Robert G. Dunbar papers, 1930-1986

This subseries contains research files related to Dunbar's published scholarship. Research files identified with the following publications: "Washington the Farmer;" Western Farm Life, v. 42:3, Feb.1, 1940; "History of Agriculture;" chapter 5 of v. 2, Colorado and Its People, 1948; The Farmer and the American Way, Oxford Book Co., 1952; "The Economic Development of Gallatin County;" Pacific Northwest Quarterly, v. 47:4, Oct. 1956; "The Initiation of the McNary-Haugen Movement in Montana and the Pacific Northwest," Pacific Northwest Quarterly, v.71:2, Rita McDonald and Robert G. Dunbar, Apr. 1980; and Forging New Rights in Western Waters, University of Nebraska Press, 1983.

Research files for "The Initiation of the McNary-Haugen Movement in Montana and the Pacific Northwest" are the most well represented in this series and feature photocopies of original reports, newspaper articles, correspondence, meeting minutes, and hearings. They also include Dunbar's notes, timelines, and bibliographies. Individuals featured in the research files include E. J. Bell, Calvin Coolidge, Dwight R. Cresap, Chester C. Davis, Hubert Edbert, Frank R. Gooding, Gilbert N. Haugen, Herbert Hoover, George J. Jewett, Edward C. Johnson, Eugene Meyer, Jr., Frank W. Mondell, Charles L. McNary, Walter J. Robinson, James S. Shideler, John W. Summers, O. F. Tate, Henry C. Taylor, Samuel R. Thompson, William L. Thompson, Henry C. Wallace, Frank J. Wilmer and M.L. Wilson. The activities of American Wheat Growers Associated, Inc., the Montana Export Commission League, the Washington Export League, the Portland Chamber of Commerce and reports of the Colfax, Washington meeting, Spokane meeting, and Meyer-Mondell mission are represented in distinct files. The remainder of these papers are research and a draft for an earlier article in 1969 on the McNary-Haugen bill by Rita McDonald, a typed set of notes, chronology of events and table of contents by Rita McDonald, drafts, critiques, footnotes, corrections of the final article, and an extensive exchange of correspondence with some enclosures between the two authors.

There are also extensive research files for his article "Economic Development of the Gallatin Valley." These files contain collected notes on sawmills, flour mills, coal mines, creameries and agricultural businesses; interviews with Elmer Bartholomew, Walter Cooper, Donald Corcoran, C.S. Kenyon, Rex Labertew, C.B. Moore, George Morgan, George R. Porter, George P. Reller, Frank Stone, Norman L. Towne, Charles Vandenhook and Lee H. Williams; papers (Seed Pea industry and lumber industry).

His research on Forging New Rights in Western Waters features extension bulletins, articles, transcriptions of interviews with Clarence Hinkle, Fred Hennighhausen, Herman R. Crile and John Scully, and correspondence with Albert G. Feidler, Herman R. Crile and others on water rights and irrigation

His files for the "History of Agriculture" chapter on Colorado include research on dry land farming, fruit and melon industries, lamb and sheep rearing, potatoes, migrant workers and immigration, radicalism, suffrage, rural free delivery, and the San Luis Valley.

This subseries contains research files created for Dunbar's speeches or addresses. They include two speeches to unknown audience on the Spanish Civil War and conditions in Europe 1936, a talk to the Rotary Club - 1939; a Farmer-Labor Institute talk, 1958; several talks on the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA), 1964-69; and a United Nations Day address, 1961.

This subseries contains Dunbar's general research files on agricultural history. These files feature bibliographies, notes, copies of journal articles, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, essays, maps, brochures, transcriptions of interviews and correspondence. These files cover research on Montana agricultural history, the Farm Bureau, National Farmers Organization, National Farmers Union, Non-Partisan League, Grange, Equity, Farmers Alliance, the Land Grant College System, water resources, climate, crops and livestock, the American frontier and westward movement, machinery, land policy, snow surveys, and rural sociology. Special topics include the Holland Settlement in Montana, Fairway Farm Project, Kinsey Flats/Case-Wheeler Projects, M. L. Wilson - taped remembrances of Edward Bell and Dr. Robert Dunbar, and the seed pea industry in Gallatin County, Montana.

Transcriptions of interviews include Jack Taylor, Hobart E. Myrick, Mildred K. Stoltz, E. A. Willson, Elmer Starch and John G. Parker; addresses by Roland R. Renne and R. G. Dunbar.

Also included are materials on Napoleonic France, Europe, and sundry topics of historical interest. The files were not identifiable as related to any particular work product of Robert Dunbar's but were used for publications, lectures, talks, speeches and conferences. The files have been arranged alphabetically by topic. * (These items filed with audio/visual materials).