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Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher was the director of the Washington Agricultural Experiment Station from 1907-1913, and head of the Washington State University Department of Agriculture from 1910-1913. He was also secretary of the Washington State Grain Growers, Shippers and Millers Association from 1908-1912.

"He went to the University of Minnesota in 1913, serving until 1917 as professor of plant chemistry. In 1917, he was appointed dean of the School of Agriculture and director of the Minnesota Experiment Station. In 1921, he became director of the New York Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva.

"In 1927 Thatcher accepted the Presidency of the Massachusetts Agricultural College. Under his leadership, the two year program in practical agriculture was expanded to become the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. The college achieved a record enrollment in 1929 of 894 students, 60 of whom were women. Thatcher oversaw curricular reform, orienting vocational training toward citizenship education.

"Thatcher resigned due to ill health in 1933. Following a period of rest, Thatcher returned to the college in April 1933 as a research professor of agricultural chemistry. He died in his laboratory on December 6, 1933."

(Source: http://www.massachusetts.edu/presidents/thatcher.html)