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Western Washington Research and Extension Center Records, 1895-1976

Overview of the Collection

Title
Western Washington Research and Extension Center Records
Dates
1895-1976 (inclusive)
Quantity
approximate 32,925 items, (32 linear feet), (32 containers)
Collection Number
Archives 33
Summary
Collection contains correspondence, financial records, progress reports on experiments and projects. Egg-laying contest material includes entries, judging criteria, etc. Farmers field day data includes publicity, programs and correspondence. Photographs in the collection are primarily of superintendents from 1895-1926.
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.
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Historical Note

A state legislative act in 1891 set up the experiment station in conjunction with Washington State University (then the Washington Agricultural College) and provided for stations both east and west of the Cascade Mountains. in 1894, the Ross Station was established on 60 acres of land in Puyallup; F.A. Huntley was the first superintendent. In 1897, the legislature appropriated no money for the station and it closed. It reopened in 1899 with D.A. Brodie as superintendent only to close again in 1903. W.H. Lawrence became the third superintendent when it reopened as the Western Washington Station in 1907. George Severance became superintendent in 1911 succeeded by W.H. Linklater who served from 1913-1926. J.W. Kalkus, superintendent from 1926-1953 was instrumental in expanding the station's functions to include research as well as extension services and demonstrations. D.P. Allmendinger became superintendent in 1953 and served until 1975 when Ernest C. Bay assumed the position.

The President of the College was in direct control of the Western Washington Experiment Station until 1943 when the Board of Regents made E.C. Johnson director of all agricultural experimental work in the state so there could be more coordination and cooperation between the various experiment stations. In 1965, when the Institute of Agricultural Sciences was incorporated into the newly established College of Agriculture, all the stations were renamed and the Western Washington Experiment Station became the Western Washington Research and Extension Center (WWREC).

The WWREC has grown to 330 acres and research activities include work in horticulture, crops and soils, entomology, plant pathology, poultry science, dairy science and air pollution, The WWREC provides a center for extension services as well. It also serves as the headquarters for the Washington Poultry Improvement Association and the Washington Turkey Improvement Association.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The records of the Western Washington Research and Extension Center are divided into four series; Correspondence, Internal Organizational Files, Events and Programs, and Photographs. The Correspondence Series comprises the bulk of the collection and is divided into three subseries. The first subseries is general correspondence from 1943 to 1971 arranged alphabetically by letter; the second is alphabetically arranged administrative subject correspondence from 1916 through 1974; the third is alphabetically arranged faculty and staff correspondent files from 1911 through 1976. The Correspondence series includes letters, memoranda, reports, bulletins, newsletters, and experimental project data.

Internal Organization Files from 1926 through 1971 are arranged in three subseries: annual reports, 1926-1971; progress reports, 1932-1961; and financial records, 1933-1961, The annual reports are arranged chronologically by year and include annual progress reports on experiments and projects. The progress reports are arranged alphabetically by department and include interim reports on experiments and projects undertaken. Financial records are arranged chronologically by year and include financial statements and budgets.

The Events and Programs series is divided into two subseries: The Egg-Laying Contest material from 1919 through 1931 is arranged chronologically by year and includes entries, contest rules, judging criteria, and results; Farmers Field Day data from 1946 through 1964 is arranged chronologically by year and includes publicity, programs, planning information, and related correspondence.

The last series, Photographs, consists primarily of the official portraits of the superintendents of the WWREC from 1895 through 1926.

Acquisition Information

The records of the Western Washington Research and Extension Center (WWREC) were transferred to the University Archives, Washington State University, in November, 1977 (UA 77-34). Material acquired by the library prior to 1970 has been incorporated into the accession.

Processing Note

The records were processed in May 1979 by Margot H. Knight.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Agricultural experiment stations--Washington (State)--Archives
  • Agricultural extension work--Washington (State)--Archives
  • Agriculture--Research--Archives

Corporate Names

  • Washington State University. Western Washington Research and Extension Center--Archives (creator)
  • Washington State University. Western Washington Research and Extension Center--Records and correspondence

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names

    • State College of Washington. Western Experiment Station. (creator)
    • State College of Washington. Western Washington Experiment Station. (creator)

Finding aid prepared by Margot H. Knight
April 21, 2015

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

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