NTE2cg458.xml Guide to the Bertram Rodney Bertramson Papers 1933-1979 Bertramson (Bertram Rodney) Papers Finding aid prepared by Barbara Kovarik Gahl Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections © 2025 Finding aid encoded by Suzanne James-Bacon. 2025 Finding aid written in English. English. Finding aid based on DACS 2nd Edition ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections Cage 458 Bertramson, Bertram Rodney, 1914-2005 Bertram Rodney Bertramson Papers 1933-1979 5 Linear feet of shelf space 5 Boxes The papers of Bertam Rodney Bertramson includes correspondence, reports, minutes, speeches, articles and other papers principally relating to his editorial and executive positions with the American Society of Agronomy, including correspondence with Executive Secretary Mathias Stelly; recognition awards for Orville A. Vogel; and material, 1960-1971, on the Pullman beautification project. Collection materials are in English

Bertram Rodney ("Rod") Bertramson was born on a livestock and grain farm near Potter, Nebraska on January 25, 1914, to James W. and Gladys Nelson Bertramson. He received his B.S. in agronomy and M.S. in soils from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1933 and 1937 respectively. In 1938 he married Eleanor Maloney of Omaha, Nebraska. Bertramson went on to further graduate study at Oregon State University where he earned his doctorate in soils in 1941.

After working with the Soil Conservation Service in Rapid City, South Dakota and teaching at Colorado State University (then Colorado A & M) for a short time Bertramson was drafted in 1942 as a first lieutenant in the Army. He served with the Tank Destroyer Officer Candidate School in Fort Hood, Texas. Later Bertramson was promoted to Food and Agriculture Officer for the Rhineland and Gross Hessen regions in Germany. His job was to set up an administrative organization for food and general agriculture.

At the end of World War II, Bertramson reestablished his teaching career. Initially after his discharge in 1946 he was employed by the University of Wisconsin as an assistant soils' scientist, but later that year moved to Purdue University as an associate soil chemist and assistant soils scientist.

In 1949 Bertramson became the Chairman of the Agronomy Department at the State College of Washington (later Washington State Univeristy) and served in this capacity for eighteen years. He was appointed Director of Resident Instruction of the College of Agriculture in 1967. He served in this capacity until his retirement in 1979. During his thirty years at Washington State University Bertramson worked closely with a number of agriculture associations within the state and region. His administration was also identified with several historically significant events, including the release of high yielding Gaines wheat developed by Dr. Orville A. Vogel.

Bertramson authored or co-authored numerous articles published in various trade magazines such as Soil Scientist and Agronomy Journal. He was an active member of many professional and honorary agricultural organizations: Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, Soil Conservation Society of America and others. In 1960 he was elected Vice-President of the American Society of Agronomy and in 1961 served as President of the Society. Later, Bertramson was elected a Fellow of the ASA. He also served as the President of the Agronomic Science Foundation and editor of the Journal of Agronomic Education. In 1978, Bertramson was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Not all of Bertramson's activities centered around agronomy. He was active in civic affairs and the Pullman beautification projects of the mid-1960's. He also served as President of the Pullman Chamber of Commerce, President of the Pullman Community Hospital Corporation, and a member of the Pullman City Council. For more information see "Biographical Sketch, 1967-1979," box 4, folder 107; and "Correspondence, 1946-1967," box 4, folder 110.

The papers of Bertam Rodney Bertramson includes correspondence, reports, minutes, speeches, articles and other papers principally relating to his editorial and executive positions with the American Society of Agronomy, including correspondence with Executive Secretary Mathias Stelly; recognition awards for Orville A. Vogel; and material, 1960-1971, on the Pullman beautification project.

The first series, American Society of Agronomy, 1952-1979, has been divided into three subseries. Subseries one, Agronomy Advisory Board, 1952-1962, contains materials collected when Bertramson was Vice- President of the ASA. It includes general papers, an index of information, minutes, reports, and material concerning the Washington Association of Wheat Growers. The second subseries, Presidency of the ASA, is made up of Bertramson's presidential papers. Items such as Board of Directors' records, Committee Manual materials, correspondence, Executive Committee records, handbooks, headquarters building plans, news releases, notes on presidential addresses, luncheons, and publicity are part of this second subseries. Subseries three, General ASA Material, includes later papers pertaining to the ASA. It includes Agronomic Administrators Roundtable Committee records, a headquarters expansion study, fellow nominations, and Orville A. Vogel materials.

Series II, Journal of Agronomic Education, 1967-1976, contains papers concerning meetings of the ASA Educational Board, correspondence, editorials and letters to the editor, information about professionalism, promotion, publishing policy and the Society, and work lists and files.

The third series, Biographical Information, Writings, and Speeches, 1933-1979, includes papers on agronomy, biographical sketches and personal correspondence, dedications, publications and various speeches on a wide variety of topics.

Series IV, Civic Services, 1960-1977, is made up of papers collected during Bertramson's community work in Pullman on a number of projects centering around city beautification. The series includes records of clean-up projects, mass transit studies, shopping centers, and environmental quality.

Series V, Washington State University, 1942-1979, contains various material which Bertramson collected in his association with the College of Agriculture at Washington State University. The material spans the period from 1942 through 1979 and includes such things as reports (e.g., from the Seed Laboratory), a history of the Department of Plant Pathology, correspondence regarding WSU short courses, College of Agriculture Awards, committee work, and a file called "Archives" which consists of material relating to agriculture.

Papers are arranged in five series, each arranged alphabetically by subject within.

This collection is open and available for research use.

Copyright restrictions may apply.

[Item description]

Bertram Rodney Bertramson Papers, 1933-1979 (Cage 458)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

The papers were donated to Washington State University in 1979 by Dr. Bertramson in two groups (MS 79-26 and UA 79-9) which were later combined.

Bertram Rodney Bertramson Papers, 1933-1993 (Cage 847)

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Bertramson, Bertram Rodney, 1914-2005 -- Archives Vogel, Orville Alvin, 1907-1991 Stelly, Matthias State College of Washington -- Faculty -- Archives Washington State University -- Faculty -- Archives American Society of Agronomy Civic improvement -- Washington (State) -- Pullman Agriculture Colleges and Universities Washington (State) Series I. American Society of Agronomy 1952-1979 Agronomy Advisory Board 1952-1962 1 1-5 General Correspondence 1959-1962 339 items. 1 6 Index of Information for Agronomy Advisory Board 1952 1 item. Minutes: 1 7-9 General 1952-l960 275 1 10-11 Meetings 1959-1960 55 items. 1 12 Report on Research for Meeting 1952 1 item. 1 13 Washington Association of Wheat Growers 1956-1958 22 items. Presidency of ASA 1959-1966 1 14 Award for Industrial Agronomists 1960-1962 50 items. 1 15 Banquet Program and Other Details 1961 35 items. Board of Directors: 1 16 Bylaws: Revisions 1960 15 items. 1 17 Committee Reports 1962 30 items. 1 18-19 Directors--General Correspondence 1959-1961 81 items. 1 20 Meeting Session I 1961 150 1 21 Minutes 1950-1962 50 items. Committee Manual: 2 22 Comments on 1961 31 items. 2 23 Manual 1961 1 item. 2 24 Supplements 1961 2 items. Correspondence: 2 25 Bertramson as President, ASA 1961 35 items. Congratulations to Bertramson: 2 26 President of ASA 1960-1961 30 2 27 Vice-President of ASA 1959-1960 19 2 28 Matt Stelly 1961 50 items. 2 29 Early Daze 1960 8 items. Executive Committee: 2 30-32 General Correspondence 1960-1962 91 items. 2 33 Meetings 1961-1962 81 items. 2 34-35 Reports 1960-1961 40 items. 2 36-37 Secretary 1960-1963 91 items. 2 38 General Big Meeting Program 1961 21 items. 2 39 Handbook for President and Vice-President 1961 6 items. Headquarters Building: 2 40-42 General Correspondence 1959-1962 195 2 43 Site and Plans 1961 18 items. Tjog Case: 2 44 Correspondence 1961 36 2 45 Replies for Material 1961 26 2 46 News Releases 1960-1961 15 items. 2 47 Option Number Four--ASA Dues 1960-1961 35 items. President: 2 48 Address 1961-1964 34 items. 2 49 Luncheons 1954-1961 7 items. 2 50 Publicity on 1961 12 items. 2 51 Welcome to Students 1961 4 items. 2 52 Programs 1960 46 items. 2 53 Regional Branch Officers' Handbook 1962-1966 1 item. Stelly, Matthias: 2 54 Employment as Executive Secretary 1960-1961 42 items. 2 55 Personal 1961 3 items. 2 56 Tax Exemption/ASA and Legal XXXII 1960-1961 11 items. General ASA Material 1968-1979 3 57 Agronomic Administrators Roundtable Committee 1969 11 items. American Society of Agronomy: 3 58-69 ASA General Correspondence 1968-1979 348 3 70 Council for Agricultural. Science and Technology 1972-1978 38 items. 3 71 Feasibility of Headquarters Expansion Committee 1974-1975 17 items. 3 72 Fellow Nominations 1977-1979 25 items. 3 73-74 Journal of Agronomic Education 1978 33 items. 3 75-76 Meetings 1973-1974 41 items. Dr. Orville A. Vogel: 3 77 Browing Award 1971-1972 33 items. 3 78 General File 1972-1977 6 items. 3 79 National Medal of Science Award 1975-1976 21 items. 3 80 Wolfe Prize 1978 14 items. Series II. Journal of Agronomic Education 1967-1976 3 81 ASA Meetings of Educational Board, JAE 1972 24 items. 3 82 Bertramson Expenses 1972 6 items. Correspondence: 3 83 Authors 1972-1974 35 items. 3 84 Beatty, Marvin T. 1971-1972 5 items. 3 85 Carson, E. W. 1971 9 items. 3 86 Cuyno, Rogelio V. 1971 6 items. 3 87 Forward and Editorial 1971-1972 14 items. 3 88 Form Letter to Association Editors undated 1 item. 3 89-90 General 1970-1976 55 items. 3 91 "Getting Started," 1971-1972 21 items. 3 92 Larson, K. L. 1971 5 items. 3 93 Reviewers 1971-1973 32 items. 4 94 Editorials and Letters to the Editor 1973 26 items. 4 95 Materials Concerning Professionalism and Promotion 1967 45 items. 4 96 Publishing Policy and the Society 1970-1971 150 items. 4 97-99 Work Files 1969-1974 87 items. 4 100 Work Lists 1972-1973 8 items. Series III. Biographical Information, Writings and Speeches 1933-1979 Agronomy: 4 101-102 Agronomy 1951-1956 27 items. 4 103 Farm 1952-1956 53 items. 4 103.1 Nebraska (thesis) 1936-1937 1 item.

Added to collection, 2004

 4 104 Program and Facilities 1950-1964 38 items. 4 105 Publications 1965-1970 6 items. 4 106 Appreciation of Dr. O. A. Vogel's Forty Years of Plant Breeding and Testing Program 1970 1 item. 4 107 Biographical Sketch 1967-1979 14 items. 4 108 "The Challenge to Students in Agriculture," 1975 1 item. 4 109 Columbia Plateau Resource Council 1965-1968 30 items. 4 110 Correspondence 1946-1967 28 items. 4 111 Dedication of Compton Union Building 1969 25 items. 4 112 Growth of WSCIA Pure Seed Project 1978 15 items. 4 113 Kennewick Plant Dedication 1969 20 items. 4 114 Making the Most of Seminars 1948-1960 17 items. 4 115 Outlying Testing 1952-1954 20 items. 4 116-119 Publications 1938-1979 101 items. 4 120 Pullman Herald 1972 3 items. 4 121 Remarks for Beef Center Dedication 1974 1 item. 4 122 Salute to Paul Abendroth 1973 2 items. 4 123 Studies on Phosphorus Assimilation of Higher Plants 1933 1946 2 items. 4 124 Twenty-five Years: Retrospect and Predictions-- Regional Fertilizer Conference 1974 35 items. 4 125 "What the Industry Looks for at Washington State University in Teaching," 1970 9 items. Series IV. Civic Services 1960-1977 Environment: 5 126 Environment and Ecology 1970-1973 22 items. 5 127 Environment Quality Commission 1970-1973 37 items. 5 128 Miracle on the Land 1971 20 items. 5 129 Role of Agriculture in a Quality Environment 1971 1 item. Pullman: 5 130 Chamber of Commerce 1971-1977 16 items. City Beautification: 5 131 1964-1966 22 items. 5 132 1969-1971 200 5 133-135 Clean-Up Project 1964-1965 186 items. 5 136 Community Beautification 1960 3 items. 5 137 Community Development 1968-1969 6 items. 5 138 Mass Transit Feasibility Project 1974-1976 100 items. 5 139 Shopping Centers 1971 25 items. 5 140 Steptoe Canyon and Harry Sever 1967-1975 41 items. Series V. Washington State University 1942-1979 5 141 Agriculture Awards 1964-1979 11 items. 5 142 The Agriculturalist 1942-1966 34 items. 5 143 "Archives File," 1968-1979 25 items. 5 144 Plant Pathology Department, History of 1949 2 items. 5 145 Recognition Assembly, College of Agriculture 1950-1951 18 items. 5 146 Seed Laboratory Report 1950-1951 9 items. 5 147-148 Short Course 1951-1955 17 items. 5 149 Soils Seminar 1952 11 items. 5 150 Space Priorities Committee 1951-1953 8 items.