M. L. Wilson papers, 1935-1960

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Wilson, M. L. (Milburn Lincoln), 1885-1969
Title
M. L. Wilson papers
Dates
1935-1960 (inclusive)
Quantity
8.1 linear feet
Collection Number
MSU.00003
Summary
The M. L. Wilson Collection consists of original copies of Wilson's unofficial correspondence; photoduplicates of original correspondence held by the National Archives and Records Administration documenting Wilson's activities as Undersecretary of Agriculture and Director of Extension; subject files; agricultural history and Thomas Jefferson material; speeches; statements; articles; and materials from his personal files. Topics include: the Agricultural Adjustment Administration; various agricultural bills; domestic allotment; Farm Bureau; various New Deal programs concerning labor, land, rural housing, extension schools, erosion, and subsistence homesteads; agricultural history; Thomas Jefferson; conservation, economics; social sciences; politics; and postwar reconstruction.
Repository
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Languages
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Milburn Lincoln Wilson was born in Atlantic, Iowa on 23 October 1885, the son of John Wesley and Mary E. (Magee) Wilson. He received a B.S.A. from Iowa State College, Ames, in 1907 and his M.S. in agricultural economics and rural sociology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1920. He began his career as a farmer in 1907. He served as Assistant State Agronomist at Montana State College, Bozeman, 1910-1912; County Agent in Custer County, Montana, 1912-1914; Montana State Extension Agent Leader, 1914-1922; and an extension agricultural economist at Montana State College, 1922-1924. Between 1924 and 1926 he took charge of the U.S.D.A. division of farm management and cost accounting. During his stint as professor and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics at Montana State College, 1926-1933, he provided consultation on large-scale wheat farming in the U.S.S.R., 1929. From May 16 to September 1, 1933, Wilson served as the Chief Wheat Production Secretary in the Agricultural Adjustment Administration and then moved on to the directorship of the Division of Subsistence Homesteads in the Department of the Interior until June 30, 1934. In 1934, Wilson was appointed the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture and in 1937 the Undersecretary of Agriculture until 1 February 1940 when he became the Director of Extension Work at U.S.D.A. While Director, he also filled in as the Chief of Nutrition Programs and in the Production and Marketing Administration between 1943 and 1949. He was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Farm Economic Association (president, 1925), Epsilon Sigma Phi, Phi Kappa Phi, and Alpha Zeta. He was also a Unitarian and belonged to the Cosmos club. His writings include Farm Relief and the Domestic Allotment Plan (1933) and Democracy Has Roots (1939). Married on December 17, 1913 to Ida Morse from Cromwell, Minnesota, Wilson made his home in Washington, D.C. where he died in October 1969 and is buried in Rock Creek Cemetery.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection includes materials created or collected by M.L. Wilson and in turn collected and arranged by Montana State University. It contains original copies of Wilson's unofficial correspondence; photoduplicates of original correspondence held by the National Archives and Records Administration documenting Wilson's activities as Undersecretary of Agriculture and Director of Extension; subject files; agricultural history and Thomas Jefferson material; speeches; statements; articles; and materials from his personal files. Topics include: the Agricultural Adjustment Administration; various agricultural bills; domestic allotment; Farm Bureau; various New Deal programs concerning labor, land, rural housing, extension schools, erosion, and subsistence homesteads; agricultural history; Thomas Jefferson; conservation, economics; social sciences; politics; and postwar reconstruction. Photographs have been removed from files marked by an asterisk (*) and placed in Series 16. Large items have been removed for separate storage and files from which they have been removed marked by an asterisk (*).

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Series 1 Non-official Correspondence, 1935-1960

Series 2 Undersecretary of Agriculture Incoming Correspondence, 1933-1940

Series 3 Director of Extension -- Correspondence, 1940-1953

Series 4 Undersecretary of Agriculture -- Correspondence, 1932-1948

Series 5 Undersecretary of Agriculture Subject Files, undated

Series 6 Division of Subsistence Homesteads, 1933-1935

Series 7 Bureau of Agricultural Economics, Office of Farm Mgt., 1924-1925

Series 8 Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils and Agricultural Engineering, 1934-1941

Series 9 Mordecai Ezekial, Domestic Allotment Plan, 1929-1933

Series 10 Chester C. Davis Material, undated

Series 11 Agricultural History and Thomas Jefferson Material

Series 12 Speeches, Statements, Articles, etc., 1932-1956

Series 13 General and Miscellaneous Material, undated

Series 14 M.L. Wilson Personal Files, 1914-1955

Series 15 Miscellaneous Notebooks, and Scrapbooks, 1916-1948

Series 16 Photographs

Acquisition Information

Original documents and photocopies of material pertaining to the career and activities of M. L. Wilson were compiled by employees of Montana State University in the 1960s to create this artificial research collection. Provenance of much of this material has been lost, but many files were apparently copied from originals held by the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D. C.

Processing Note

This collection was processed 2009 April 30

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

1:  Non-official Correspondence, 1935-1960Return to Top

Letters, memos, and notes pertaining to a wide variety of subjects including extension work, various studies, addresses, travel, foreign aid, United Nations, and Ford Foundation material. This material is very scattered in content and volume, with no personal or family letters included. Wilson's official job related correspondence has been arranged in subsequent series.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1-43
Non-official Correspondence
 1935-1953
2 1-35
Non-official Correspondence
 1953-1960, undated
2 36-41
Personal Correspondence, Dixon Co., Iowa Real Estate
2 42
Alumni Merit Service Award, Iowa State College

2:  Undersecretary of Agriculture -- Incoming Correspondence, A-Z, 1933-1940Return to Top

Photocopies of original correspondence held by the National Archives. It is a selection of non-official and official correspondence received by Wilson while he served as Undersecretary; it does not represent the total volume of that correspondence. Subjects include Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA), agriculture education, extension, land-grant colleges, agricultural experiments, sociology, science, and international relations. The letters have been arranged alphabetically by the author's name.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
2 43-44
Undersecretary of Agriculture Correspondence, A
 1934-1940
3 1-45
Undersecretary of Agriculture Correspondence, B-R
 1933-1940
4 1-16
Undersecretary of Agriculture Correspondence, R-Z
 1933-1940

3:  Director of Extension, Correspondence, 1940-1953Return to Top

Photocopies of original correspondence held by the National Archives. It is a selection of non-official and official correspondence received by Wilson while he served as the Director of Extension; it does not represent the total volume of that correspondence. There is no correspondence for the years 1944 through 1946. The chronological arrangement, as received, has been retained.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
4 17
Director of Extension Correspondence
 1940-1941
4 18-20
Director of Extension Correspondence
 1942
4 21-24
Director of Extension Correspondence
 1943
4 25-29
Director of Extension Correspondence
 1947-1965

4:  Undersecretary of Agriculture and Director of Extension Correspondence, 1932-1948Return to Top

Photocopies of original correspondence held by the National Archives. It is a selection of non-official and official correspondence sent by Wilson while he served as Undersecretary and the Director of Extension; it does not represent the total volume of that correspondence. These letters may have originally been filed under a subject or name arrangement but were not received in such an arrangement. Some of the letters are duplicates of correspondence found in other parts of this series.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
4 30-34
Undersecretary of Agriculture Correspondence
 1932-1936
4 35-39
Undersecretary of Agriculture Correspondence
 1937
4 40-44
Undersecretary of Agriculture Correspondence
 1938
4 45-47
Undersecretary of Agriculture Correspondence
 1939
5 1-8
Undersecretary of Agriculture Correspondence
 1939
5 9-12
Director of Extension Correspondence
 1940-1943
5 13-16
Director of Extension Correspondence
 1944-1948

5:  Undersecretary of Agriculture, Subject FilesReturn to Top

This material includes photoduplicated letters, reports, articles etc. dealing with the various subjects listed for each folder. The subject headings which appeared on the cover envelopes have been retained.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
5 17
Agriculture Adjustment Administration
5 18
Conservation -- Transfer from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Interior
5 19
Cristgau Bill
5 20-21
Decentralization, Cont'd in Folder 21
5 22-28
Domestic Allotment I
5 29-34
Domestic Allotment II
5 35-39
Domestic Allotment III
5 40
Farm Bureau
5 41-43
Farm Labor - Volunteer Land Corps
5 44
Land Planning Committee
6 1
Land Planning Committee
6 2-6
Land Policy Materials
6 7
National Agricultural Conference
6 8
New Deal - Economic Philosophy - Mordecai Ezekial
6 9
Regional Meetings
 1935 Spring
6 10
Regional Meetings
 1935 Summer
6 11
Regional Meetings, Letters to Colleges
6 12-15
Reports (Miscellaneous)
6 16
Rural Housing
6 17-21
Schools for Extension Workers
6 22
Smith Lever Act
6 23-26
Wind Erosion

6:  Division of Subsistence Homesteads, 1933-1935Return to Top

This contains correspondence and other records of Mr. Wilson as Director of the Division of Subsistence Homesteads within the Department of Interior, 1933-35. Listed as Record Group 96 in the National Archives.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
6 27-28
Division of Subsistence Homesteads

7:  Bureau of Agricultural Economics, Office of Farm Management, 1924-1925Return to Top

Records of the Office of Farm Management within the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, 1924-25. H.R. Tolley, Head. Includes those records relating to M.L. Wilson. Listed as Record Group 83 in the National Archives.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
6 30-34
Bureau of Agricultural Economics, Office of Farm Management

8:  Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils and Agricultural Engineering, 1934-1941Return to Top

Bureau Chief's Correspondence, 1934-41, F.D. Richey and E.C. Auchter, Heads of Bureau. (Records relating to M.L. Wilson) Listed as Record Group 54 in the National Archives.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
6 35-37
Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils and Agricultural Engineering

9:  Mordecai Ezekial, Domestic Allotment Plan, 1929-1933Return to Top

Material from the files of Mordecai Ezekial, Economist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, on the Domestic Allotment Plan. This material consists of photoduplicated copies of material from the National Archives.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
6 38
Domestic Allotment Plan - J.D. Black
 1929
6 39-42
Domestic Allotment Correspondence
 1932
7 1-4
Domestic Allotment Correspondence
 1932
7 5-7
Domestic Allotment Correspondence
 1933
7 8
Condensed Summary of Events
 1932-1933

10:  Chester C. Davis MaterialReturn to Top

Recollections and correspondence donated by Mr. Davis for inclusion in the Wilson file. Contains information about M.L. Wilson, Gov. Joe Dixon, Newspapers - Miles City Star, Avant Courier, Montana Farmer, Non-Partisan League.

Container(s) Description
Box Folder
7 9
Chester C. Davis Material

11:  Agricultural History and Thomas Jefferson MaterialReturn to Top

This material includes speeches, articles, notes, clippings and correspondence on the subjects of Thomas Jefferson and agricultural history. Included are materials from the National Association of County Agricultural Agents, a proposed Agricultural Hall of Fame and agricultural museums. Much of the material is devoted to the Jefferson Bicentennial.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
7 10
* Agricultural History - Miscellaneous Material
7 11-16
Agricultural History - Miscellaneous Material
7 17-19
History of the Plow
7 20-23
M.L. Wilson, "Thomas Jefferson and Modern Scientific, Agriculture"
 1949
7 24-29
Jefferson Bicentennial -- Copies of letters and memoranda
7 30
Jefferson Bicentennial -- minutes of meetings - conference on plans
7 31
Jefferson Bicentennial -- Publication - Clippings
7 32-34
Jefferson Bicentennial Committee -- minutes of meetings, membership, correspondence
7 35-36
Jefferson Bicentennial Committee -- Land Grant College and Extension participation
7 37-40
Jefferson Bicentennial Committee -- Miscellaneous correspondence, articles, clippings
8 1-10
Jefferson Bicentennial Committee -- Miscellaneous correspondence, articles, clippings
8 11-20
Thomas Jefferson -- Bibliographies and Quotations
8 21-22
Jefferson and Agriculture -- Sourcebook by Everett E. Edwards
8 23-27
Thomas Jefferson -- Pamphlet and Journal Material
8 28
* Thomas Jefferson -- Photographs used in connection with the Bicentennial

12:  Speeches, Statements, Articles, 1932-1956Return to Top

This material represents mostly the product of Mr. Wilson himself, or articles about him. Those which were attributed to others but retained by Mr. Wilson are so designated on the chronological listing attached to this inventory as Folder 36.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
8 29
Material for M.L. Wilson Speeches
8 30-32
Library of Congress references in connection with the preparation of speeches
8 33-33a
Material on Science Lecture
8 34-35
List of M.L. Wilson addresses, articles, etc. prepared in the office of Extension, U.S. Department of Agriculture
9 1-43
Speeches, Statements, Articles, etc.
 1932-1942
10 1-46
Speeches, Statements, Articles, etc.
 1942 January -1944 December
11 1-47
Speeches, Statements, Articles, etc.
 1944 April-1947 December
12 1-29
Speeches, Statements, Articles, etc.
 1948 January-1956
12 30-38
Speeches, Statements, Articles, etc.

13:  General and Miscellaneous MaterialReturn to Top

Subject files relating to the New Deal, agriculture, extension, economics, education, nutrition, etc.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
12 39-41
Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) -- New Deal Material
12 42-43
Agriculture -- Miscellaneous
13 1-11
Agriculture -- Miscellaneous
13 12
Agriculture -- Land-Grant Universities and Colleges
13 13
Agriculture -- Radio Talks
13 14-20
Agricultural Extension
13 21-22
Agricultural Extension*
13 22-34
Agricultural Extension
14 1-2
Agricultural Extension
14 3-11
American Philosophical Society
14 12
* Conservation
14 13
Conservation
14 14-16
Economics
14 17
* Education, Sociology, Political Science
14 18-20
Education, Sociology, Political Science
14 21
* Education, Sociology, Political Science
14 22-27
Education, Sociology, Political Science
14 28-30
Foreign Aid
14 31
Homestead Material
14 32-33
India -- Provincial Extension Directors
 1952
14 34
Labor
14 35-39
Nutrition
15 1
Nutrition
15 2-4
Politics -- Miscellaneous
15 5-11
Politics -- Campaign of 1936
 1936
15 12-18
Rural America
15 19
Science History -- Discussion
15 20-23
Soviet Union
15 24-26
United Nations and Subordinate Organizations
15 27-32
War and Reconstruction
15 33-37
War and Reconstruction, "Democracy in the Present Crisis"
15 38-39
Report of the Secretary of Agriculture
 1930, 1932
16 1-5
Report of the Secretary of Agriculture
 1933-1937

14:  M.L. Wilson Personal Files, 1914-1955Return to Top

Series 14 consists of materials from the personal files of M.L. Wilson forwarded with some comments by Dr. P.L. Slagsvold. Some of this material was drawn from the files of the Agricultural Economics Department, Montana State College, but has been retained in this series as a file kept separately by Wilson.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
16 6
Correspondence
 1914-1920
16 7-13
Projects, Montana Agricultural Experiment Station
16 14-16
Agricultural Outlook Material
16 17
Allin, Bushrod, "Collective Economics of John R. Commons"
16 18
Farm Problems, Pamphlets
 1927-1932
16 19-20
Agriculture Situation
 1930-1933
16 21
Ezekial, Mordecai, "Farm Problems"
 1932
16 22
Wallace, Henry A
16 23-25
Material for M.L., Land Utilization Speech and discussions
 1932-1933
16 26-27
Farm Relief Bills
 1932-1933
16 28
Anderson, Sydney, Agricultural Relief Plan
16 29
Farm Relief -- California Plan
 1933
16 30
Black, John D., The Agricultural Situation
 1933 January
16 31
Rodgers, R.R., Farm Problems and Solutions
 1933
16 32
American Bakers Association, Farm Relief Problems and Plans
 1932-1933
16 33
Tugwell, Rexford, "Agricultural Planning"
 1934
16 34
Agricultural Planning Suggestions
 1933-1935
16 35-36
Domestic Allotment, Notes and correspondence on Roosevelt's Topeka Farm Speech
16 37-41
Wilson, M.L., Domestic Allotment and Farm Relief -- speeches
 1933-1934
16 42
Food Research Institute, Domestic Allotment -- Analysis
 1932
17 1-3
Domestic Allotment and Farm Problems -- Correspondence
 1932-1933
17 4-5
Domestic Allotment -- Notes and Discussions
17 6
Domestic Allotment and other suggested farm plans -- analysis
17 7-10
Millers' National Federation, Domestic Allotment -- Criticisms
17 11
Lippmann, Walter, Domestic Allotment Plan -- Clippings
17 12
Decentralization of Industry
17 13
Agricultural Adjustment [partial text of speech]
17 14-16
Agricultural Planning -- Miscellaneous Material
 1936-1938
17 17-21
Material for M.L. -- General Correspondence
 1953
17 22-24
Material for M.L. -- General Correspondence
 1954
17 25-27
Material for M.L. -- Ford Foundation Correspondence
 1953
17 28-29
Material for M.L. -- Ford Foundation Correspondence
 1954
17 30-32
Wilson, M.L. - Ford Foundation Expenses, Fees, etc.
 1954-1955
17 33-35
Miscellaneous Pamphlets
17 36
Association of Land Grant Universities and Colleges
17 37-38
American Farm Bureau Federation
17 39
Geologic Map of Western United States

15:  Miscellaneous Notebooks and Scrapbooks, 1916-1965Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
18 1-3
Farmers' Bureau
 1916-1919
18 4-14
Weekly Letters to State Directors of Extension
Note: the Weekly Letters are arranged according to the original arrangement found in M.L. Wilson's ring binder
1945
18 15-27
Weekly Letters to State Directors of Extension
 1946
18 28-40
Weekly Letters to State Directors of Extension
Includes Table of Contents for 1947
1947
19 1-3
Weekly Letters to State Directors of Extension
 1947
19 4-18
Weekly Letters to State Directors of Extension
 1948
19 19-25
Press Clippings, Nationwide Judging Tour, Community Service Contest
 1956
19 26-30
Miscellaneous House and Senate Bills and Resolutions with suggested changes, related letters, etc.
19 31-33
Missoula County Farm Bureau Organization
20 1
Domestic Allotment Draft Bill
20 2
Material for M.L. -- Miscellaneous
Volume
21 1
Scrapbook -- General Agricultural Newspaper clippings and articles
21 2
Scrapbook -- Farmers' Bureau
folder-os
1
Data Regarding Subject Matter Specialists Agricultural Section (2 sheets)
1
Data Regarding Subject Matter Specialists Home Economics Section (1 sheet)
1
Farmers' Institute [poster]
1
Mr. Taxpayer . . . [announcement for short course]
2
Lower Madison Community Fair and Labor Day Picnic [poster]
2
Farmers Hear [poster]
2
Farmers' War Meeting [poster]
2
Dry Farming Exhibit for Triangle Farmers [poster]
2
Official Bulletin of the Dairymen's League

16:  PhotographsReturn to Top

This series includes photographs removed from various folders throughout the collection.

Container(s) Description
Box Folder
20 3
Photographs #1-5
20 4
Photographs #6-10
20 5
Photographs #11-15
20 6
Photographs #15-20
20 7
Photographs #21-27
20 8
Photographs #28-32

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Agricultural extension work-Government policy-United States
  • Agricultural laws and legislation-United States
  • Agriculture and state-United States
  • Agriculture-History
  • Farm law-United States
  • New Deal, 1933-1939
  • Reconstruction (1939-1951)

Personal Names

  • Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826

Corporate Names

  • American Farm Bureau Federation
  • Montana State University (Bozeman, Mont.). Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics
  • Montana State University (Bozeman, Mont.). Extension Service.
  • United States. Agricultural Adjustment Administration
  • United States. Department of Agriculture. Officials and employees

Kim Allen Scott, 2009. Updated by Heather Mulliner, 2022.
2022

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