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Cooperative Extension Service Agronomy Specialist (Morrison) Records, 1955-1969

Overview of the Collection

Title
Cooperative Extension Service Agronomy Specialist (Morrison) Records
Dates
1955-1969 (inclusive)
Quantity
approximate 3200 items, ( 4 linear feet), ( 4 containers)
Collection Number
Archives 30
Summary
Consists mainly of the correspondence of Kenneth Morrison, relating to communication with other County Extension agents, as well as home gardeners and farmers.
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.
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Historical Note

The origin of the Co-operative Extension Service can be traced to a 1913 act by the Washington State Legislature which created the Bureau of Farm Development and provided for agricultural experts to assist farmers. The federal Smith-Lever Act of 1914 lent financial support to the state's program and placed the director of Extension Services directly under the auspices of the land grant college.

In 1917 President E.O. Holland appointed the first agronomy extension specialist whose duties were to act as disseminator of agricultural research data to the county agents and the public. In 1950 the present incumbent, Kenneth J. Morrison, came to Washington State University to fill the position of agronomy extension specialist. Born in 1921, Morrison received his BA in 1948 from Kansas State University, and his MA and PhD from Purdue in 1950 and 1967 respectively.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The records of the Agronomy Specialist consist almost entirely of the correspondence of Kenneth J. Morrison. Although there are only two series, the first (general correspondence) contains the bulk of the material. Of the two subseries within series one, the first is organized alphabetically by correspondent for each year 1961 through 1969. The second subseries is a subject file of correspondence and memoranda arranged alphabetically by topic which spans the years 1955 through 1969. The second series, consisting of correspondence between Morrison and county agents throughout Washington State, is arranged by county within annual groupings from 1961 through 1968. Correspondents, while including media and industry representatives, county agents, and agricultural specialists, consist principally of home gardeners and farmers concerned with plant identification and extension publications.

Acquisition Information

The records of the Washington State University Extension Agronomy Specialist were placed in the Washington State University Libraries by Kenneth J. Morrison in June 1978 (UA 78-17).

Processing Note

The collection was processed in March 1979 by Pat Graham Pidcock.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Finding aid prepared by Pat Graham Pidcock
2012

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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