Agronomy and Soils Department Records

Agronomy and Soils Department Records, 1940-1973

Overview of the Collection

Title: Agronomy and Soils Department Records
Dates: 1940-1973 (inclusive)
19401973
Quantity: approximate 8425 items, ( 9.5 linear feet), ( 10 containers)
Collection Number: Archives 61
Summary: Includes correspondence, memoranda, minutes and proceedings of professional meetings, reports, newsletters, student and faculty information and research information, financial statements, vouchers, and reports on program progress.
Repository: Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions: The Collection is open for research use.
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Agriculture has always been part of the college's curriculum; in the earliest days, all of its disciplines were taught in one department (the Department Of Agriculture). By 1918 these agricultural disciplines including farm crops, soils, etc., had expanded enough to warrant the formation of separate departments. The Department of Farm Crops and Soils were consolidated into a Department Of Agronomy in February 1928. This name was changed in November 1969 to Department of Agronomy and Soils. The present department offers a number of degrees, including B.S. in Agronomy, B.S. in Soils, M.S. in Agronomy, M.S. in Soils, and Doctor of Philosophy.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The records of the Department of Agronomy and Soils are arranged in three series: Subject File, 1940-1972; Tennessee Valley Authority Files, 1951-1972; and Correspondence Files, 1965-1971. Series one file contains records dating from 1940 through 1972, however, the bulk of the material deals with the period after 1963. This first series is arranged alphabetically by subject. The file consists of correspondence, memoranda, minutes and proceedings of professional meetings, reports, newsletters, student and faculty information and research information. Major headings in the subject file include such topics as: Agronomy & Men (publication of the Agronomy Club), Extension Administration, annual reports of county Extension Agents, Outlying Testing Program of the Washington experimental stations, Pacific Northwest Fertilizer Conference, Pacific Northwest Crop Improvement Association, Pacific Northwest Plant Food Association, teaching and course content in the department, Washington State Crop Improvement Association, USDA correspondence, and wheat research.

Series two, Tennessee Valley Authority files, date from 1951 to 1972 and consist of correspondence, financial statements, vouchers, and reports on program progress. Through an agreement with Washington State University, the TVA sold fertilizer to Washington state farmers. These records document this agreement, the shipment of the fertilizer, and the farmers who participated in the program. The file has been arranged chronologically to be consistent with its original order.

Series three, the correspondence file, contains items dating from 1965 to 1971; these records have been arranged chronologically by year and alphabetically within each year. The file consists of correspondence to and from various agencies, including county extension agents, professional organizations, private industry, governmental departments, and individuals.

Principal correspondents are: B. Rodney Bertramson (former department chairman and Director of Resident Instruction), Harry A. Cosgriffe, Irving Dow (Extension Specialist), James C. Engibous (chairman of the department), C.B. Harston, A.G. Law (professor Of Agronomy), L.L. Madsen (Dean, College of Agriculture), C. Dawson Moodie (professor of Agronomy), Kenneth Morrison (Extension Specialist), J.S. Robins (Director of Research, College of Agriculture), Leland Streit, and R.M. Turner.

Acquisition Information

The records of the Department of Agronomy and Soils were transferred to the University Archives, Washington State University in June 1976 and March 1979 (UA 78- 16) according to the approved records schedules.

Processing Note

The records were processed by Michael Sampson from December 1980 to March 1981.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

1: Subject File , 1940-1972Return to Top

Series one file contains records dating from 1940 through 1972, however, the bulk of the material deals with the period after 1963. This first series is arranged alphabetically by subject. The file consists of correspondence, memoranda, minutes and proceedings of professional meetings, reports, newsletters, student and faculty information and research information. Major headings in the subject file include such topics as: Agronomy & Men (publication of the Agronomy Club), Extension Administration, annual reports of county Extension Agents, Outlying Testing Program of the Washington experimental stations, Pacific Northwest Fertilizer Conference, Pacific Northwest Crop Improvement Association, Pacific Northwest Plant Food Association, teaching and course content in the department, Washington State Crop Improvement Association, USDA correspondence, and wheat research.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
1	1	Affirmative Action Plan 1 item	1972
1	2-4	Agricultural Chemicals 16 items	1969-1972
1	5	Agricultural Commodity Commissions Meeting 7 items	1966
1	6	Agricultural Economics 4 items	1970
1	7	Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service 2 items	1969
1	8-10	Agriculture, College of 28 items	1965-1966, 1970
1	11	Agronomy Advisory Board 35 items	1957, 1961, 1963-1965
1	12	Agronomy Base-Setting Meeting 1 item	1972
1	13-14	Agronomy Club 13 items	1966-1967
1	15-18	Agronomy & Men 101 items	1965-1966, 1968-1970
1	19	Alpha Zeta 1 item	1965
1	20	Alumni Rosters (and miscellaneous material) 14 items	1968-1970
1	21	American Society of Agronomy 49 items	1963
1	22	American Society of Agronomy Correspondence 6 items	1971-1972
1	23	Assistantships and Fellowships (requests) 7 items	1963-1964
1	24-25	Barley 7 items	1964, 1968, 1972
1	26	Blain, John--Ford Motor Farm Efficiency Award 10 items	1966
1	27	Bureau of Reclamation Meeting 32 items	17 March 1965
1	28-30	Careers in Agronomy 65 items	1964-1966
1	31	Castor Bean Production Potential 1 item	1965
1	32	Certified Seed Growers 3 items	1963, 1964, 1969
1	33	Columbia Plateau Conservation Council 46 items	1965
1	34	Columbia Plateau Resources Council 30 items	1965
1	35-36	Computing Center 8 items	1969-1972
1	37	Controlled Environment Facilities 6 items	1966-1971
1	38-41	County Agent's Letters, Re: Annual Reports 154 items	1964-1967
1	42-43	Course Outlines for Agronomy and soils 37 items	1968-1970
1	44-71	Crop Judging Team 248 items	1940, 1951-1972
2	72-73	Dry Pea and Lentil commission 36 items	1966, 1972
2	74	Dryland Research Review conference 14 items	Feb. 15-16, 1966
2	75-76	Dryland Research--Lind Experiment Station 21 items	1965, 1967
2	77	Educational Policies Committee 3 items	1969
2	78	Enrollment Statistics 8 items	1970-1972
2	79	Environmental Science 7 items	1970-1971
2	80	EROS 22 items	1969
2	81-87	Extension Administration 188 items	1964-1970
2	88	Extension--Agronomy Research Program 10 items	1964
2	89	Extension--50th Anniversary conference 5 items	1964
2	90	Extension--Agronomy Personnel Annual Reports 9 items	1964
2	91	Extension--Annual Reports for Specialists 11 items	1964-1965
2	92-96	Extension Correspondence 505 items	1964-1968
3	97-99	Extension Correspondence 78 items	1969-1972
3	100	Extension Director's Memos 5 items	1965
3	101-102	Extension Agronomists Meeting 23 items	1964, 1966
3	103	Extension--Meetings & Minutes 45 items	1967-1972
3	104-107	Extension--Annual Plans of Work 46 items
3	108	Extension Publications 22 items	1966-1967
3	109	Extension Range Management Program 10 items	1964
3	110	Extension Research Report 1 item	1971
3	111	Extension Service Review 14 items	December 4-8, 1972
3	112-113	Extension Training Sessions 19 items	1964-1966
3	114	Fertilizer--Aqua Humus 43 items	1963
3	115-117	Fertilizer Conference, Pacific Northwest Regional 163 items	1964-1966
3	118	Fertilizer Conference (1966), Rough Drafts of the Papers 30 items
3	119	Fertilizer Conference Proceedings 4 items	1968-1970
3	120	Fertilizer and Herbicides Needs--Agronomy Farm 21 items	1964-1965
3	121	Fertilizer Institute 3 items	1971
3	122-123	Fertilizer--Various Angles 11 items	1964-1965
3	124-131	Field Day 211 items	1964-1970
4	132	Field Day, Spillman Farm 48 items	1971
4	133	Field Days 5 items	1971
4	134-136	Forage Testing 6 items	1963, 1964, 1966
4	137-140	Foreign Correspondence and Visitors 76 items	1962-1969
4	141	Forest & Tree Fertilization 9 items	1965-1969
4	142-143	Genetics Program 13 items	1970, 1972
4	144	Goodyear SCS Awards 16 items	1964-1965
4	145	Grass Seed Production Meeting (Pendleton) 7 items	1971
4	146	Greenbug Threat to Wheat 1 item	1971
4	147	Herbicide Damage Research 10 items	1962-1963, 1968
4	148-150	Honors Program 14 items	1964-1972
4	151	International Executive Services 1 item	1968
4	152	International Programs 3 items	1968, 1970
4	153	Iowa State University Agricultural Travel Course 34 items	1965
4	154-156	Irrigation Experiment Station (Prosser) 14 items	1964- 1966, 1968
4	157-159	Jobs Available 8 items	1966 1968 1969
4	160-162	Job Placement 17 items	1964, 1969, 1971
4	163	Job Statistics an Graduates 1 item	1972
4	164-167	Junior Community College 60 items	1968-1971
4	168	Lewis County Grassland Council 16 items	1964
4	169-170	Library 10 items	1970-1972
4	171	Lime Conference-- 21 items	November 16-17, 1965
4	172	Maquire Replacement for WSU Seed Laboratory 9 items	1966
4	173-175	Manuscript Reviews from other Departments 24 items	1967, 1971, 1972
4	176	Marketing Clinic: proposal and committee meetings 33 items	1966
4	177-178	Meetings and Conferences 10 items	1971-1972
4	179	National Wheat Institute 8 items	1970
4	180	News Bureau 3 items	1972
4	181-182	Northwestern Washington Research & Extension Unit 2 items	1965, 1968
4	183	Open House--College Of Agriculture 16 items	1966-1969
4	184	Osterli, Victor--Columbia Plateau Resources Council 29 items	1966
4	185-188	Outlying Testing--Central Washington 48 items	1963-1965, 1967
4	189-191	Outlying Testing--NoWestern Washington 51 items	1965-1967
4	192	Outlying Testing--Prosser 5 items	1969
4	193	Outlying Testing--Tree Fruit Research 1 item	1969
4	194	Outlying Testing--Washington State 4 items	1968
4	195-197	Outlying Testing--Western Washington 23 items	1964, 1965, 1967
4	198-202	Pacific Northwest Crop Improvement Association 69 items	1964-1966
5	203-208	Pacific Northwest Crop improvement Association 39 items	1967-1972
5	209-214	Pacific Northwest Plant Food Association 43 items	1964-1969
5	215-220	Pakistan 45 items	1964-1969
5	221	Patent Committee 3 items	1972
5	222	Pesticides 30 items	1968-1972
5	223	Plant Pathology, Department, of 3 items	1972
5	224	Potash Institute 4 items	1971
5	225	Potato Commission 1 item	1972
5	226	Projects in Agronomy & Soils--current status 2 items	1970
5	227	Prospective Graduate Students 3 items	1972
5	228	Prospective Undergraduate Students 2 items	1971
5	229	Publications 5 items	1965
5	230	Publication Plans of the Agronomy 4 Soils Faculty 31 items	1966
5	231	Recreation (Academic Preparation) 1 item	1968
5	231	Recreation (Academic Preparation). 1 item	1968
5	232	Resident Instructional Staff 9 items	1970
5	233	Rockefeller Foundation Fellowships 30 items	1969-1971
5	234	Safety 9 items	1969
5	235-236	Scholarships 51 items	1964-1965, 1972-1973
5	237	Science Development Proposal 3 items	1965
5	238	Search for Director Committee 15 items	1972-1973
5	239	Seed House 3 items	1972
5	240	Seed Lab (Seed Prices) 3 items	1972
5	241	Seed School, Idaho-Washington 14 items	1966
5	242-247	Short Courses 87 items	1964-1969
5	248	Space 55 items	1960-1965
5	249	Soil Chemistry Notes--correspondence 31 items	1957-1967
5	250	Soil Conservation Service--SCD's (Newsletters) 23 items	1964-1965
5	251	Soil Conservation Society of America 15 items	1963-1971
5	252	Soil Conservation Society of America--inland Empire 29 items	1964-1970
5	253-254	Soil Fertility Workers Conference--Central Washington 30 items	1964-1965
5	255	Soil Fertility Workers Conference- -Western Washington 10 items	1964-1964
6	256-263	Soil Improvement Committee 217 items	1964-1967
6	264	Soils Research Program 21 items	1968
6	265	Soils Seminar, University of Idaho & WSU 12 items	1963-1964
6	266-268	Soil Science Society of America 9 items	1965, 1968, 1969
6	269	Soil Survey--Seattle Conference 33 items	1964
6	270-274	Staff Memoranda 120 items	1965-1972
6	275-277	Stastics--Washington State Crop Reports 45 items	1965-1969
6	278-279	Student Evaluations 9 items	1967, 1969-1970
6	280	Study Council, President's 15 items	1968-1969
6	281-282	Sulphur Institute 17 items	1971, 1972
6	283	Symposia--Mutations, Barley, International Wheat Conference 41 items	1969
6	283-292	Teaching 113 items	1957-1959, 1968-1972
6	293	Training Sessions (Calendar) 3 items	1964
6	294-295	Tree Fruit Council 10 items	1969-1971
6	296	Tree Fruit Research Center (Wenatchee) 2 items	1968
6	297	Turf 26 items	1965-1971
6	298	Turf Association (Northwest Turfgrass Association) 14 items	1964-1972
6	299-300	Turf--Goss (Western Washington Research and Extension Center) 38 items	1960-1966, 1972
6	301	Turfgrass Research--Puyallup Extension Station 10 items	1972
6	302-304	USDA Correspondence 65 items	1965-1972
6	305	Varieties, Release of New 2 items	1966
7	306	Visitation--Dr. Hagsand (Sweden) 6 items	1965
7	307-309	Visitations--VIP 23 items	1968-1970
7	310-311	Visitors 25 items	1971-1972
7	312	Washington Association Of Soil and Water Conservation Districts 16 items	1965
7	313-314	Washington Association of Wheat Growers 36 items	1964-1971
7	315	Washington Mint Growers Association 2 items	1970
7	316-322	Washington State Crop Improvement Association 103 items	1965-1972
7	323-325	Washington State Soil Improvement committee 54 items	1967-1969
7	326	Washington Wheat Commission 2 items	1972
7	327	Water Holding Capacity of Irrigated Soils in the Columbia Basin--project proposals and other correspondence 42 items	1963-1965
7	328-329	Water Research Center 24 items	1971-1972
7	330	Weeds 6 items	1965
7	331	Western Farmers Association 2 items	1964-1965
7	332-336	Western Society of Crop Science 87 items	1965-1971
7	337-338	Western Society of Soil Science 14 items	1968, 1971
7	339-340	Western Washington Research and Extension Unit, Puyallup 3 items	1965, 1968
7	341	Western Wheat Improvement Committee 2 items	1971
7	342	Wheat Congress 15 items	1965
7	343	Wheat Council (WSU) 13 items	1971
7	344	Wheat--Miscellaneous 11 items	1965
7	345	Wheat Plotland Exemptions (WSU experimental plots) 13 items	1964-1965
7	346	Wheat Quality 23 items	1964-1965
7	347	Wheat Research Workers (Tri-State) Meeting 21 items	1965
7	348	Wheat Variety Commercial Milling Tests 26 items	1965

2: Tennessee Valley Authority Files , 1951-1972Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
8	349	WSU Contract 17 items	1951
8	350-351	Tests, Sales and Research Programs 60 items	1953-1955
8	352	Correspondence 47 items	July 1-December 1955
8	353	Finances 10 items	1955-1956
8	354-355	Correspondence 191 items	1956
8	356	Finances 37 items	1956-1957
8	357-358	Correspondence 167 items	1957
8	359	l-b-2 Programs 8 items	1957-1958
8	360-361	Correspondence 149 items	1958
8	362	Vouchers 48 items	1958
8	363	Finances 40 items	1958-1959
8	364-365	Correspondence 127 items	1959
8	366	Finances 33 items	1959-1960
8	367	Annual Report 1 item	1959-1960
8	368	Morrison's TVA File (fertilizer pamphlet, requisition form) 7 items	1960
8	369-370	Correspondence 104 items	1960
8	371	Cooperators (back to 1945) Report, 1961 20 items
8	372-373	Correspondence 92 items	1961
8	374	Correspondence 52 items	January-June, 1962
		Washington Counties:
Box	Folder
8	375-377	Cowlitz 30 items	1956-1959
8	378-382	Grays Harbor 17 items	n.d., 1959
8	383	King 6 items	1959
8	384	Kitsap 4 items	1961
8	385	Lewis 15 items	1959
8	386-393	Pacific 60 items	1958-1961
8	394-397	Skagit 15 items	n.d., 1958-1959
8	398-400	Snohomish 22 items	1959
8	401-402	Thurston 10 items	1959-1961
8	403	Wahkiakum 6 items	1959
Box	Folder
8	404	Test Demonstration 14 items	1968-1971
8	405	Correspondence 6 items	1972

3: Correspondence Files , 1965-1971Return to Top

Container(s)		Description
		1965:
Box	Folder
9	406-408	A-B 45 items
9	409	Buchanan, M.T. 14 items
9	410-413	C-F 30 items
9	414	Fischer, G.W. (Dean, College of Agriculture) 10 items
9	415	French, C.C. (president) 3 items
9	416-420	G-L 55 items
9	421	Ma-Mb 19 items
9	422	Madsen, L.L. (Dean, College of Agriculture) 12 items
9	423-424	Mc-Mz 21 items
9	425-428	N-R 42 items
9	429	Rasmussen, L.W. 4 items
9	430-435	S-Z 60 items
		1966:
Box	Folder
9	436-437	A-B 39 items
9	438	Buchannan, M.T. 13 items
9	439-442	C-F 32 items
9	443	Fischer, G.W. 4 items
9	444	French, C.C. 2 items
9	445-451	G-M 142 items
9	452	Madsen, L.L. 20 items
9	453-462	Mc-Z 120 items
		1967:
Box	Folder
9	463-464	A-B 42 items
9	465	Buchanan, M.T. 13 items
9	466-469	C-F 47 items
9	470	Fischer, G.W. 4 items
9	471-477	G-M 112 items
9	478	Madsen, L.L. (Dean, College of Agriculture) 20 items
9	479-483	Mc-R 42 items
9	484	Robins, J.S. (Director of Research, College of Agriculture) 17 items
9	485	S 35 items
9	486	Singleton, H.P. 1 item
9	487-490	T-Z 32 items
		1968:
Box	Folder
10	491-499	A-J 51 items
10	500-506	K-Z 59 items
		1969:
Box	Folder
10	507	A-N 28 items
10	508	O-Z 31 items
		1970:
Box	Folder
10	509	A-N 66 items
10	510	Robins, J.S. 13 items
10	511	O-Z 61 items
		1971:
Box	Folder
10	512	A-L 48 items
10	513	M-Z 39 items

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Agricultural extension work--Washington (State)--Archives
Agronomy--Washington (State)--Research--Archives
Soils--Analysis--Washington (State)--Research

Corporate Names

Washington State University. Dept. of Agronomy and Soils--Archives (creator)
Washington State University. Dept. of Agronomy and Soils--Records and correspondence

Other Creators

Corporate Names
- State College of Washington. Department of Farm Crops and Soils. (creator)
- State College of Washington. Dept. of Agronomy. (creator)
- Tennessee Valley Authority--Archives (creator)

Archives West Finding Aid

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