Atlee L. Hafenrichter Papers, 1918-1970

Atlee L. Hafenrichter was born in Plainfield, Illinois in 1897. After completing his undergraduate degree at Northwestern College (now Northwestern University), he went on to earn a doctorate in botany from the University of Illinois in 1926. Early in his career, he worked as professor of botany at Baker University in Baldwin, Kansas. In 1929, Hafenrichter came to the State College of Washington (now Washington State University). He served as an assistant professor of farm crops and provided instruction in forage crops at the Agricultural Experiment Stations. While there, Hafenrichter worked to develop and improve forage crop testing.

Hafenrichter first joined the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1933. In May of that year, he was appointed to the USDA's Bureau of Chemistry and Soils. In 1934, the college granted Hafenrichter leave and he accepted an appointment as the Chief of Northwest Agronomy and Nursery Division for the Soil Conservation Service (SCS). He maintained his headquarters at the college, and conducted testing and demonstrations of forage crops and other plants used in controlling soil erosion. In July 1935, he resigned his position at the college, but continued to work full-time for the SCS in collaboration with Washington Agricultural Experiment Stations as well as stations in Idaho and Oregon. In 1942, his office as Chief of Regional Nurseries was moved to the Portland SCS headquarters for Region 7.

In 1947, Hafenrichter received national recognition for his work. Secretary of Agriculture Clinton P. Anderson presented him with the meritorious service award, recognizing his work as head of the six far western soil conservation nurseries. Under his leadership, these nurseries tested the erosion control and grazing value of more than 9000 grasses and legumes, and erosion control and wildlife values of 4000 woody strains. With Hafenrichter's guidance, the Pacific coast nurseries developed several significant new strains of grasses and legumes used by farmers in the region, including: bromar mountain brome, manchar smooth brome, primar slender wheat, and Sherman big blue grass. Hafenrichter also developed new methods for the reseeding of perennial grasses and legumes for the restoration of vegative crop cover on abandoned agricultural lands.

Hafenrichter continued as chief of the USDA-SCS northwest agronomy and nursery division until 1954, when he accepted the position of Plant Material Specialist for seven Western States, Alaska, and Hawaii for the USDA-SCS. He maintained this position until he retired from active duty in the SCS in 1967. Hafenrichter died in 1973.