Although the Pacific Northwest Crop Improvement Association was not founded until 1942, a wheat improvement program began on an unofficial basis in the later 1920s. From 1928 to 1940 four conferences were held by millers and various university scientists in an attempt to promote ways to improve wheat varieties. During the early 1940s a number of individuals interested in improving wheat varieties and production in the Northwest actively worked for the formation of some type of association. In December 1941, E.H. Leonard, then president of Preston-Shaffer Milling Company of Walla Walla, called for a meeting of all groups interested in a quality wheat program.
The first association meeting was held on the campus of Washington State University on March 6, 1942 and included representatives of all phases of the wheat industry--millers, chemists, grain dealers, producers, transportation, universities and the federal government. This initial meeting led to the formation of an organizational committee and eventually to the adoption of a constitution on July 31, 1942. Leonard was elected president and is generally credited with being the "father" of the association.
The Crop Improvement Association has worked for the improvement of all phases of the wheat industry. In 1946 the Association sponsored a series of grain grading schools, In 1949-1950 the Association conducted a smut survey; the following year the organization carried on a genetic study. The Association has promoted research, worked for progressive farm legislation, published educational and informative booklets, promoted a regional seed program, conducted production estimates, and sponsored the purchase in the late 1960s of a semi-commercial type mill--the Miga Mill--for the regional wheat testing laboratory.
Owing to financial considerations, during fiscal 1962-1963 the Association went to part-time operations. Under its limited budget, however, the Association continued the publication of its annual wheat variety booklet, promoted annual meetings devoted to all aspects of the wheat industry, and published periodic Bulletins covering subjects of interest to those involved in the wheat industry.
The papers of the Pacific Northwest Crop Improvement Association have been arranged in five series: correspondence, financial, membership, officers and meetings, and subject file.
The correspondence series is divided into two sub-series: general correspondence and subject correspondence. The general correspondence sub-series includes material from 1963 through 1975 and is arranged chronologically by year. The subject sub-series is arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically within the subject heading.
The financial series includes material from 1959 through 1975 and is arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically within the separate subject headings. This financial series contains bank deposits, bills, cancelled checks and check registers, financial statements, travel expenses, and a ledger for the period 1959 through 1969
The membership series consists of records from 1964 through 1974, arranged chronologically by year. The membership lists include both individual and corporate members as well as the amounts of their contributions.
The officers and meetings series consists primarily of material on association meetings, such as annual meetings, board of directors meetings, executive committee meetings for the period 1964 through 1975. This series is arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically within the subject. Material in this series includes minutes, agendas, reports, and some correspondence. This series also includes the treasurer's file (1963-1964).
The subject file series is arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically within each of the separate subject headings. This series includes office and organizational material, such as newsletters, publications, historical background and written history, the Miga Mill file, production estimates, seeding surveys,statistics, and documentation of relations with state and federal agencies as well as other crop associations.
This collection is open for research use.
[Item Description]. Cage 375, Pacific Northwest Crop Improvement Association Records . Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
The records of the Pacific Northwest Crop Improvement Association were donated to the Washington State University Libraries by the organization through Secretary-Treasurer Paul T. DeVore in May 1977 (77-18).
For a more complete history of the Pacific Northwest Crop Improvement Association, see the publication: "27 Years of Service to the Wheat Industry" (1970) in folder 118.
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.
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.