
2/22 | “People Partners” Grant-Geraldine
Fenn |
1975 |
Series 3: Extension Service Annual ReportsReturn to Top
Carbon copies and original typescripts for various weekly, annual and committee reports produced by Cushman's colleagues in the Extension Service. The reports cover a range of areas from agronomy to botany to farm management to land economics. Some reports contain photographs that pertain directly to the text have been retained to prevent the disruption of context. A few of these reports are duplicated in Accession 00021, the Montana State University Extension Service Records, 1912-1970.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
2/23 | Agronomist; Arthur J. Ogaard, Annual
Report |
1922 |
2/24 | Agronomist; Arthur J. Ogaard, Annual
Report |
1923 |
2/25 | Agronomist; Arthur J. Ogaard, Annual
Report |
1924 |
2/26 | Agronomist; Arthur J. Ogaard, Annual
Report |
1925 |
2/27 | Agronomist; Frank E. Fuller, Annual
Report |
1919 |
2/28 | Agronomist; F.E. Price, Annual
Report |
1922 |
2/29 | Agronomist; Floyd J. Chase, Annual
Report |
1916 |
2/30 | Annual conference; Project Committee
Reports |
1923 |
2/31 | Botanist; Harry M. Jennison, Annual
Report |
1918 |
2/32 | ounty Agent-Meagher and Wheatland; W.H.
Fluhr, Annual Report |
1917 |
3/1 | County Agent-Rosebud; Home Demonstration
Agents, Monthly Reports |
1926-1928 |
3/2 | County Agent-Rosebud; Ralph D. Mercer,
Monthly Reports |
1925-1928 |
3/3 | Demonstration Farm Project; Annual
Summary |
1945-1946 |
3/4 | Emergency Demonstration; Samuel J.
Hampton, Annual Report |
1918 |
3/5 | Farm Management; A.J. Copeland, Annual
Report |
1919 |
3/6 | Farm Management; Edward H. Riley, Annual
Report |
1921 |
3/7 | Farm Management; Milburn L. Wilson, Annual
Report |
1922 |
3/8 | Farm Management; Milburn L. Wilson and
Virgil D. Gilman, Annual Report |
1924 |
3/9 | Farm Management; Virgil D. Gilman, Annual
Report |
1925 |
3/10 | arm Management; Virgil D. Gilman, Annual
Report
[8 b/w prints]
|
1926 |
3/11 | Farm Management; William J. Hartman,
Annual Report |
1920 |
3/12 | Land Economics; H.G. Bolster, Annual
Report |
1939 |
3/13 | Land Economics; Robert B. Tootell, Annual
Report |
1931 |
3/14 | Land Economics; Robert B. Tootell, Annual
Report
[6 b/w prints]
|
1933 |
3/15 | Land Economics; Robert B. Tootell and H.G.
Bolster, Annual Report |
1934 |
Series 4: Extension Service HistoryReturn to Top
This series pertains to Cushman's writings on the history and development of the Montana Extension Service. Two unpublished manuscripts are present, (“Built for the Land: A History of the Montana Extension Service”) a general accounting of the extension service, and the second (“On State Request”) a more descriptive tale of Cushman’s relationship with the extension service. The series also includes her correspondence, notes, and research pertaining to her inquiries into this topic. Subjects range from dairy to 4H to sheep and cattle, as well as home demonstration, flood irrigation, agronomy, poultry, food and nutrition, etc. In compiling her notes and research, Cushman used questionnaires, in addition to corresponding with former colleagues such as Fred S. Cooley, William J. Hartman, Milburn L. Wilson, Ignatius D. O’Donnell, Arthur J. Ogaard, and Carl H. Peterson. Although some of her final work was partially used by Merrill G. Burlingame in his The Montana Cooperative Extension Service: a history, 1893-1974, neither of Cushman's manuscripts were ever published in their entirety.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
3/16 | “Built for the Land: A History of the
Montana Extension Service – Draft” |
|
4/1 | “Built for the Land: A History of the
Montana Extension Service - First Carbon” |
|
4/2 | “Built for the Land: A History of the
Montana Extension Service - Original Typescript” |
|
4/3 | “Child Care Programs” |
|
4/4 | Dairy Extension – John O. Tretsven, Frank
Hillman, and Walter E. Thomson |
|
4/5 | “History of Sheep Industry in
Montana” |
|
4/6 | “Home demonstration work” |
|
4/7 | “Howard Welch” |
|
4/8 | “J. Fred Toman”
[1 b/w print]
|
|
4/9 | “James M. Hamilton” |
|
4/10 | “John C. Taylor”
[4 b/w prints]
|
|
4/11 | Manuscript Correspondence |
1938-1939 |
4/12 | Manuscript Correspondence |
1953-1954 |
4/13 | Manuscript Correspondence |
1963-1964 |
4/14 | “Materials for History of Extension
Work”
[25 b/w prints]
|
|
4/15 | “Montana’s Contribution to the New Deal
Farm Policies; Roy E. Huffman” |
|
4/16 | “Notes” |
|
4/17 | “On State Request – Draft” |
|
4/18 | “Questionnaires – A-L” |
|
4/19 | “Questionnaires – M-Z”
[5 b/w prints]
|
|
5/1 | “Starting an Experiment Station in the
West – Frederic B. Linfield” |
|
5/2 | “Wallace Murdock” |
|
5/3 | “4-H Work Histories”
[1 b/w print]
|
|
5/4 | “Cattle Purchase, Power River County and
Custer County – George W. Gustafson and Herschell D. Hurd” |
1934 |
Series 5: Plains Indian CenterReturn to Top
This series documents Cushman’s efforts to establish a tribute to colleague Verne Dusenberry in the form of a Plains Indian Center at Montana State University. The correspondence, proposal, and research materials document her interest in improving the education and training of Native Americans through the creation of the Indian Center.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
5/5 | Indian Center; Correspondence |
1966-1967 |
5/6 | Indian Center; Correspondence |
1968-1969 |
5/7 | Indian Center; Correspondence |
1970-1972 |
5/8 | Indian Center; Correspondence |
1973 |
5/9 | Indian Center; Correspondence |
1974 |
5/10 | Indian Center; Correspondence |
1975-1979 |
5/11 | Indian Center; “Miscellaneous
Materials” |
|
5/12 | “Native American Studies Center;
Proposal” |
1974 |
5/13 | “Program Research” |
Series 6: Poultry RecordsReturn to Top
This series contains three card files pertaining to Cushman’s work on poultry; the arrangement of these files preserves the creator’s original organization. Organized by county, the first card file documents Cushman’s visits around the state. The second card file (arranged by owner) and third card file (arranged by breed) pertain to poultry flocks in Montana. This series also includes Cushman’s daily reports (a calendar record of activities), her memo book (a hodgepodge of notes relating to poultry, 4H, and miscellaneous facts), and her notebook (collection of daily reports from 1953-1954, addresses, lists, and reference material on poultry housing, diseases, production, feed, etc.)
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
5/14 | “Daily reports” |
1928-1939 |
5/15 | “Daily reports” |
1940-1949 |
5/16 | “Daily reports” |
1952 |
6/1 | Card File – County Visits |
|
6/2 | Card File – Flock Records
[alphabetical by owner]
|
circa 1933-1945 |
6/3 | Card File – Poultry Flock
[by breed]
|
|
7/1 | Memo Book |
|
7/2 | Notebook |
Series 7: Poultry PhotographsReturn to Top
This series contains images relating to Cushman’s poultry work. Photographs provide images of individual poultry, flocks of poultry, poultry structures, and testing of poultry. The photographs have been sequentially numbered and identified with the pound sign (#).
Container(s) | Description |
---|---|
Box/Folder | |
1/10 | #1-21 |
#1–6, Poultry – Individual |
|
#7–11, Poultry – Flock |
|
#12–17, Poultry Structures |
|
#18–21, Poultry Testing |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Agricultural extension work
- Agricultural extension work -- Montana -- Bozeman
- Indians of North America -- Education (Higher)
- Indians of North America -- Education (Higher) -- Montana -- Bozeman
- Poultry -- Breeding
- Poultry -- Breeding -- Montana
- Poultry -- Breeding -- Montana -- Photographs
- Universities and colleges -- Faculty
Corporate Names
- Montana State University--Bozeman
- Montana State University--Bozeman
- Montana State University--Bozeman -- Faculty
- Montana State College. Cooperative Extension Service
- Montana State College. Cooperative Extension Service
- Montana State College. Cooperative Extension Service -- History
- Montana State College. Library. Friends
- Plains Indian Center (Montana State University)
Geographical Names
- Montana
- Montana -- Bozeman
Form or Genre Terms
- Aerial photographs
- History
Occupations
- Poultry scientists -- Montana -- Bozeman
- Women agricultural extension workers -- Montana -- Bozeman
- Women college teachers -- Montana -- Bozeman
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Cushman, Harriette Eliza, 1890-1978. Built for the land: a history of the Montana Extension Service.
Corporate Names
- Montana State College. Cooperative Extension Service