Agricultural Research Center Office Files

Agricultural Research Center Office Files, 1901-1948

Overview of the Collection

Title: Agricultural Research Center Office Files
Dates: 1901-1948 (inclusive)
19011948
Quantity: approximate 40,000 items, ( 36 linear feet), ( 73 containers)
Collection Number: Archives 20
Summary: Includes correspondence, administrative materials, information requests, reports, bulletins, photographs and financial and budget materials.
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.
Languages: English
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

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

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The records of the Washington Agricultural Experiment Station consist of approximately 40,000 items of correspondence and administrative materials, including requests for information, reports, bulletins, photographs and financial and budget materials. Materials relating to the various branch stations can be found in the records as well. The collection spans the years 1901 to 1948, with the bulk dating from the period 1901 to 1924.

The correspondence series spans the years 1901 to 1924 and consists of both letterbooks and office files. The thirty-six letterbooks contain primarily correspondence, including mailing lists and a great many brief replies to requests for information and bulletins published by the Station. The remainder of the series consists of the office files of several members of the Station staff, principally station directors. Although most of the correspondence is of an official nature, one container of Ira D. Cardiff's personal files is also included in the series. Photographs of E.C. Johnson, station personnel and farm equipment can be found in the folder labeled "Prosser Experiment Station, 1918-1920" in container 52.

Materials encompassing a variety of subjects spanning the years 1902 to 1948 are contained in a series immediately following the correspondence series. Of particular interest to the researcher investigating the history of the station is the folder entitled "History of the Experiment Station" in container 62.

The final series is composed of budgets and budget materials of the Pullman Station and the branch stations. Included in the series are reports, expenditures, receipts, and proposed, working, annual, and biennial budgets.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in three series. The correspondence series is divided into two subseries: letterbooks and office files. Arranged chronologically, the letterbooks containing mainly letters and some reports precede those containing mailing lists and brief replies to requests for station bulletins. The office files are arranged chronologically by individual Station staff member. Materials comprising the subject file are arranged alphabetically. The budgets and budget materials are arranged chronologically.

Acquisition Information

The records of the Agricultural Research Center were deposited in the Washington State University Library prior to 1970 by the College of Agriculture (UA 76-12). The records of the Agricultural Research Center were separated (UA 78-7) from the records of the College of Agriculture and processed by Craig Holstine and James O'Neill between June, 1977 and May, 1978.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

1: Correspondence , 1901-1924Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	1.1: Letterbooks	1901-1916
	Outgoing Correspondence:
Box
1	(E.B. Elliot, Professor of Agriculture) 2v.	April 1902-December 1903
1	(Elliot; W.A. Linklatter, Instructor in Animal Husbandry; George Severance, Professor of Agronomy) 1v.	October 1905-July 1906
2	(R.W. Thatcher, Chemist) 3v.	June 1901-December 1905
3	(Thatcher) 3v.	December 1905-July 1908
4	(Thatcher) 2v.	July 1908-October 1909
5	(Thatcher) 2v.	October 1909-October 1911
6	(Thatcher, Director) 3v.	October 1907-November 1908
7	(Thatcher) 3v.	November 1908-December 1909
8	(Thatcher) 2v.	December 1909-July 1910
9	(Thatcher) 2v.	July 1910-March 1911
10	(Thatcher) 2v.	March-December 1911
11	(Thatcher) 3v.	December 1911-March 1913
	Replies to Requests for Station Bulletins:
Box
12	(Thatcher) 3v.	July 1909-December 1911
13	(Thatcher to April 1913) 2v.	December 1911-July 1914
13	1v.	December 1914-March 1915
14	2v. (contains mailing lists)	November 1915-July 1916
	1.2: Files of Individuals	1906-1924
	Ira D. Cardiff:
Box
15	(A-W) (Personal Files)	June 1906-July 1913
16	(A-Z)	October 1912-May,1913
17	(A-Z)	May-August 1913
18	(A-Z)	July-September 1913
19	(A-Z)	September-October 1913
19	(A-C)	July 1914-June 1915
	1915-1916:
Box
20	A-Ci
21	Caglon, R.B.-G
22	Graves, H.T.-L
23	Lampson, Lee M.-O
24	P-S
25	T-Y
	1916-1917:
Box
26	A-Carleton, M.A.
27	Circular Letters-G
28	H-K
29	L-M
30	N-Severance, George
31	Shinn, J.R.-Z
	R.W. Thatcher:
Box
32	(A-Z)	January 1907-January 1912
32	(A-Z)	January 1909-January 1910
33	(A-Z)	February-May 1912
34	(A-Z)	April-October 1912
35	(A-Z)	September 1912-February 1913
36	(A-Z)	February-April 1913
	H.W. Sparks:
Box
37		1910-1913
	Paul J. White;
Box
38	(A-L)	September 1912-August 1913
39	(M-Z)	September 1912-August 1913
	George Severance:
Box
40	(A-Z)	April-June 1913
40	(A-Z)	July-August 1913
41	(A-Z)	August-October 1913
42	(A-Z)	November-December 1913
43	(A-Z)	December 1913-January 1914
43	(A-W)	January-February 1914
44	(A-Z)	March-May 1914
44	(A-Z)	May-June 1914
45	(A-Z)	June-August 1914
	1917-1919:
Box
46	A-Farm Markets, Office of
47	G-N
48	O-Z
	George Severance and E.C. Johnson:
	1918-1920:
Box
49	A-Farm Markets, Office
50	Farm Markets, Office of (Applications)-H
51	J-Programs
52	Projects-Z
	E.C. Johnson:
	1920-1922:
Box
53	A-F
54	Farm Markets, Office of-Kalkus, J.W.
55	L-Z
	1922-1924:
Box
56	A-B
57	C-H
58	K-Z

2: Subjects , 1902-1948Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
59	Administrative Bulletins	1914-1915
59	Agricultural Extension	1939-1940
59	Analysis by Various Stations	1914
59	Animal Husbandry	1947-1948
59	Applications	1907-1911, 1916-1918
59	Appropriations	1915
59	Assignment Cards	1934
59	Bean, Roy P.	1929
59	Bryan, E.A.	1908-1913
60	Canning and Cold Pack Industry	1934, 1938
60	Chemistry and Soils, Bureau of	1935-1936
60	Committee on Experiment Station Organization and Policy, Agenda of Meetings	1940-1941
60	Contracts, Demonstration Farms	1910-1911
60	Corn vs. Summer Fallow (McCall, M.A.)	1915
60	County Agent	1938
60	Court Cases	1915
60	Cuts [Illustrations]	1916-1918
60	Dairy Husbandry	1912, 1915, 1931
60	Directors of Station, Statement of Organization	1916
60	Dry Land Demonstration and Experiment, Department of, and Bureau of Farm Development	1914-1915
60	Elliott, E.E.	1902-1903
60	Evans, J.B.	1903-1904
60	Experiment Station Proposal, Congressional Record	1938
60	Farm Debt Conciliation	1933-1934
60	Farm Forestry	1939
60	Farm and Home Program Building Extension	1938
60	Farm Management	1912
60	Farm Products	1909
61	Financial Reports of the Experiment Station sent to USDA	1909-1945
62	Finances	1907
62	Financial Statements	1913-1917
62	Forage Crops	1909, 1916-1917
62	Forage Crops Conference	1930
62	Foundations	1936
62	Freezing Preservation	1937-1938
62	Fruit and Vegetable By-Products Lab	1935
62	Grange	1938
62	Hatch Fund	1915
62	Hegnauer Tract, Proceeds	1915
62	History of the Experiment Station	1940
63	Hop Bulletin Material	1938
63	Hops	1938-1939
63	Horticulture	1913, 1927
63	Horticulture, Fruit Crops	1912-1917
63	Horticulture Inspectors, Reports from	1916
63	Insecticide and Fungicide Board, Minutes and Rulings	1915
63	Interstate Commerce Commission	1938
63	Investigations by the Experiment Station	1915
63	Irrigated Lands	1916-1917
63	Lake Chelan Station, Proposed	1916
63	Land Grant Association, Committee on Experiment Station Policy	1945-1946
64	Land Grant Association, Farm Buildings	1944-1945
64	Land Grant Association, Floyd, Wm. A.	1945
64	Land Grant Association, General Correspondence	1945-1946
64	Land Grant Association, Reports from Convention	1946-1947
64	Laws, State Department of Agriculture	1914-1915
64	Letters, Duplicates	1915
64	Livestock	1917, 1937-1938
64	Marketing Agreements Program	1938
64	Memoranda for Timekeepers	1934-1935
64	"Men Wanted" Folder	1915
64	Mining Experiment Station	1937-1938
64	Orchard Tracts	1938
64	Organization of Experiment Stations	1905-1908
64	Phosphate Resources	1936
64	Poultry Council	1938
64	Program Building, County Extension	1939
64	Recommendations	1927-1928
64	Regional Planning Conference	1936
64	Ritzville Tract	1911
64	Road Supervisors, Counties of Washington	1916
65	Schafer, E. G.	1915
65	Sectional Threshing Cylinder Company	1916
65	Separation Notices	1934
65	Severance, George	1908
65	Soil Conservation	1937
65	Soil Erosion Farm	1931-1932
65	Soils and Soil Fertility, Advisory Council on	1932
65	Special Reports. Station Staff	1915
65	Staff Meeting	1912
65	State Fair	1913-1915
65	Student Adviser Committee	1908
65	Students Seeking Positions	1907
65	Successful Farm Women	1916
65	Sugar	1939
65	Sunnyside Farm	1908-1909
65	Survey, Experiment Stations	1919-1921
65	Threshing Machinery Owners in the Inland Empire	1916-1918
65	True, A.C.	1916-1919
65	U. S. Department of Agriculture, O.E.S.	1907-1911
65	United Tree Fruits, Inc.	1938
66	Veterinary Science	1908
66	Washington Livestock Association	1906
66	Washington State Agricultural Council	1932
66	Water Facilities	1938-1939
66	Weeds	1916
66	Western Range Survey	1938
66	Wheat	1938
66	Wheat Convention	1907-1908
66	Wheat Variety Survey	1932
66	Windbreaks	1908
66	Winter School Students, Survey of	1920

3: Budgets and Budget Material , 1908-1946Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
67		1908-1914
68		1914-1919
69		1917-1926
70		1924-1931
71		1931-1937
72		1937-1945
73		1943-1946

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Agricultural experiment stations--Washington (State)--Administration--Archives
Agriculture--Research--Archives

Corporate Names

Washington State University. Agricultural Research Center--Archives (creator)
Washington State University. Agricultural Research Center--Records and correspondence

Other Creators

Corporate Names
- State College of Washington. Washington Agricultural Experiment Station. (creator)
- Washington Agricultural College, Experiment Station and School of Science. Pullman Agricultural Experiment Station. (creator)
- Washington Agricultural College, Experiment Station and School of Science. Washington Agricultural Experiment Station. (creator)

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