D. Wynne Thorne Papers, 1936-1983

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Thorne, D. W.(David Wynne), 1908-1979
Title
D. Wynne Thorne Papers
Dates
1936-1983 (inclusive)
Quantity
29 boxes, (11 linear feet)
Collection Number
UUS_COLL MSS 299
Summary
This collection contains the professional papers of D. Wynne Thorne spanning the period from 1936 to 1983, with the bulk of the collection covering 1958 to 1978. The collection consists of Thorne's correspondence, research papers, speeches, publications, BARR (Board on Agriculture and Renewable Resources) papers, ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics) papers, and papers concerning Thorne's international involvement with nations such as India, Pakistan, the USSR, Sierra Leone, Ecuador, Syria, Ethiopia, and others.
Repository
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu
Access Restrictions

No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

David Wynne Thorne was born December 19, 1908 in Perry, Utah. After graduating from Box Elder High School, Thorne enrolled at Weber State College and received an AS in Science in 1928. Later that year Thorne was called to serve as a missionary in England for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Thorne served as a missionary for two years before returning to Utah and enrolling in the Utah State Agricultural College (now Utah State University) where he earned a B.S. in Chemistry in 1933. The following year Thorne enrolled at Iowa State College (now Iowa State University) where he earned a M.S. (1934) and a Ph.D. (1936) in Soil Science. Thorne's Ph.D. dissertation was entitled “Some Factors Influencing the Growth and Respiration of Rhizobium.” During 1937 and 1938 Thorne taught at Texas A&M College and also married Alison Comish on August 3, 1937 in Salt Lake City. In 1939 he joined Utah State University's Agronomy Department, where he remained until his retirement in 1974.

Thorne's research as a professor of agronomy at Iowa State College and Texas A&M College in the 1930s and later at Utah State (1939-55) produced valuable publications on the identification of minor element deficiencies in Utah crops and on various soil-water relationships. The insights gained through this research eventually culminated in a book that went through several editions and was published in several languages. Since its 1954 publication, Irrigated Soils-Their Fertility and Management, co-authored with H.B. Peterson, has been a classic in its field because it clarified the importance of soil, climate, crop, fertilizer, and water interactions.

In 1955 Dr. Thorne served a one-year stint as Chief of the TVA's Soil and Fertilizer Research Branch. In 1955, he also relinquished his position as Head of the USU Agronomy Department and became Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station and Director of the newly created Division of Research. That transition marked an end to his scientific career and the assumption of a role in which he vigorously promoted the scientific careers of others. Through his creation and leadership of USU's Division of Research he was able to implement his belief that research must be defined to encompass all scholarly creative activities, including those within the humanities and arts. Simultaneously, Thorne also facilitated research and helped publicize the results and accomplishments of USU's Agricultural Experiment Station personnel.

While fulfilling the responsibilities of leading the Station and the Division (1955-1965), Dr. Thorne also participated in various state, national, and international agricultural and science organizations, committees, and missions. Within Utah, this included extensive work on the problems of industry-generated air-borne contaminants. On the international scene, Thorne was instrumental in establishing the U.S./Russia agricultural scientist exchanges and was the only non-USDA member of the first USDA delegation to Russia. While in Russia, he was presented with a translated version of his book on irrigated soils. His initial written presentation describing a possible Russian/U.S. scientist exchange program was widely used as a model by other government agencies. At various times between 1955 and 1965 he acted as a consultant on soil and water problems for countries such as Iraq, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia. During that same decade he continued to publish technical and semi-technical articles and edited (and wrote a chapter for) the American Association for the Advancement of Science book, Land and Water Use.

In 1965, Dr. Thorne became USU's first Vice President for Research. Later he relinquished directorship of the Station in order to concentrate more effectively on the university's broader research concerns. During the late 1960s, Thorne became involved in attempts to help India solve its food problems. This work led to his 1972 appointment to the board of Governors of the "Consultative Group" of the International Crops Research Institute for Tropical Agriculture in India. His 1968-70 efforts helped provide the foundation for India's present agricultural research program. Late in 1970, he participated in the National Academy of Sciences evaluation of the World Bank's development program for East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and prepared the NAS report.

As Vice President for Research, Wynne Thorne anticipated national scientific trends and strongly urged interdisciplinary work at USU. The Ecology Center, International Biological Programs' Desert Biome, various institutes, and the Environment and Man Program are representative of the results of his commitment to interdisciplinary research.

In 1973, Dr. Thorne resigned as Vice President for Research in preparation for his impending retirement and re-assumed directorship of the Agricultural Experiment Station. As station director in these unpredictable times, he eliminated costly duplication of research efforts and emphasized an imaginative team approach to solving problems. In particular, station personnel were urged to respond creatively to the renewed need for agricultural productivity, pollution problems, and questions of optimizing land use. He was appointed to the Agricultural Board of the National Research Council of the National Academy of Science, an organization that affected national agricultural policy. Thorne died in 1979.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection contains the professional papers of D. Wynne Thorne spanning the period from 1936 to 1983, with the bulk of the collection spanning 1958 to 1978. The collection consists of Thorne's correspondence, research papers, speeches, publications, BARR (Board on Agriculture and Renewable Resources) papers, ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics) papers, and papers concerning Thorne's international involvement with nations such as India, Pakistan, the USSR, Sierra Leone, Ecuador, Syria, Ethiopia, and other nations.

The materials in this collection have been organized topically and chronologically reflecting their original order. Researchers should be aware that in addition to the identified box of correspondence (Box 2), many of Thorne's subject files and research files also contain correspondence relative to the file's specific topic. Some files in this collection contain informational notes by Alison Comish Thorne, Thorne's wife, that give background information about the file's specific topic. Box 2, Fd 14 contains the correspondence of Alison Comish Thorne concerning D.W. Thorne's work.

Collection at a glance:

  • Boxes 1-5: General Papers.
  • Boxes 6-7: Environmental Issues.
  • Box 8: BARR (Board on Agriculture and Renewable Resources) papers, 1970s.
  • Boxes 9-12: ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics) papers, 1970s.
  • Boxes 13-18: United States Experiment Stations and Research Projects.
  • Boxes 19-29: Foreign Project Papers.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

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

Permission to publish material from the D. Wynne Thorne Papers must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.

Preferred Citation

Initial Citation: D. Wynne Thorne Papers USU_COLL MSS 299, Box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.

Following Citations:USU_COLL MSS 299, USUSCA.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Arranged topically and then chronologically.

Processing Note

Processed in March of 2006

Acquisition Information

The material in this collection was donated to USU Special Collections in 1995 and 1999 by Alison Comish Thorne, the wife of D. Wynne Thorne.

Related Materials

Alison Comish Thorne, which are catalogued as COLL MSS 216: Alison Comish Thorne Papers. Researchers interested in viewing the photographs of D. Wynne Thorne should inquire with USU Special Collections’ photograph curator.

Bibliography

Source:
USU online biography: http://www.usu.edu/research/recognition/wynne March 2006.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

General Papers, 1950-1979Return to Top

(5 boxes, 56 folders)
Container(s) Description Dates
Biographical Papers, Oral History Interview, and Various Professional Papers
Box Folder
1 1
Biographical papers
undated
1 2
Vitae
undated
1 3
Diplomas
undated
1 4
Certificates
undated
1 5
Passports
undated
1 6
Retirement speech and program
undated
1 7
Papers, tributes, and programs concerning Thorne's funeral
undated
1 8
Book contracts, USU agreements, and other
undated
1 9
Papers concerning a type of wheat named after Thorne
undated
1 10
File entitled “Humorous,” contains a oral history interview and various papers about the Thornes
1954
1 11
Papers concerning some of Thorne's papers located at U of Wyoming
undated
1 12
Papers concerning the annual DW Thorne Research Award
undated
1 13
Papers concerning a coronary drug project that Thorne participated in
1969-1975
1 14
Eulogies given by Thorne
undated
1 15
Personal papers, miscellaneous
undated
Correspondence
1958-1978
Box Folder
2 1
Correspondence
(while Thorne was in Iraq and the USSR, with a note about this correspondence by A. Thorne)
1958
2 2
Outgoing correspondence
1959-1970
2 3
Outgoing correspondence
1971-1973
2 4
Outgoing correspondence
1974
2 5
Outgoing correspondence
1975
2 6
Outgoing correspondence
1976-1977
2 7
Outgoing correspondence
1978
2 8
Outgoing correspondence
undated
2 9
Incoming correspondence, A-C
undated
2 10
Incoming correspondence, D-K
undated
2 11
Incoming correspondence, L-R
undated
2 12
Incoming correspondence, S-Z
undated
2 13
Incoming correspondence, “Letters of Tribute presented to DW Thorne,”
(bound)
1975
2 14
Correspondence of Alison Comish Thorne
1974-1983
Thorne's Publications and Writings
Box Folder
3 1
Thorne's Ph.D. dissertation, “Some Factors Influencing the Growth and Respiration of Rhizobium,” ISC
1936
3 2
Thorne, "The Desert Shall Blossom as the Rose"
1951
3 3
Articles on chlorosis
1948-1955
3 4
Articles on fluoride
1957-1958
3 5
Articles on rhizobium
1930-1939
3 6
Articles on phosphorus
1948-1958
3 7
Articles on soil
1937-1956
3 8
Articles on water
1950-1959
3 9
Articles on zinc
1950-1959
3 10
Publications
1950-1978
3 11
Publications
1950-1978
3 12
Published USDA reports of the team that went to the USSR in which Thorne was part of
1958
3 13
Book reviews for Soil, Water, and Crop Production
undated
Thorne's Speeches
1957-1979
Box Folder
4 1
Speeches
1957-1960
4 2
Speeches
1961-1964
4 3
Speeches
1965
4 4
Speeches
1966-1968
4 5
Speeches
1969-1970
4 6
Speeches
1971-1974
4 7
Speeches
1975-1979
4 8
Speeches
undated
Thorne Papers
1961-1978
Box Folder
5 1
Research reports to the USU Board of Trustees
1961-1962
5 2
File: Research at USU
1970-1979
5 3
File: Research organization at USU
1970-1979
5 4
File: Salinity in our national waters
undated
5 5
World Centers in Agricultural Research, papers and reports
1974
5 6
Research papers, miscellaneous
1970-1979

Environmental Issues, 1951-1979Return to Top

(2 boxes, 14 folders)
Container(s) Description Dates
Environmental Issues
1951-1978
Box Folder
6 1
UNDP correspondence
1970-1979
6 2
UASAL meeting minutes
1975
6 3
Papers concerning a “Farm Water Management Manual”
1974
6 4
Iran contract and project proposal
1951
6 5
Research proposal submitted to the National Science Foundation
1973
Environmental Issues
1968-1979
Box Folder
7 1
File: A.H. Kassam
undated
7 2
File: The Energy Crisis
1970-1979
7 3
File: EPA, SO2 – Coal
undated
7 4
EPA Study papers
1970-1979
7 5
Four Corners
1970-1979
7 6
File: Managing the experiment station
undated
7 7
File: Plant survey for air pollution
1974
7 8
File: Utah range council
1970-1979
7 9
Western Experiment Stations: Long-range Planning
1968-1969

BARR Papers, 1970-1979Return to Top

(1 boxes, 11 folders)

(Board on Agriculture and Renewable Resources)

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
8 1
BARR meeting minutes and financial papers
1974-1975
8 2
BARR study proposal and correspondence
1974
8 3
BARR report
1974
8 4
BARR, Washington DC papers
1974 October
8 5
BARR, study of food production
undated
8 6
BARR report “The Management of Science in US Agriculture,” and papers
1970-1979
8 7
BARR report “Interdependencies of Food, Population, Environment, and Energy,” and papers
1970-1979
8 8
BARR Forest Service review
1970-1979
8 9
BARR proposal papers
1977
8 10
BARR reports and correspondence
1977
8 11
BARR, Land-water-energy
1974-1975

ICRISAT Papers, 1970-1979Return to Top

(4 boxes, 28 folders)

(International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics)

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
9 1
Outgoing correspondence
1972-1973
9 2
Outgoing correspondence
1974-1977
9 3
Incoming correspondence, A-Z
undated
9 4
Incoming correspondence, Bentley, C.F.
1972-1979
9 5
Incoming correspondence, Cummings, Ralph W.
1972-1974
9 6
Incoming correspondence, Cummings, Ralph W.
1975-1978
9 7
Incoming correspondence, Kanwar, J.S.
1973-1978
9 8
Incoming correspondence, Swindle, L.D.
1977-1979
9 9
Agenda papers
undated
9 10
Thorne's visa papers
undated
9 11
ICRISAT meeting minutes
1972-1973
9 12
ICRISAT agenda and meeting notes
1973
9 13
ICRISAT meeting minutes
1974
10 1
ICRISAT meeting minutes
1975
10 2
ICRISAT meeting minutes
1977-1978
10 3
Publications about ICRISAT
undated
10 4
Lectures given at the Workshop on Grain Legums
1975
10 5
Lectures given at the Workshop on Grain Legums, continued
undated
10 6
Lectures given at the Workshop on Grain Legums, continued
undated
11 1
Quinquennial review papers
1978
11 2
ICRISAT reports
1970-1979
11 3
ICRISAT reports
1970-1979
11 4
ICRISAT reports
1970-1979
11 5
ICRISAT reports
1970-1979
12 1
Published ICRISAT reports
1973-1976
12 2
Publications connected to ICRISAT
undated
12 3
Publications connected to ICRISAT
undated
12 4
ICRISAT papers, miscellaneous
1970-1979
12 5
ICRISAT papers, miscellaneous
1970-1979

United States Experiment Stations and Research Projects, 1950-1979Return to Top

(6 boxes, 50 folders)
Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
13 1
World Centers for Agricultural Research Conference
(with note by A.C. Thorne)
1974
13 2
Maine Agricultural Experiment Station papers
1970-1979
13 3
US Aid Consulting
undated
13 4
World Bank
1970-1979
13 5
Soil and Land Use Technology Consulting Firm, Washington DC
1970-1979
13 6
Financial papers, miscellaneous
1970-1979
13 7
Indian Reservation Study, Nathan Koenig
1976-1977
13 8
Ralph M. Parsons
1975-1976
13 9
Experience Incorporation
1973-1975
13 10
Development Resources Corporation
undated
13 11
Chas T. Mann file
1974
14 1
ISTI papers
1978
14 2
UNDP (United Nations Development Plan) correspondence and papers
1970-1979
14 3
UNDP correspondence
1970-1979
14 4
Proposal to US Agency for International Development
1974
14 5
Jane U. Sandberg file
1977
14 6
Security clearance issues
1971
14 7
FAR committee reports
1971-1978
14 8
Environment and Man proposal to the Rockefeller Foundation
1970
14 9
Papers and report on land use
1970-1979
14 10
World food
1970-1979
14 11
Energy and agriculture
1970-1979
14 12
Desert encroachment
1970-1979
14 13
History of agriculture
undated
14 14
The future of agriculture
undated
15 1
History of agricultural mechanization
undated
15 2
Research administration
1970-1979
15 3
Colorado River Basin, AAAS conference
1974
15 4
“The California Water Facilities Program,” by DW Thorne & Associates
(with note by A.C. Thorne)
1960
15 5
Chas T. Mann correspondence and papers
1960-1969
16 1
Research papers for AAAS paper
1977
16 2
AAAS paper drafts and notes
undated
16 3
“Federal/State Relations in Agricultural Research,” by Thorne, also contains correspondence
1970-1979
16 4
CSRS (Cooperative State Research Service) consulting papers and correspondence
1970-1979
16 5
UK Agriculture Research Administration, publications and report
undated
16 6
Thorne's CSRS handwritten notebooks
1974-1975
16 7
CSRS reports
undated
17 1
CSRS review papers and correspondence
1975
17 2
CSRS pink sheets
undated
17 3
Innovation in Research, CSRS training program
1978
17 4
Innovation in Research, CSRS training program, continued
1978
17 5
Rhode Island project papers
1970-1979
17 6
Rhode Island review papers and correspondence
1970-1979
17 7
Rhode Island review papers and correspondence, continued
1970-1979
18 1
Maine, research administrations
1970-1979
18 2
Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station papers, notebook, and correspondence
1978
18 3
Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station papers
1970-1979
18 4
Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station papers
1970-1979
18 5
Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station papers
1970-1979
18 6
Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station publications
1970-1979

Foreign Project Papers, 1960-1979Return to Top

(11 boxes, 67 folders)
Container(s) Description Dates
Foreign Project Papers; Bolivia, Ethiopia, Sahel Droghth, and Ecuador
Box Folder
19 1
Bolivia papers and correspondence
1960-1969
19 2
Ethiopia correspondence and reports
1970-1979
19 3
Ethiopia project description and reports
1970-1979
19 4
Sahel Droghth papers
undated
19 5
Ecuador project correspondence and papers
1960-1969
Foreign Project Papers; Ecuador
1960-1969
Box Folder
20 1
Ecuador project correspondence
1960-1969
20 2
Ecuador; Pisayambo Project, project description, papers, and blueprints
undated
20 3
Ecuador project reports
1960-1969
20 4
Ecuador; Pisayambo and Rio Guayas Project proposals
1964 - 1965
20 5
Ecuador project report
1967
Foreign Project Papers; Ecuador and Pakistan
1960-1978
Box Folder
21 1
Ecuador project report on the Guayas Rive Basin
1968
21 2
Ecuador project report
1968
21 3
East Pakistan project correspondence and publications
1970-1979
21 4
Pakistan project; Thorne's notebook
1976
21 5
Pakistan project correspondence and papers
1976
21 6
“The Chemistry and Transport of Lead and Cadmium in Soils,” by Jurinak and Santillan-Medrano
1974
Foreign Project Papers; Pakistan, Mauritania, and India
1960-1978
Box Folder
22 1
East Pakistan project correspondence and reports
1970-1979
22 2
East Pakistan project reports
1972
22 3
Publications about Pakistan
undated
22 4
Mauritania project correspondence
1979
22 5
Mauritania project, report by Thorne
1978
22 6
India project conference papers
1960-1969
Foreign Project Papers; India
1969-1978
Box Folder
23 1
India project correspondence
1969-1977
23 2
India project meeting minutes and papers
1974-1976
23 3
India project, publications
1974-1976
23 4
India project, publications
undated
23 5
India project papers
(from a three-ring binder)
undated
Foreign Project Papers; India, Purbhani, and the USSR
1958-1978
Box Folder
24 1
India project papers for Ralph Parsons, correspondence and financial papers
1969
24 2
Purbhani project reports and publications
undated
24 3
Purbhani project papers about the MAU
1970-1979
24 4
Purbhani project correspondence
1970-1979
24 5
Purbhani project notes, reports, and other
1970-1979
24 6
USSR project, essays by Thorne
1958
24 7
USSR project papers
1958
Foreign Project Papers; Sierra Leone, Syria, the Euphrates Project, and other
Box Folder
25 1
Sierra Leone project correspondence and papers
1970-1979
25 2
Sierra Leone project papers and reports
1975-1977
25 3
Near East & Africa, papers and reports
1970-1979
25 4
Syria; Euphrates Basin project correspondence and papers
1978
25 5
Euphrates Project papers
1970-1979
25 6
Euphrates Project publications
1970-1979
Foreign Project Papers; the Near East and Egypt
1970-1979
Box Folder
26 1
Near East, cereal crops, papers and correspondence
1972
26 2
Egypt project correspondence
1978-1979
26 3
Egypt project, farming systems mission, correspondence and papers
1978
26 4
Egypt project reports and papers
undated
26 5
Egypt project, publications concerning the project
1974-1976
26 6
Egypt project, publications concerning the project
1976
26 7
Egypt project review papers and correspondence
1976
Foreign Project Papers; Egypt and Yemen
1970-1979
Box Folder
27 1
Egypt project reports
1969-1976
27 2
Egypt project correspondence, reports, and papers
1977
27 3
Egypt project reports and publications
undated
27 4
Egypt project evaluation papers
1978
27 5
South Yemen Mission, correspondence and project outline
1975
27 6
South Yemen project, Thorne's notebook
undated
Foreign Project Papers; Egypt and Yemen
1970-1979
Box Folder
28 1
South Yemen project papers and publications
1975
28 2
South Yemen project outline
1975
28 3
Libya project contract and correspondence
1974
28 4
Libya project meeting minutes and papers
1975
28 5
Libya project papers
undated
28 6
Libya project field trip notes and papers
1975
28 7
Libya project blueprints and papers
undated
28 8
Libya project settlement papers, J.K. Black
1975
28 9
Libya project progress report
1975
28 10
Seed Legumes/West Africa
1977
Foreign Project Papers; miscellaneous countries
Box Folder
29 1
Miscellaneous countries in Africa
1970-1979
29 2
Miscellaneous countries in Africa and Japan
1970-1979
29 3
Miscellaneous countries, papers
1970-1979
29 4
Sahel Program notebook
1978

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Personal Names

  • Thorne, Alison Comish
  • Thorne, D. W.(David Wynne), 1908-1979

Corporate Names

  • Utah State University--Faculty.
  • Utah State University--History--Sources.
  • Utah State University. Dept. of Plants, Soils, and Biometeorology.