The W. Dean Frischknecht Papers document Frishchknecht's work as an Extension Livestock Specialist with the Oregon State University Extension Service and Animal Sciences Department. The collection consists of books, cattle breeding records, correspondence, course materials, day calendars, a map, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, notes, photographs, a plaque, posters, publications, and speeches. The bulk of the Papers pertain to various aspects of livestock improvement in Oregon; Frischknecht's role in the organization of livestock programs such as the Wasco Bull Tour and in regional livestock associations; and his interactions with County Extension agents, teaching courses in livestock evaluation and sheep production, and preparation of numerous circulars, bulletins and other Extension Service publications. A book by Frischknecht about his experience as a manager of livestock in Utah,
About a third of the collection consists of the records of the Western Oregon Livestock Association (WOLA) and includes bylaws, correspondence, financial statements, meeting minutes, membership lists, newsletters, reports, and resolutions. The cattle breeding records reflect the management of Frischknecht's personal herd and primarily contain information such as the names, birth dates, and the weight of the cattle.
The collection includes 218 photographs (176 prints, 34 negatives, and 8 slides), depicting Frischknecht's program work on events such as the Wasco Bull Tour, field days, and visits to ranches. Other Extension Service staff are also pictured in these images.
An oral history interview with
W. Dean Frischknecht was an Extension Livestock Specialist in the Oregon State University Animal Sciences Department from 1956 until his retirement in 1985. Before he began his career at Oregon State, Frischknecht managed sheep and cattle for the Deseret Live Stock Company in Utah from 1946 to 1954. With graduate and undergraduate degrees in animal science from Utah State University, Frischknecht came to OSU with a combination of academic training and experience to work on livestock improvement programs and education. One of Frischknecht's legacies in Oregon is stronger ties between the Extension Service and Oregon cattle producers, leading to the creation of the Oregon Beef Cattle Improvement Association and, later, the Beef Cattle Improvement Committee of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association. In addition to preparation of numerous Extension Service publications, Frischknecht led and participated in field days and the annual Wasco Bull Grading Tour. Frischknecht remained active in the livestock community after his retirement by serving in the Oregon, Washington, and Northern Idaho Hereford Association and the Western Oregon Livestock Association. He also maintained a herd of cattle on a ranch near Redmond, Oregon, for a number of years.
Collection is open for research.
Preliminary container list available
W. Dean Frischknecht Papers, Oregon State University Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
This collection is not fully processed; this guide is preliminary.
The materials were donated to the Special Collections & Archives Research Center in 2011 by Kathryn Frischknecht, Dean Frischknecht's wife.