Agricultural History

Publications from the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station, Extension Service, or various departments of the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. Published by the Pennsylvania State College; or Pennsylvania State University; or Penn State.

See this listing of resources at Penn State's Special Collections Library

This collection documents the College of Agricultural Sciences' personnel and several of its related programs. Included are deans' meeting minutes, publications, correspondence, conference reports, course programs, personnel files, and media.

The Academics and research general vertical file contains newsletters, programs, pamphlets, magazines, clippings, annual reports, histories, meeting minutes, and course descriptions for the college of Agriculture and the department of Agricultural Extension.

The collection contains photographs of activities in the departments within the College of Agriculture.

This collection consists of research publications, project outlines, bulletins, research reports, correspondence, and legislation.

The bulk of this collection contains the county extension agents' narrative and statistical annual reports, financial records, publications, correspondence course records, a large collection of glass slides.

Books, Yearbooks, and other materials about Forestry Education in PA and at Penn State.

This collection documents the history and centennial celebration of the School of Forest Resources through early 20th century research publications, minute books from the student athletic association from the 1920s-1930s, autobiographical accounts of alumni, and 1 audio- and 1 video recording.

The collection contains community studies questionnaire, interview schedules, and some newsletters; trends by town chapter; leadership study; and community survey schedules by town for Millville, Mill Hall, Troy, Richland, Linesville, Wyalusing, Mercersburg, Benton, Martinsburg, Middleburg, Howard, Centre Hall, Spring Grove, Halifax, and McConnellsburg, Pa.

Records of the Department. Also contains two scrapbooks dating from 1914 to 1936 as well as the contents of a 1931 time capsule (dairy-related booklets and 28 photographs) that was buried when Borland Hall was constructed in 1932 and re-opened in 2007.

The collection contains central farm reports, barn books, farm account books, record book of crops and plots, tobacco experiments, financial records and account books, faculty notebooks, glass plate slides, blueprints and drawings for labs and equipment, fruit charts and articles (1861-1871), correspondence (1887-1889), and Harvey Thomas's diary (1859-1860).

This collection of the Department of Poultry Husbandry primarily consists of undated personnel records, as well as a photo album from India in the 1950s and newspaper clippings (1926-1938).

Created by Charles Rutschky in 1994 to document the history of that department. Materials include reports, biographical files, articles, photographs, 39 audio tapes, correspondence, course materials, publications, diaries, newsletters, research project reports, and meeting minutes.

This collection of records of the Entomology Department contains extensive photographic negatives (both film and glass plate), enrollment records, budget information, evaluation reports, faculty photographs, book plates, lecture notes, course offerings, project descriptions, conference notes, and historical notes.

This collection of the Department of Horticulture records primarily documents faculty research. Items included are reports, horticulture club scrapbooks, research records, department publications, and field trials

This collection documents Jerome Pasto's presentation on Evan Pugh for the United States Bicentennial Celebration and one 1998 scrapbook about the Penn State Agricultural Museum.

The collection of Penn State professor and treasurer John Hamilton includes his writings and speeches, and official daybooks and ledgers of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Farmers' Institute and Pennsylvania State College dating from 1865 to 1919. The collection documents the financial transactions of the college in its first four decades as well as Hamilton's involvement in agricultural and rural reform activities.

The collection contains research files, reports, papers, correspondence, and administrative materials documenting agricultural economist James Holt's service as a professor and consultant in farm labor and management.

The papers of professor of agricultural extension Milton S. McDowell include correspondence, articles, notes, 120 glass plate negatives, and reports.

This collection of Henry P. Armsby consists of booklets and reprints of his articles on calorie needs of livestock.

The Ralph L. Watts papers document his activities, speeches, and correspondence. Items include diaries, one scrapbook of his 25th wedding anniversary, photographs, personal and professional correspondence, and speaking engagement notes and outlines.

John Almquist's papers are categorized into three basic subgroups; 1) Personal Papers; 2) Professional and Research Materials; 3) Publications and Writings. The collection contains files ranging from his childhood to his retirement, however, the principal focus is on his professional career at Penn State from 1944-1981.

This mostly undated photographic collection consists primarily of glass lantern slides, film negatives, photographic prints, and a disassembled photograph scrapbook. Together, they constitute a collection of images about forestry and the logging industry useful in classroom illustration.

College of Agricultural Sciences History

includes sections for:
1892-76
1976-2012
Additional Information

includes sections for:
The History of the Department of Agriculture and Extension Education
A Brief History of the Department Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology

includes sections for:
Dairy and Animal Science 1887-2003
Poultry Science 1920-2012
2021 update

Forestry and Soil Science

Includes sections for:
Horticulture
Agronomy
Turfgrass

includes some history and ice cream making facts