Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives
William I. Palmer papers
UUS_COLL MSS 331
11 boxes
5.25 linear feet
1935-1982
William I. Palmer's correspondence, water, crop, and soil information, publications and articles, and documents from Palmer's various domestic and international projects.
Material in English
Processed in April of 2008.
This collection was donated to Utah State University Special Collections and Archives in 1994 by Mrs. William Palmer.
No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the William I. Palmer papers must be obtained from the Special Collections and Archives manuscript curator and/or the Special Collections and Archives department head.
Initial Citation: William I. Palmer papers USU_COLL MSS 331, Box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.
Following Citations: USU_COLL MSS 331, USUSCA.
William Isom Palmer was born in Cedar City, Utah, on May 14, 1907. He graduated with an associates degree from the Branch Agricultural College in Cedar City in 1927, and subsequently served a mission for The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1927 to 1930 and married Virginia Corry in 1931. They had two children, Dr. W. Martin Palmer and Mrs. Robert W. Squire. Palmer attended Utah State Agricultural College in Logan, Utah, now Utah State University, starting in 1934 and graduated with a B.S. degree in agricultural economics in 1940.
From 1930-1934, Palmer worked for the Southern Utah Power Company. In 1935 he began working for the Department of Agriculture as project manager of the Widtsoe Land-Use Adjustment Project, which included supervising resettlement projects in the Southwest and working with county groups and colleges to establish soil conservation programs. From 1936-1938, Palmer was the regional chief of the Project Development and Land Acquisition Divisions for the Bureau of Agricultural Economies. From 1938-1944, he worked for the Soil Conservation Services in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. In 1944 Palmer began work with the Bureau of Reclamation, where he became chief of the Division of Irrigation in 1958, and in 1959, he was made assistant commissioner. Palmer played a key role in the initial report of the Pacific Southwest Water Plan. He was later awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the Department of the Interior.
In 1964, at the request of Senator Carl Hayden (D-Arizona), Palmer transferred to the Senate to be a resource development advisor. The following year he transferred to the Agency for International Development to become the development finance officer for agriculture. In 1967, Palmer retired from federal employment and began working with the Ralph M. Parsons Company as chief agricultural economist. He was a lecturer at Utah State University in 1970, and in 1971 he began to work for the Council of United States Universities for Soil and Water Development in Arid and Sub-Humid Areas, and in January of 1972 he became the executive director. Also in 1972, Palmer began working with the Harza Engineering Company. In 1973 Palmer was elected chairman of the United States Committee on Irrigation, Drainage, and Flood Control. Palmer retired on July 1, 1973, but continued to provide consulting services to various countries and organizations. William I. Palmer died on November 20, 1982 in Saint George, Utah, at age 75.
This eleven-box collection consists of William I. Palmer's correspondence; water, crop, and soil information; publications and articles; and documents from Palmer's various domestic and international projects. The collection is arranged into four sections: 1) records and correspondence, 2) papers written by Palmer and by others (arranged alphabetically), 3) information relating to the various institutions where Palmer worked (arranged chronologically), and 4) the project papers, arranged alphabetically. Within each folder, documents are arranged by date.
Arranged by subject and chronologically.
For further information, see Box 1, Folder 1. Also see: Water Projects in the West; an oral history interview by Glen Shagren (FILE MSS 333).
Several aerial photos were removed and given to the photo curator (Taos, south of Salt Lake City, unidentified).
Conservationists--Utah.
Agricultural economists--Utah.
Water resources development--History--Sources.
Irrigation projects--History--Sources.
Water conservation--History--Sources.
Water and Water Rights
Environmental Conditions
Personal and career info, correspondence, speeches and publications
1936-1975
(15 folders)
Curriculum Vitae, career and biographical data
undated
1
1
Citation for Distinguished Service
undated
1
2
Photo-William I. Palmer, Hershey (?), Dean Peterson, Calvin Clyde
undated
1
3
Personnel files
undated
1
4
Correspondence
1936-1955
1
5
Correspondence
1956-1960
1
6
Correspondence
1961-1964
1
7
Correspondence
1965-1978
1
8
Contacts
undated
1
9
Deseret News Correspondence
undated
1
1
Utah State University
undated
1
11
Papers, speeches, addresses ,untitled, drafts, etc. (Palmer)
1959-1966
1
12
Papers, speeches, addresses (Palmer)
1968-1971
1
13
Reports, bulletins, Congressional Records
undated
1
14
"Irrigation: Engineering and Maintenance" (publication)- articles by Palmer
undated
1
15
Papers and reports, Palmer
1950-1964
(22 folders)
Reports submitted by Palmer for Senior Agricultural Program Analyst
undated
2
1
An Analysis of the Widtsoe Land-Use Adjustment Project
1)
undated
Preliminary Report on the Central Utah Project and Service Activities in the Surrounding Area
2)
undated
Proposal for the Extension of the Boundaries of the San Simon Project
3)
undated
Reports while Chief Economist in the 1950s
1950
2
2
"Analyzing Agricultural Economic Phases of Irrigation Development"
undated
2
3
"Development of International Rivers" (Palmer)
undated
2
4
"Fryingpan-Arkansas Project" (speech, Palmer)
1961
2
5
"Glen Canyon–Challenge to Progress" (Palmer)
1961
2
6
"Guidelines for the Preliminary Appraisal of Projects in the Agricultural Sector" (Palmer)
undated
2
7
"Impact of Bureau of Reclamation Program on State Economic Development" (Palmer)
1963
2
8
"Observations on Water Right and Water Law Development in the United States" (Palmer)
undated
2
9
"Operation and Maintenance Responsibilities"
undated
2
10
"Problems and Opportunities" (Palmer): Rome Plow Company Latin-American Development Seminar
1966
2
11
"Processing, Packaging, and Storage Systems"
1968
2
12
Remarks on "The Processing, Packaging, and Storage Systems" (Palmer)
1968
2
13
Companion research materials for "The Processing, Packaging, and Storage Systems"
undated
2
14
"The Small Reclamation Projects Act" (Palmer)
1961
2
15
"Views of Water Users on Federal Reclamation Projects" (Palmer)
1958
2
16
"Water-for Six Billion People" (Palmer and Johnson)
undated
2
17
"Water in Nevada's Past, Present, and Future Development" (Palmer)
1964
2
18
"Water Resources: Development and Uses" (Palmer)
undated
2
19
"Water Resources for Agriculture" (Palmer)
undated
2
20
"United States and Canada: Water and Peace" (Palmer)
undated
2
21
Miscellaneous speeches/addresses (Palmer)
undated
2
22
Papers and reports by Palmer's colleagues
1978
(17 folders)
Papers by others: Energy
undated
3
1
Papers by others: Food Supply and Production
undated
3
2
Papers by others: Land and Water Resource Development-General
undated
3
3
Papers by others: Water quality, environmental issues, water pollution
undated
3
4
Papers by others: Water Resources in Western States
undated
3
5
"Work Studied in Switzerland"
undated
3
6
"Notes on the Nevada Mining Industry"- Mineral Resource Development
undated
3
7
"Scheduling Irrigations using Computers" (Marvin E. Jensen)
undated
3
8
"Report on A Demonstration Program for Low-Head Hydroelectric Development"
1978
3
9
Low-Head Hydroelectric Technology
undated
3
10
Subterranean Irrigation-A.M. Timpe
undated
3
11
Water law, irrigation requirements, and ground water data- Latin American countries
undated
3
12
Reclamation Standard Procedures
undated
3
13
Notes-Agricultural Index, Soil Appendix
undated
3
14
United Western Investigation
undated
3
15
"Mobilization of Private Resources for World Agriculture"- Seminar schedule
undated
3
16
Utah Scientific Research Foundation, Logan, UT: Designs for 3x6 Four Cylinder Single Acting Plunger Pump, James A. Hardman
undated
3
17
Career and business files
1968-1982
(14 folders)
A.I.D-Agency for International Development
undated
4
1
Ralph M. Parsons Company
undated
4
2
Ralph M. Parsons Co. Key Personnel List
undated
4
3
NAWAPA-North American Water and Power Association
undated
4
4
NAWAPA-Water and Power Facts, Oil Statistics and Energy Needs
undated
4
5
Clyde-Criddle-Woodward: Second Major Progress Report on Water-Use Improvement Study of the Truckee-Carson River Basin
undated
4
6
CUSUSWASH-Council of United States Universities for Soil and Water Development in Arid and Sub-Humid Areas
undated
4
7
Harza Engineering Company
undated
4
8
I.C.I.D. and U.S.C.I.D. Correspondence
1968-1971
4
9
I.C.I.D. and U.S.C.I.D. Correspondence
1972
4
10
I.C.I.D. and U.S.C.I.D. Correspondence
1973-1974
4
11
I.C.I.D. and U.S.C.I.D. Correspondence
1976-1982
4
12
I.C.I.D. and U.S.C.I.D. miscellaneous
undated
4
13
Southern California Agricultural Consulting Company
undated
4
14
General: water, crop, reclamation subject files
undated
(15 folders)
Water and Reclamation reference field book
undated
5
1
Water and crop data, general (1st folder)
undated
5
2
Water and crop data, general (2nd folder)
undated
5
3
Water and crop data, western states
undated
5
4
Water plans/charts
undated
5
5
World population and grain production, general
undated
5
6
Energy needs and requirements, general
undated
5
7
Land clearing seminar
undated
5
8
Project repayment
undated
5
9
Benefits and costs, general
undated
5
10
Farm Budget Procedures
undated
5
11
Bureau of Reclamation, miscellaneous
undated
5
12
Miscellaneous business receipts, expense reports, etc.
undated
5
13
Charts and plans, miscellaneous
undated
5
14
Misc. handwritten notes
undated
5
15
Project files, international
1961-1980
(29 folders)
Afghanistan
1975-1976
6
1
Afghanistan: "Economies of Agricultural Production in Helmand Valley"
1975-1976
6
2
Algeria
undated
6
3
Bangladesh
1977-1978
6
4
Bangladesh
1977-1978
6
5
Colombia
1973
6
6
Colombia
1973
6
7
Egypt
1975
6
8
Honduras
1977
6
9
Honduras: "Assessment of Institutions in Support of Irrigated Agriculture"
1977
6
10
India
1969-1970
6
11
Jordan: memoranda, correspondence, pamphlet
1976
7
1
Jordan: Stage 2 report and discussion
1976
7
2
Jordan: Appendix H– Economic Analyses
1976
7
3
Jordan: draft (report)
1976
7
4
Jordan, 1976: feasibility report
undated
7
5
Libya: reports, outlines, etc.
undated
7
6
Libya: correspondence
1973-1974
7
7
Libya: correspondence
1975-1979
7
8
Libya: crop information
undated
7
9
Libya: invoices, expense reports, etc.
undated
7
10
Libya: miscellaneous
undated
7
11
Mexico
1969
7
12
Mexico: list of delegates
undated
7
13
Treaty with Mexico: water problems– Molino, San Antonito, Taos communities
undated
7
14
Morocco: Water-Use Program
undated
8
1
Philippines: Upper Pampanga River Project
1965
8
2
Puerto Rico: reports, plans
undated
8
3
Puerto Rico: water law
undated
8
4
Puerto Rico: correspondence
1961-1967
8
5
Puerto Rico: notes, miscellaneous
undated
8
6
Saudi Arabia: plans and proposals
1968-1970
8
7
Saudi Arabia: irrigation system designs and costs
undated
8
8
Saudi Arabia: correspondence
1968-1980
8
9
Saudi Arabia: miscellaneous
undated
8
1
Sri Lanka: correspondence and announcements
1979
8
11
Sri Lanka: project appraisal
1977
8
12
Sri Lanka: project appraisal, Annex 1-Annex 7
undated
8
13
Sri Lanka: project appraisal, Annex 8- Annex 13
undated
8
14
Project files, international ctd. and domestic
1962-1965
(17 folders)
Thailand: reports, briefings
1962-1965
9
1
Thailand: correspondence
1964-1965
9
2
Thailand: "Report of the U.S. Delegate to the UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East"
1962
9
3
Thailand: "A Compendium of Major International Rivers in the ECAFE Region"
undated
9
4
Thailand: miscellaneous
undated
9
5
Central Arizona Project (CAP): plans, analyses, reports, etc.
1963-1965
9
6
Central Arizona Project (CAP): articles and bulletins
undated
9
7
Central Arizona Project (CAP): correspondence– letters and memoranda
undated
9
8
Central Arizona Project (CAP): water, irrigation, and reclamation info.
undated
9
9
Central Arizona Project (CAP): miscellaneous
undated
9
10
Central Utah Project
1953
9
11
Central Valley Project
1960-1962
9
12
Chief Joseph Dam Project, Columbia River, Chelan
1960
9
13
Lower Colorado River Basin Project: general info.
undated
9
14
Lower Colorado River Basin Project: reports, memoranda
undated
9
15
Lower Colorado River Basin Project: correspondence
1960-1965
9
16
Lower Colorado River Basin Project: "Arizona and the Colorado: How Not to Win a River by Trying Very Hard"
undated
9
17
Colorado River Diversion Project: Navajo Water and Power Company
undated
9
18
Project files, domestic
1936-1956
(8 folders)
Price River Resettlement Project: Book with photos and charts
1936 July
10
1
Salinas River Basin Project
undated
10
2
Trans-Sierra Diversion: reports, memoranda, etc.
1949-1950
10
3
Trans-Sierra Diversion: data, charts
undated
10
4
Utah Exploration Survey, 1850: from LDS Church records
1954
10
5
Ventura River Project
1956
10
6
Widtsoe Land-Use Adjustment Project: reports, proposals, data
1935-1936
10
7
Widtsoe Land-Use Adjustment Project: Book
undated
10
8
Water for Peace program
1965-1967
(3 folders)
Water for Peace: reports, memoranda, addresses, etc.
1965-1967
11
1
Water for Peace: budget and costs
undated
11
2
Water for Peace: list of participants
undated
11
3