UUS_mss017.xml Guide to the Lowry Nelson writings and papers 1916-1974 Nelson (Lowry) writings and papers 1916-1974 Finding aid created by Special Collections and Archives. Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008 Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives ©2008
Merrill-Cazier Library Utah State University 3000 Old Main Hill Logan, Utah 84322-3000 Business Number: 435 797-8248 Fax Number: 435 797-2880 scweb@usu.edu https://archives.usu.edu/
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-02-11. Finding guide is in English in Latin script. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard). 2009 Template information was updated to reflect Archives West best practice guidelines. Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Lowry Nelson writings and papers UUS_COLL MSS 17 4 boxes 1.75 linear feet 1916-1974 This collection consists of the writings and personal papers of Lowry Nelson. Writings include articles, study reprints, seminar materials, notes for his class on Latin America, and books, including Rural sociology (1955) and American Farm Life (1954), and a draft carbon copy of his book, The Birth and Growth of a Science. Personal papers consist mostly of correspondence. Collection materials are in English.

Open to public research.

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Lowry Nelson writings and papers must be obtained from the Special Collections and Archives manuscript curator and/or the Special Collections and Archives department head.

Gift of Lowry Nelson, 1974.

Lowry Nelson writings and papers, 1916-1974 (COLL MSS 17). Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives department.

Lowry Nelson was born in Ferron, Utah in April of 1893. He attended college in Utah and later earned a PhD at the University of Wisconsin. During his lifetime, he became a world-known sociologist.

Nelson earned a BS degree at Utah State University in 1916. He spent the next two decades working mainly in Utah. He served as the county agricultural agent in Sanpete County, Utah in 1919, he became the field agriculturist for the People's Sugar Company in 1920, and edited the Utah Farmer from 1920 to 1922. He was associated with Brigham Young University from 1921 to 1935. During the Depression, he worked for the Utah Relief Administration in 1934, he was regional advisor to the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, and in 1935 he became director of the Resettlement Administration. He was then director of the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station at Logan. In 1937, he received a position at the University of Minnesota in the Sociology Department.

During his tenure at the University of Minnesota, Nelson began to develop an international reputation as a rural sociologist. In 1944, he did a study for the State Department on rural life in the Caribbean. In 1945, he received a Fulbright to study rural life in Italy. Dr. Nelson continued his international work, taking an interest in different aspects of Canadian rural life.

Dr. Nelson's works include several monographs and a multitude of articles and papers ranging from rural life in Latin America, the United States, and Canada as well as studies on various Mormon villages in Utah. Dr. Nelson died in Provo, Utah in 1986.

This collection consists of the writings and correspondence of Lowry Nelson. The first box contains various articles by Nelson. The second box holds the carbon copy of his book, The Birth and Growth of a Science, and some smaller studies. Box three consists of reprints and seminar materials, and also contains notes for his class on Latin America. The fourth box holds Nelson's personal papers, consisting mostly of correspondence. There are also some reprinted articles and two books in this box as well. This last box contains materials added to the collection after the first three boxes were already processed.

Arranged by material type.

 Latin America--Social conditions. Sociologists--Correspondence. Sociology, Rural. Race relations--Religious aspects--Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Race relations--Religious aspects--Mormon Church. Mormonism (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Rural Sociology, copyright 1955, second edition Book 1 undated 1 1 American Farm Life, copyright Book 2 1954 1 2 Collected Papers (bound) 1 1948-1957 1 1 "The Education of Commercial Fishermen in Manitoba", by Lowry Nelson and S. E. Sigurdson 2 undated 1 2 "Some Social Aspects of Agrarian Reform in Mexico, Bolivia, and Venezuela", by Lowry Nelson. 3 1964 1 3 "Area Development in the Interlake, Problems and Proposals", by Lowry Nelson 4 undated 1 4 "Rural Sociology: Some Inter-American Aspects", by Lowry Nelson 5 1967 July 1 5 "The Rise of Rural Sociology: The Pre-Purnell Period", by Lowry Nelson 6 1965 December 1 6 "On George Edgar Vincent: Rural Social Scientist", by Lowry Nelson 7 1966 December 1 7 "Social Change in Goodhue County, 1940 - 1965", by Lowry Nelson and George Donohue 8 1966 1 8 The Birth and Growth of a Science (Chapter 1) - The Social Climate in America, 1870 - 1908. undated Carbon copy, p(1 page)-34. 2 1 The Birth and Growth of a Science (Chapter 2) - The Country Life Association. undated Carbon copy, pp. 35-55. 2 2 The Birth and Growth of a Science (Chapter 3) - The Herald-Evangelists of Rural Life. undated Carbon copy, pp. 56-78. 2 3 The Birth and Growth of a Science (Chapter 4) - Early Development of the Social Sciences. undated Carbon copy, pp. 79-93. 2 4 The Birth and Growth of a Science (Chapter 5) - Influence of Agricultural Economics and General Sociology. undated Carbon copy, pp. 94-122. 2 5 The Birth and Growth of a Science (Chapter 6) - Charles Josiah Galpin (1864-1947). undated Carbon copy, p(1 page)23-150. 2 6 The Birth and Growth of a Science (Chapter 7) - Sending Down the Roots. undated Carbon copy, p(1 page)51-185. 2 7 The Birth and Growth of a Science (Chapter 8) - The Growth and the Spread. undated Carbon copy, p(1 page)86-219. 2 8 The Birth and Growth of a Science (Chapter 9) - Church-Sponsored Rural Studies. undated Carbon copy, pp. 220-238. 2 9 The Birth and Growth of a Science (Chapter 10) - How They Became Rural Sociologists: Some Memoirs. undated Carbon copy, pp. 239-284. 2 10 The Birth and Growth of a Science (Chapter 11) - Post-Galpin Federal Support for Sociology. undated Carbon copy, pp. 285-318. 2 11 The Birth and Growth of a Science (Chapter 12) - Scope and Content of Rural Sociology. undated Carbon copy, pp. 319-368. 2 12 The Birth and Growth of a Science (Chapter 13) - The Profession. undated Carbon copy, pp. 369-400. 2 13 The Birth and Growth of a Science (Chapter 14) - Rural Sociologists Abroad. undated Carbon copy, pp. 401-429. 2 14 The Birth and Growth of a Science (Chapter 15) - Progress - Problems - Perspectives. undated Carbon copy, pp. 430-453. 2 15 Printer's proof - Cuba: The Means of a Revolution, p(1 page)-206. Envelope #1 undated 2 1 Brigham Young University Studies and Some Other Rural Studies Envelope #2 undated 2 2 BYU Studies undated Some Social and Economic Features of American Fork, Utah 1) undated The Mormon Village: A Study in Social Origins 2) undated The Utah Farm Village of Ephraim 3) undated A Social Survey of Escalante, Utah 4) undated Other Studies undated The Mormon Settlements in Alberta 1) undated The Green River Drought Relief Project of 1939 2) undated Intermarriage Among Nationality Groups in a Rural Area of Minnesota 3) undated How Satisfying is Rural Life? 4) undated Distribution Age and Mobility of Minnesota Physicians, 1912 - 1936 5) undated Reprints - Lowry Nelson publication reprints, mostly from Rural Sociology undated 3 1 Community Theory and Development Seminars - Seminar Outlines, Reports, and Notes undated 3 2 Seminar Material: Comparative Rural Societies in Europe - (Part 1) Outline and reports of Seminar given by Lowry Nelson at the University of Minnesota undated 3 3 Seminar Material: Comparative Rural Societies of Europe (part 2) undated 3 4 Chile Notes: Notes are miscellaneous material or collected by Lowry Nelson when he was Consultant to Aid 1960 April-June 3 5 Course on Latin America, Notes - (Part 1) Lowry Nelson notes and bibliography for course on land, people, and institutions of Latin America including maps and reprints on the subject undated 3 6 Course on Latin America, Notes (Part 2) undated 3 7 Incoming Correspondence from Delta Nu Fraternity brothers undated 4 1 Note by Lowry Nelson giving background of correspondents 1 1974 Letter from Langton Barber (Bud) (1 page) 2 1918 September 18 Letter (consisting of three postal cards mailed in one envelope) from Verne Oberhansley 3 1918 October 5 Letter from Clyde Stratford (1 page) 4 1918 October 5 Post card from Langton Barber 5 1918 December 23 Letter from Bernard (Trolley) Nichols (2 page) 6 February 11, 1919 Letter from Bernard (Trolley) Nichols (2 page) 7 1919 June 4 Incoming and Outgoing Correspondence with officials of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on the Negro Issue undated 4 2 Incoming letter from Heber Meeks (1 page) [click to view] 8 1947 June 20 Outgoing letter to Heber Meeks (1 page) 9 1947 June 26 Outgoing letter to Pres. George Albert Smith (1 page) 10 1947 June 26 Copies of four letters on one page 11 undated Incoming letter form Joseph Anderson a.) 1947 July 1 Incoming letter from Joseph Anderson b.) 1947 July 17 Incoming letter from George Albert Smith, J. Reuben Clark, Jr., and David O. McKay c.) 1947 July 17 Incoming letter from George Albert Smith d.) 1947 November 12 Copy of Outgoing letter to the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (2 page) 12 1947 October 8 Incoming letter from Joseph Anderson 13 1952 May 23 Incoming and Outgoing Correspondence with USU individuals - mostly in connection with L. Nelson Collection undated 4 3 Outgoing letter to Pres. Dean Taggart (1 page) 14 1968 September 24 Outgoing letter to "the librarian. USU" (1 page) 15 1969 November 7 Incoming letter from Pres. Glen L. Taggart (1 page) 16 1974 May 1 Incoming letter from Pres. Glen L. Taggart (1 page) 17 1974 May 3 Outgoing letter to Sorenson (1 page) 18 1974 May 13 Outgoing letter to Pres. Glen L. Taggart (1 page) 19 1974 May 13 Outgoing letter to Jeff Simmonds (1 page) 20 1974 May 20 Miscellaneous Writings 4 4 Explanatory Note - 1974, Report of the First Annual Encampment of Troop 6, Logan, Utah 1 1917 August Explanatory Note, talk for church meeting "If This Council" presented 2 1917 November Notes on parts of Utah during WWI 3 July 15, 1918-June 20, [1919] Poetry written by Lowry Nelson, included in Poems of the West published 4 1925 Copy of commencement address at the University of Utah, August 30, 1950, as printed in the Western Humanities Reviews 5 undated Explanatory Note - May 1974, copy of article "The Mormons and the Negro" as submitted to The Nation in which it was published 6 1952 May 24 Miscellaneous undated 4 5 Note from Pres. Peterson 1 undated Invitation to party given in honor of L. Nelson 2 undated Article from "Utah Extension News " - March 1921 "New Grape Juice in an Old bottle" 3 undated Notice of Appointment - 4 1937 April 27 Notice of Termination - 5 1920 March 8 Picture of USU Agronomy Field Day - 6 1937 July 31 Articles and books that include references to Lowry Nelson - located in box IV after folders: 4 6 Shapes for the Deep Unrest undated Three Essays: The Radiant Apex, Wright and his Helix, Mold of Fire by Carlton Culmsee 1970 November Culture Change in Brazil: An Analytical Model by H. W. Hutchinson Reprint from Journal of Inter-American Studies Vol. VI, No. 3 1964 July Value Orientations and Northeast Brazilian Agro-Industrial Modernization by H. W. Hutchinson -Reprint from Inter-American Economic Affairs Vol. 21, No. 4 undated Federal Government Efforts to "Americanize" Utah Before Admission to Statehood By Gustive O. Larson -Reprint from BYU Studies Winter 1970 Integrity in Politics - Common Cause Report From Washington, Extra Edition: December 1973 - January 1974 Vol. 4, Number 2 1973 December - 1974 January Cuban Studies Newsletter Vol. 4, December 1973, Center for Latin American Studies University Center for International Studies, University of Pittsburgh 1973 December The Poets of the Future: A College Anthology for 1915-16, Edited by Henry T. Schnittkind, Ph.D., The Stratford Co., Publishers: Boston 1916 The Poets of the Future: A College Anthology for 1916-17, Edited by Henry T. Schnittkind, Ph.D., The Stratford Co., Publishers: Boston 1917