Agricultural Research Center Office Files, 1901-1948

The Washington Agricultural Experiment Station began as an element of the Washington Agricultural College, Experiment Station, and School of Science, now Washington State University, in 1892. Located near Pullman on a farm donated to the state, the station became the site of agricultural instruction and experimental work conducted by the staff of the station and the faculty of the College of Agriculture.

Since the station was founded, the Western Washington Research and Extension Center (WWREC) near Puyallup and numerous branch stations located across the state have been established to facilitate a variety of agricultural experimentation. Subordinate to the Pullman station director, the system Of branch stations over the years has included: Waterville Branch Station, Winthrop Branch Station, Dry Land Research Unit (Adams Branch Station) near Lind, Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center (Irrigation Branch Station) near Prosser, Tree Fruit Research Center (Tree Fruit Branch Station) near Wenatchee, Coastal Washington Research and Extension Unit (Cranberry-Blueberry Laboratory) near Long Beach, Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Unit (Northwest Seed and Truck Crop Laboratory) near Mount Vernon, Southwestern Washington Research Unit (Clark County Experimental Farm) near Vancouver.

While the director of the WWREC serves as vice-director of the experiment station system, the Puyallup station is not a branch station and is not subordinate to the Pullman station director.

In 1946, the Washington Agricultural Experiment Stations were made a part of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, which included the W.S.U. College of Agriculture, the College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Agricultural Extension Service. Formed to coordinate agricultural work and research at the College, the experiment stations, and throughout the state, the Institute existed until 1965 when a revised version of the previous organization was adopted. At this time the station was integrated into the newly-organized Agricultural Research Center of the College of Agriculture.

Directors of the Washington Agricultural Experiment Station:

*George Lilley, 1891-1892

*J.W. Heston, 1892-1893

*E.A. Bryan, 1893-1907

R.W. Thatcher, 1907-1913

I.D. Cardiff, 1913-1917

George Severance, 1917-1918

E.C. Johnson, 1919-1945

M.T. Buchanan, 1945-1966

*Served as director while President of W.S.U. The directorship was separated from the presidency in 1907.

Directors of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences:

J.C. Knott, 1946-1955

L.L. Madsen, 1955-1965