Agronomy and Soils Department Records, 1940-1973

Overview of the Collection

Title
Agronomy and Soils Department Records
Dates
1940-1973 (inclusive)
Quantity
approximate 8425 items, ( 9.5 linear feet), ( 10 containers)
Collection Number
Archives 61
Summary
Includes correspondence, memoranda, minutes and proceedings of professional meetings, reports, newsletters, student and faculty information and research information, financial statements, vouchers, and reports on program progress.
Repository
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions

The Collection is open for research use.

Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Agriculture has always been part of the college's curriculum; in the earliest days, all of its disciplines were taught in one department (the Department Of Agriculture). By 1918 these agricultural disciplines including farm crops, soils, etc., had expanded enough to warrant the formation of separate departments. The Department of Farm Crops and Soils were consolidated into a Department Of Agronomy in February 1928. This name was changed in November 1969 to Department of Agronomy and Soils. The present department offers a number of degrees, including B.S. in Agronomy, B.S. in Soils, M.S. in Agronomy, M.S. in Soils, and Doctor of Philosophy.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The records of the Department of Agronomy and Soils are arranged in three series: Subject File, 1940-1972; Tennessee Valley Authority Files, 1951-1972; and Correspondence Files, 1965-1971. Series one file contains records dating from 1940 through 1972, however, the bulk of the material deals with the period after 1963. This first series is arranged alphabetically by subject. The file consists of correspondence, memoranda, minutes and proceedings of professional meetings, reports, newsletters, student and faculty information and research information. Major headings in the subject file include such topics as: Agronomy & Men (publication of the Agronomy Club), Extension Administration, annual reports of county Extension Agents, Outlying Testing Program of the Washington experimental stations, Pacific Northwest Fertilizer Conference, Pacific Northwest Crop Improvement Association, Pacific Northwest Plant Food Association, teaching and course content in the department, Washington State Crop Improvement Association, USDA correspondence, and wheat research.

Series two, Tennessee Valley Authority files, date from 1951 to 1972 and consist of correspondence, financial statements, vouchers, and reports on program progress. Through an agreement with Washington State University, the TVA sold fertilizer to Washington state farmers. These records document this agreement, the shipment of the fertilizer, and the farmers who participated in the program. The file has been arranged chronologically to be consistent with its original order.

Series three, the correspondence file, contains items dating from 1965 to 1971; these records have been arranged chronologically by year and alphabetically within each year. The file consists of correspondence to and from various agencies, including county extension agents, professional organizations, private industry, governmental departments, and individuals.

Principal correspondents are: B. Rodney Bertramson (former department chairman and Director of Resident Instruction), Harry A. Cosgriffe, Irving Dow (Extension Specialist), James C. Engibous (chairman of the department), C.B. Harston, A.G. Law (professor Of Agronomy), L.L. Madsen (Dean, College of Agriculture), C. Dawson Moodie (professor of Agronomy), Kenneth Morrison (Extension Specialist), J.S. Robins (Director of Research, College of Agriculture), Leland Streit, and R.M. Turner.

Acquisition Information

The records of the Department of Agronomy and Soils were transferred to the University Archives, Washington State University in June 1976 and March 1979 (UA 78- 16) according to the approved records schedules.

Processing Note

The records were processed by Michael Sampson from December 1980 to March 1981.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

1:  Subject File , 1940-1972Return to Top

Series one file contains records dating from 1940 through 1972, however, the bulk of the material deals with the period after 1963. This first series is arranged alphabetically by subject. The file consists of correspondence, memoranda, minutes and proceedings of professional meetings, reports, newsletters, student and faculty information and research information. Major headings in the subject file include such topics as: Agronomy & Men (publication of the Agronomy Club), Extension Administration, annual reports of county Extension Agents, Outlying Testing Program of the Washington experimental stations, Pacific Northwest Fertilizer Conference, Pacific Northwest Crop Improvement Association, Pacific Northwest Plant Food Association, teaching and course content in the department, Washington State Crop Improvement Association, USDA correspondence, and wheat research.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1
Affirmative Action Plan
1 item
1972
1 2-4
Agricultural Chemicals
16 items
1969-1972
1 5
Agricultural Commodity Commissions Meeting
7 items
1966
1 6
Agricultural Economics
4 items
1970
1 7
Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service
2 items
1969
1 8-10
Agriculture, College of
28 items
1965-1966, 1970
1 11
Agronomy Advisory Board
35 items
1957, 1961, 1963-1965
1 12
Agronomy Base-Setting Meeting
1 item
1972
1 13-14
Agronomy Club
13 items
1966-1967
1 15-18
Agronomy & Men
101 items
1965-1966, 1968-1970
1 19
Alpha Zeta
1 item
1965
1 20
Alumni Rosters (and miscellaneous material)
14 items
1968-1970
1 21
American Society of Agronomy
49 items
1963
1 22
American Society of Agronomy Correspondence
6 items
1971-1972
1 23
Assistantships and Fellowships (requests)
7 items
1963-1964
1 24-25
Barley
7 items
1964, 1968, 1972
1 26
Blain, John--Ford Motor Farm Efficiency Award
10 items
1966
1 27
Bureau of Reclamation Meeting
32 items
17 March 1965
1 28-30
Careers in Agronomy
65 items
1964-1966
1 31
Castor Bean Production Potential
1 item
1965
1 32
Certified Seed Growers
3 items
1963, 1964, 1969
1 33
Columbia Plateau Conservation Council
46 items
1965
1 34
Columbia Plateau Resources Council
30 items
1965
1 35-36
Computing Center
8 items
1969-1972
1 37
Controlled Environment Facilities
6 items
1966-1971
1 38-41
County Agent's Letters, Re: Annual Reports
154 items
1964-1967
1 42-43
Course Outlines for Agronomy and soils
37 items
1968-1970
1 44-71
Crop Judging Team
248 items
1940, 1951-1972
2 72-73
Dry Pea and Lentil commission
36 items
1966, 1972
2 74
Dryland Research Review conference
14 items
Feb. 15-16, 1966
2 75-76
Dryland Research--Lind Experiment Station
21 items
1965, 1967
2 77
Educational Policies Committee
3 items
1969
2 78
Enrollment Statistics
8 items
1970-1972
2 79
Environmental Science
7 items
1970-1971
2 80
EROS
22 items
1969
2 81-87
Extension Administration
188 items
1964-1970
2 88
Extension--Agronomy Research Program
10 items
1964
2 89
Extension--50th Anniversary conference
5 items
1964
2 90
Extension--Agronomy Personnel Annual Reports
9 items
1964
2 91
Extension--Annual Reports for Specialists
11 items
1964-1965
2 92-96
Extension Correspondence
505 items
1964-1968
3 97-99
Extension Correspondence
78 items
1969-1972
3 100
Extension Director's Memos
5 items
1965
3 101-102
Extension Agronomists Meeting
23 items
1964, 1966
3 103
Extension--Meetings & Minutes
45 items
1967-1972
3 104-107
Extension--Annual Plans of Work
46 items
3 108
Extension Publications
22 items
1966-1967
3 109
Extension Range Management Program
10 items
1964
3 110
Extension Research Report
1 item
1971
3 111
Extension Service Review
14 items
December 4-8, 1972
3 112-113
Extension Training Sessions
19 items
1964-1966
3 114
Fertilizer--Aqua Humus
43 items
1963
3 115-117
Fertilizer Conference, Pacific Northwest Regional
163 items
1964-1966
3 118
Fertilizer Conference (1966), Rough Drafts of the Papers
30 items
3 119
Fertilizer Conference Proceedings
4 items
1968-1970
3 120
Fertilizer and Herbicides Needs--Agronomy Farm
21 items
1964-1965
3 121
Fertilizer Institute
3 items
1971
3 122-123
Fertilizer--Various Angles
11 items
1964-1965
3 124-131
Field Day
211 items
1964-1970
4 132
Field Day, Spillman Farm
48 items
1971
4 133
Field Days
5 items
1971
4 134-136
Forage Testing
6 items
1963, 1964, 1966
4 137-140
Foreign Correspondence and Visitors
76 items
1962-1969
4 141
Forest & Tree Fertilization
9 items
1965-1969
4 142-143
Genetics Program
13 items
1970, 1972
4 144
Goodyear SCS Awards
16 items
1964-1965
4 145
Grass Seed Production Meeting (Pendleton)
7 items
1971
4 146
Greenbug Threat to Wheat
1 item
1971
4 147
Herbicide Damage Research
10 items
1962-1963, 1968
4 148-150
Honors Program
14 items
1964-1972
4 151
International Executive Services
1 item
1968
4 152
International Programs
3 items
1968, 1970
4 153
Iowa State University Agricultural Travel Course
34 items
1965
4 154-156
Irrigation Experiment Station (Prosser)
14 items
1964- 1966, 1968
4 157-159
Jobs Available
8 items
1966 1968 1969
4 160-162
Job Placement
17 items
1964, 1969, 1971
4 163
Job Statistics an Graduates
1 item
1972
4 164-167
Junior Community College
60 items
1968-1971
4 168
Lewis County Grassland Council
16 items
1964
4 169-170
Library
10 items
1970-1972
4 171
Lime Conference--
21 items
November 16-17, 1965
4 172
Maquire Replacement for WSU Seed Laboratory
9 items
1966
4 173-175
Manuscript Reviews from other Departments
24 items
1967, 1971, 1972
4 176
Marketing Clinic: proposal and committee meetings
33 items
1966
4 177-178
Meetings and Conferences
10 items
1971-1972
4 179
National Wheat Institute
8 items
1970
4 180
News Bureau
3 items
1972
4 181-182
Northwestern Washington Research & Extension Unit
2 items
1965, 1968
4 183
Open House--College Of Agriculture
16 items
1966-1969
4 184
Osterli, Victor--Columbia Plateau Resources Council
29 items
1966
4 185-188
Outlying Testing--Central Washington
48 items
1963-1965, 1967
4 189-191
Outlying Testing--NoWestern Washington
51 items
1965-1967
4 192
Outlying Testing--Prosser
5 items
1969
4 193
Outlying Testing--Tree Fruit Research
1 item
1969
4 194
Outlying Testing--Washington State
4 items
1968
4 195-197
Outlying Testing--Western Washington
23 items
1964, 1965, 1967
4 198-202
Pacific Northwest Crop Improvement Association
69 items
1964-1966
5 203-208
Pacific Northwest Crop improvement Association
39 items
1967-1972
5 209-214
Pacific Northwest Plant Food Association
43 items
1964-1969
5 215-220
Pakistan
45 items
1964-1969
5 221
Patent Committee
3 items
1972
5 222
Pesticides
30 items
1968-1972
5 223
Plant Pathology, Department, of
3 items
1972
5 224
Potash Institute
4 items
1971
5 225
Potato Commission
1 item
1972
5 226
Projects in Agronomy & Soils--current status
2 items
1970
5 227
Prospective Graduate Students
3 items
1972
5 228
Prospective Undergraduate Students
2 items
1971
5 229
Publications
5 items
1965
5 230
Publication Plans of the Agronomy 4 Soils Faculty
31 items
1966
5 231
Recreation (Academic Preparation)
1 item
1968
5 231
Recreation (Academic Preparation).
1 item
1968
5 232
Resident Instructional Staff
9 items
1970
5 233
Rockefeller Foundation Fellowships
30 items
1969-1971
5 234
Safety
9 items
1969
5 235-236
Scholarships
51 items
1964-1965, 1972-1973
5 237
Science Development Proposal
3 items
1965
5 238
Search for Director Committee
15 items
1972-1973
5 239
Seed House
3 items
1972
5 240
Seed Lab (Seed Prices)
3 items
1972
5 241
Seed School, Idaho-Washington
14 items
1966
5 242-247
Short Courses
87 items
1964-1969
5 248
Space
55 items
1960-1965
5 249
Soil Chemistry Notes--correspondence
31 items
1957-1967
5 250
Soil Conservation Service--SCD's (Newsletters)
23 items
1964-1965
5 251
Soil Conservation Society of America
15 items
1963-1971
5 252
Soil Conservation Society of America--inland Empire
29 items
1964-1970
5 253-254
Soil Fertility Workers Conference--Central Washington
30 items
1964-1965
5 255
Soil Fertility Workers Conference- -Western Washington
10 items
1964-1964
6 256-263
Soil Improvement Committee
217 items
1964-1967
6 264
Soils Research Program
21 items
1968
6 265
Soils Seminar, University of Idaho & WSU
12 items
1963-1964
6 266-268
Soil Science Society of America
9 items
1965, 1968, 1969
6 269
Soil Survey--Seattle Conference
33 items
1964
6 270-274
Staff Memoranda
120 items
1965-1972
6 275-277
Stastics--Washington State Crop Reports
45 items
1965-1969
6 278-279
Student Evaluations
9 items
1967, 1969-1970
6 280
Study Council, President's
15 items
1968-1969
6 281-282
Sulphur Institute
17 items
1971, 1972
6 283
Symposia--Mutations, Barley, International Wheat Conference
41 items
1969
6 283-292
Teaching
113 items
1957-1959, 1968-1972
6 293
Training Sessions (Calendar)
3 items
1964
6 294-295
Tree Fruit Council
10 items
1969-1971
6 296
Tree Fruit Research Center (Wenatchee)
2 items
1968
6 297
Turf
26 items
1965-1971
6 298
Turf Association (Northwest Turfgrass Association)
14 items
1964-1972
6 299-300
Turf--Goss (Western Washington Research and Extension Center)
38 items
1960-1966, 1972
6 301
Turfgrass Research--Puyallup Extension Station
10 items
1972
6 302-304
USDA Correspondence
65 items
1965-1972
6 305
Varieties, Release of New
2 items
1966
7 306
Visitation--Dr. Hagsand (Sweden)
6 items
1965
7 307-309
Visitations--VIP
23 items
1968-1970
7 310-311
Visitors
25 items
1971-1972
7 312
Washington Association Of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
16 items
1965
7 313-314
Washington Association of Wheat Growers
36 items
1964-1971
7 315
Washington Mint Growers Association
2 items
1970
7 316-322
Washington State Crop Improvement Association
103 items
1965-1972
7 323-325
Washington State Soil Improvement committee
54 items
1967-1969
7 326
Washington Wheat Commission
2 items
1972
7 327
Water Holding Capacity of Irrigated Soils in the Columbia Basin--project proposals and other correspondence
42 items
1963-1965
7 328-329
Water Research Center
24 items
1971-1972
7 330
Weeds
6 items
1965
7 331
Western Farmers Association
2 items
1964-1965
7 332-336
Western Society of Crop Science
87 items
1965-1971
7 337-338
Western Society of Soil Science
14 items
1968, 1971
7 339-340
Western Washington Research and Extension Unit, Puyallup
3 items
1965, 1968
7 341
Western Wheat Improvement Committee
2 items
1971
7 342
Wheat Congress
15 items
1965
7 343
Wheat Council (WSU)
13 items
1971
7 344
Wheat--Miscellaneous
11 items
1965
7 345
Wheat Plotland Exemptions (WSU experimental plots)
13 items
1964-1965
7 346
Wheat Quality
23 items
1964-1965
7 347
Wheat Research Workers (Tri-State) Meeting
21 items
1965
7 348
Wheat Variety Commercial Milling Tests
26 items
1965

2:  Tennessee Valley Authority Files , 1951-1972Return to Top

Series two, Tennessee Valley Authority files, date from 1951 to 1972 and consist of correspondence, financial statements, vouchers, and reports on program progress. Through an agreement with Washington State University, the TVA sold fertilizer to Washington state farmers. These records document this agreement, the shipment of the fertilizer, and the farmers who participated in the program. The file has been arranged chronologically to be consistent with its original order.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
8 349
WSU Contract
17 items
1951
8 350-351
Tests, Sales and Research Programs
60 items
1953-1955
8 352
Correspondence
47 items
July 1-December 1955
8 353
Finances
10 items
1955-1956
8 354-355
Correspondence
191 items
1956
8 356
Finances
37 items
1956-1957
8 357-358
Correspondence
167 items
1957
8 359
l-b-2 Programs
8 items
1957-1958
8 360-361
Correspondence
149 items
1958
8 362
Vouchers
48 items
1958
8 363
Finances
40 items
1958-1959
8 364-365
Correspondence
127 items
1959
8 366
Finances
33 items
1959-1960
8 367
Annual Report
1 item
1959-1960
8 368
Morrison's TVA File (fertilizer pamphlet, requisition form)
7 items
1960
8 369-370
Correspondence
104 items
1960
8 371
Cooperators (back to 1945) Report, 1961
20 items
8 372-373
Correspondence
92 items
1961
8 374
Correspondence
52 items
January-June, 1962
Washington Counties:
Box Folder
8 375-377
Cowlitz
30 items
1956-1959
8 378-382
Grays Harbor
17 items
n.d., 1959
8 383
King
6 items
1959
8 384
Kitsap
4 items
1961
8 385
Lewis
15 items
1959
8 386-393
Pacific
60 items
1958-1961
8 394-397
Skagit
15 items
n.d., 1958-1959
8 398-400
Snohomish
22 items
1959
8 401-402
Thurston
10 items
1959-1961
8 403
Wahkiakum
6 items
1959
Box Folder
8 404
Test Demonstration
14 items
1968-1971
8 405
Correspondence
6 items
1972

3:  Correspondence Files , 1965-1971Return to Top

Series three, the correspondence file, contains items dating from 1965 to 1971; these records have been arranged chronologically by year and alphabetically within each year. The file consists of correspondence to and from various agencies, including county extension agents, professional organizations, private industry, governmental departments, and individuals.

Container(s) Description Dates
1965:
Box Folder
9 406-408
A-B
45 items
9 409
Buchanan, M.T.
14 items
9 410-413
C-F
30 items
9 414
Fischer, G.W. (Dean, College of Agriculture)
10 items
9 415
French, C.C. (president)
3 items
9 416-420
G-L
55 items
9 421
Ma-Mb
19 items
9 422
Madsen, L.L. (Dean, College of Agriculture)
12 items
9 423-424
Mc-Mz
21 items
9 425-428
N-R
42 items
9 429
Rasmussen, L.W.
4 items
9 430-435
S-Z
60 items
1966:
Box Folder
9 436-437
A-B
39 items
9 438
Buchannan, M.T.
13 items
9 439-442
C-F
32 items
9 443
Fischer, G.W.
4 items
9 444
French, C.C.
2 items
9 445-451
G-M
142 items
9 452
Madsen, L.L.
20 items
9 453-462
Mc-Z
120 items
1967:
Box Folder
9 463-464
A-B
42 items
9 465
Buchanan, M.T.
13 items
9 466-469
C-F
47 items
9 470
Fischer, G.W.
4 items
9 471-477
G-M
112 items
9 478
Madsen, L.L. (Dean, College of Agriculture)
20 items
9 479-483
Mc-R
42 items
9 484
Robins, J.S. (Director of Research, College of Agriculture)
17 items
9 485
S
35 items
9 486
Singleton, H.P.
1 item
9 487-490
T-Z
32 items
1968:
Box Folder
10 491-499
A-J
51 items
10 500-506
K-Z
59 items
1969:
Box Folder
10 507
A-N
28 items
10 508
O-Z
31 items
1970:
Box Folder
10 509
A-N
66 items
10 510
Robins, J.S.
13 items
10 511
O-Z
61 items
1971:
Box Folder
10 512
A-L
48 items
10 513
M-Z
39 items

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Agricultural extension work--Washington (State)--Archives
  • Agronomy--Washington (State)--Research--Archives
  • Soils--Analysis--Washington (State)--Research

Corporate Names

  • Washington State University. Dept. of Agronomy and Soils--Archives (creator)
  • Washington State University. Dept. of Agronomy and Soils--Records and correspondence

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names
    • State College of Washington. Department of Farm Crops and Soils. (creator)
    • State College of Washington. Dept. of Agronomy. (creator)
    • Tennessee Valley Authority--Archives (creator)