Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

RS 21/7/210
Arnold B. Skromme (1917-2008)
Papers, 1805-2008, n.d.


Descriptive summary

creator:

Skromme, Arnold B. (1917-2008)
title:

Papers

dates:

1805-2008, n.d.
extent:

5.30 linear ft. (3 records center cartons and 1 oversize box)
collection number:

RS 21/7/210
repository:

University Archives, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research
publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation:

Arnold B. Skromme Papers, RS 21/7/210, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Biographical note

Arnold Burton Skromme was born to Austin and Belle (Holmedal) Skromme on April 1, 1917, in Zearing, Iowa. He graduated from Kelley (Iowa) Consolidated High School and received his B.S. (1941) in agricultural engineering from Iowa State College (University).

During World War II, Skromme was employed as a Development Engineer (1941-1945) for the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. of Akron, Ohio. He was hired by Auto Specialties Manufacturing Co. of St. Joseph, Michigan, as a Sales Engineer (1945-1947) and then worked as a Research Agricultural Engineer (1947-1950) at the Pineapple Research Institute in Honolulu, Hawaii. Skromme then joined Deere & Company, working as Assistant Chief Engineer (1950-1955) at the John Deere Ottumwa Works in Ottumwa, Iowa. He was promoted to Chief Engineer (1955-1970) of the John Deere Spreader Works in East Moline, Illinois. He was Chief Product Engineer (1970-1984) for John Deere Harvester Works in East Moline, Illinois, where he supervised the designing and testing of a variety of farm equipment.

Skromme was a Fellow of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (now the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers), serving as Vice-President (1965-1968) and on numerous committees including the Historic Commemoration Committee and the Standards Committee. He was also a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), Society of American Value Engineers, and the Moline Rotary Club. During his career, he obtained over a dozen patents and authored two books, The 7-Ability Plan (Archives call no. LB1590.5 S57 1989) and The Cause and Cure of Dropouts: Seven Bell Curves for Each Student (Archives call no. LC146.6 S57x 1998).

Arnold Skromme married Lois Lucille Martin on September 14, 1940. Together they had four children: Roger, Keith, Debbie, and Erik. Arnold Skromme died on August 8, 2008.

 

Collection description

This collection (1870-2008, n.d.) contains biographical information, papers and speeches by Skromme, correspondence and meeting materials related to Skromme's committee work for the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE), and research files on various farm machinery and inventors used for his work on the ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee and his books. The collection also contains copies of several patents assigned to Skromme.

Skromme's papers, presentations, and speeches are primarily concerned with agricultural engineering topics, including articles on hitch safety chains, rollover protection for farm tractors, the history of balers, and a history of the ASAE. Aside from technical concerns, Skromme was also very interested in the education of current and future engineering students. Several presentations and papers as well as his two books investigate ways to better identify and educate future generations of students and engineers.

As a member of the ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee, Skromme provided research assistance and supported recognition for various achievements throughout the history of agriculture in the United States. Files of research and work related to this committee are included in this collection and consist of correspondence, meeting minutes, research files, photographs, and materials related to the dedication of historic milestone markers. A significant amount of material related to the history of the baler (or forage harvester) is included in these research files.

 

Organization

The collection is listed in alphabetical order with biographical information filed at the front.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1

Biographical information

1963-2008, n.d.

1

2

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): Air planters, correspondence

1990

1

3

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): Center point irrigation, correspondence

1991

1

4

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): Cotton gin, correspondence

1975-1987

1

5

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): Cotton gin, dedication ceremony for historic milestone marker

1986

1

6

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): FMC continuous rotary pressure sterilizer, correspondence

1982-1984

1

7

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): Hart-Parr farm tractor, research information

n.d.

1

8

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): Holt crawler tractor and sidehill combine, correspondence and research materials

1892-1982

1

9

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): John Johnston tile drainage plaque, correspondence

1989

1

10

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): Manning-Hussey sickle mower, research material

1988

1

11

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): Milestone markers (2- 8x10" b/w photographs)

1972-1985, n.d.

1

12

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): Pickup forage harvester, correspondence and research materials

1980-1986

1

13

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): Pickup forage harvester, dedication ceremony for historic milestone marker

1983-1989

1

14

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): Pickup forage harvester, dedication ceremony for historic milestone marker (52- 3.5x5" color photographs)

1985-1990

2

1

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): Pickup hay baler, dedication ceremony for historic milestone marker

1970-1980, n.d.

2

2

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): Pickup hay baler, dedication ceremony for historic milestone marker (8- 3.5x5" b/w photographs; 11 color slides)

1980, n.d.

2

3

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): Rollover protection structures for tractors, dedication ceremony for historic milestone marker

n.d.

2

4

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): Round balers, historical information

1988-1990

2

5

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): Tush hayrake, research information

1988

2

6

ASAE Historic Commemoration Committee (A-123): USDA soil tillage lab at Auburn University, research material

1990,n.d.

2

7-8

ASAE Power and Machinery Division Standards Committee (PM-03): Correspondence and proposals

1979-1980

2

9

ASAE Power and Machinery Division Standards Committee (PM-03): Meeting agenda

1987

2

10

ASAE: Correspondence and programs

1985-1987

2

11

ASAE: Meeting programs and newsletter

1987

2

12

ASAE-SAE Standards Coordinating Committee: Minutes, notes, and correspondence

1983-1984

2

13-14

Book chapter on the history of balers (draft)

1983

3

1

Book chapter on the history of balers (draft)

1983-1984

3

2

Book on the history of hay and forage harvesting: Correspondence and notes

1981, n.d.

9

 

Charts of machinery (probably baler) production and models

1920-1983

3

3

Correspondence

1958

3

4

Correspondence: John Deere and ASAE

1983-1984

3

5

Correspondence: Publication of book

1985-1987

3

6

History of the baler: Ann Arbor baling presses (10- 8x10" b/w, 1- 4x5" b/w, 1- 5x7" b/w photographs)

1930s, n.d.

3

7

History of the baler: Ann Arbor Machine Co. literature

1932-1936, n.d.

3

8

History of the baler: Bricker baler patent (photocopy)

1900

3

9

History of the baler: Correspondence with Tallman family, includes notes

1943-1975, n.d.

3

10

John Deere: Metric System use at plants

1978-1981

3

11

John Deere: Product information materials (3- 8x10" b/w photographs)

n.d.

3

12

John Deere: Parts list for 212 platform with 132" belt and 220 flex platform

1984

3

13

Letters to inventors

1995

3

14

List of papers

n.d.

3

15

Paper: "Accelerated Testing of Farm Machinery"

1959

3

16

Paper: "Belt Moldboard Plow Designed for Non-Scouring Soils"

1950

3

17

Paper: "Creative Inventors: Their History, Education, and Importance," presented at Agricultural Machinery Conference

1985-1986

3

18

Paper: "Curriculum in Creative Agricultural Engineering"

1993

3

19

Paper: "Developing a Hitch Safety Chain," includes related speech

1967-1972

3

20

Paper: "Development and Related Standards Activities of a Hitch Safety Chain for Agricultural Equipment"

1969

3

21

Paper: "Development of a Shelling Attachment for a Two-Row Mounted Corn Picker" (original and published versions)

1958-1959

3

22

Paper: "Equations for Bolted Joints," includes notes and correspondence

1979-1984

4

1

Paper: "Farm Safety Program Sponsored by Farmers,"

1990

4

2

Paper: "Growth of ASAE and the Farm Equipment Industry 1907-1970"

1970

4

3

Paper: "History of Rollover Protection for Farm Tractors," includes correspondence and news clippings

1988

4

4

Paper: "History of the Invention of the Pickup Forage Harvester"

1989

4

5

Paper: "How to Identify and Educate Creative Engineers"

1994

4

6

Paper: "Importance of the First Pickup Hay Baler to World Agriculture"

1980

4

7

Paper: "Juice Protein from Plants," includes correspondence and notes for related presentations

1973-1975, n.d.

4

8

Paper: "Management of Engineering Programs with MBO-PERT Networks," includes correspondence

1983-1984

4

9

Paper: "Plan for Identifying and Maximizing Children's Best Abilities"

1987-1988

4

10

Paper: "Power and Machinery Major Thrusts – Second 75 Years"

1981

4

11

Paper: "Review of Cattle Feeding in the USA," includes resource material and correspondence

1973

4

12

Paper: "Role of Industry and Technical Societies in Continuing Education for Agricultural Engineers," includes correspondence and presentation notes

1973

4

13

Paper: "Towers Over the American Countryside"

1984

4

14

Paper: "Value Engineering in Farm Equipment – The Magic of a 5-Man Team," includes correspondence and drafts

1975

5

1

Patent list

1987

5

2

Patent: "Endless Band Track" (patent no. 2,476,828)

1949

5

3

Patent: "Molded Rubber Traction Chain" (patent no. 2,459,751)

1949

5

4

Patent: "Portable Automatic-Tension Grinder" (patent no. 2,573,501)

1951

5

5

Patent: "Stubble Plow" (patent no. 2,689,512)

1954

5

6

Patent: "Trash Mulch Seed Bed Machine" (patent no. 2,748,535)

1956

5

7

Photographs: Historical agricultural machinery (59- 3.5x5 b/w photographs)

n.d.

5

8

Photographs: Unidentified machinery and people (6- 3x4" b/w and 1- 3x5" color photographs; 1 color slide)

1963, n.d.

9

 

Posters: Moline Plow Company and VC Fertilizers

1918, 1952

5

9

Presentation: "Automatic Control and Guidance of Field Vehicles in Europe," ASAE Roundtable, Chicago, December; includes notes and correspondence

1973

5

10

Presentation: "Curriculum in Creative Engineering"

1992

5

11

Presentation: "Inventors in My Lifetime" notes

1975

5

12

Presentation: "Successful Value Engineering – Before Production," includes correspondence

1975

5

13

Presentation: "Value Analysis Program," includes notes and correspondence (7 color slides)

1972

5

14

Presentation: "World Food Problems" notes

1974

5

15

Programs listing Skromme as speaker

1993-1999, n.d.

5

16

Report and correspondence to Blackberry Historical Farm-Village, Aurora, Illinois, regarding its historical agricultural machines collection

1986-1988, n.d.

5

17

Report on suggestions for the Living History Farms, Des Moines, Iowa

1988

5

18

Report on the history of mulch tillage, includes correspondence

1990

5

19

Report: "Agricultural Rubber Track Development" (15- 5x7" b/w photographs)

1944

5

20

Research materials: "Industrial Loader and Bulldozer for 40-C Crawler Tractor" by Merrill Roscoe

1955

6

1

Research materials: Cotton gin

1805-1985

6

2

Research materials: Cotton gin

1933-1986

6

3

Research materials: Forage harvester

1891-1993, n.d.

6

4

Research materials: Hay and forage harvesting, correspondence, manuals, and patents (1- 8x10" b/w photograph)

1945-1983

6

5

Research materials: History of Rubber Tires on Tractors and Implements

1987, 1996

6

6

Research materials: Commentary by J. Rabinou on paper by Skromme, unidentified tape, "The Care and Feeding of Innovators" Lewis W. Lehr (3 audiotapes)

1987, n.d.

6

7

Research materials: Interviews with A. Marts Home, Eugene Keeton, Averill Bennet (3 audiotapes)

1985, n.d.

7

1

Research materials: Interview with Kopasha, narration for pictures, Bruhn talking about dewatering (3 audiotapes)

n.d.

7

2

Research materials: Interviews with Kopasha, Jack Crane, Larry?, Keith Elwid? (3 audiotapes)

n.d.

7

3

Research materials: Interviews with Tom Scarnato, unidentified Englishman, Ed Nolt (3 audiotapes)

n.d.

7

4

Research materials: Inventors – Antos, Joseph

1986-1988

7

5

Research materials: Inventors – Avrea, Walter

1970-1992

7

6

Research materials: Inventors – Battista, Orlando

1986-1987

7

7

Research materials: Inventors – Blanshine, Allison

1985

7

8

Research materials: Inventors – Buchele, Wesley

1987-1988

7

9

Research materials: Inventors – Camras, Marvin

1988

7

10

Research materials: Inventors – Chaconas, Peter

1988

7

11

Research materials: Inventors – Davidson, William

1988, n.d.

7

12

Research materials: Inventors – Davis, Charles J.

1948, 1985

7

13

Research materials: Inventors – Elwick, Keith

1959-1987

7

14

Research materials: Inventors – Goeddert, Mel

1985, n.d.

7

15

Research materials: Inventors – Hillier, James G.

1985-1986

7

16

Research materials: Inventors – Hubbard, Arthur

1979-1985

7

17

Research materials: Inventors – Keeton, Eugene

1979-1987

7

18

Research materials: Inventors and Inventions: Clippings and correspondence

1992-1996, n.d.

7

19

Research materials: Inventors clippings and correspondence

1984-1989

7

20

Research materials: Inventors correspondence

1985-1992

8

1

Research materials: Reapers, ensilage harvesters, and hydraulics (photocopies)

1984-1993, n.d.

8

2

Research materials: Tractors equipped with rubber tracks

1945-1999, n.d.

8

3

Research materials: X8C forage harvester notes

1952

8

4

SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers): Correspondence

1993-1994

8

5

Slides of historic agriculturalists, machinery, and ASAE historic landmark dedication (33 color slides)

n.d.

8

6-7

Speech on the accelerated testing of farm machinery; includes correspondence and notes (14- 8x10" b/w photographs)

1959-1960

8

8

Speech on the evolution of farm mechanization presented to Quad City Section Meeting of ASAE

1982

8

9

Speech on value analysis and related materials (7- 5x7" color photographs)

1971-1978

8

10

Speech to Moline Rotary Club, report on the Moline Citizens Advisory Committee

1968

8

11

Speech: "Design Considerations in Hydrostatic Hydraulics Circuits"

1957

8

12

Speech: "Developing and Maintaining Your Professional Status"

1966

8

13

Speech: "The Exciting Life of a Design Engineer," Includes correspondence and notes

1960-1970

8

14

Trip to Brazil: Correspondence related to Skromme's presentation at the International Workshop on the Utilization of Agricultural Wastes for Feed and Food

1977