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

RS 9/2/0/6
Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station
An Series, 1951-1988


Descriptive summary

creator: Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station
title: An Series
dates: 1951-1988
extent: 1.68 linear feet (4 document boxes)
collection number: RS 9/2/0/6
repository: University Archives, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access: Open for research
publication rights: Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation: Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station An Series, RS 9/2/0/6, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Abstract

Established as a result of the Hatch Act of 1887, the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station is the research arm of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University. The Experiment Station conducts multidisciplinary research to help solve the complex agricultural problems facing scientists and farmers today. This collection consists of bound volumes of monthly newsletters sent to Cooperative Extension Service personnel and Experiment Station employees. These monthly newsletters contain information on conferences, meetings, and personnel changes, but the largest section was dedicated to sharing the latest Experiment Station research results.

 

Historical note

The Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station was founded at Iowa State as a result of legislation passed by the U.S. Congress in 1887. Known as the Hatch Act, the legislation provided for the funding of agricultural research at Land Grant Colleges. On March 1, 1888, the Iowa General Assembly approved the terms of the Hatch Act and the Iowa Experiment Station was established. Administrative oversight of the Experiment Station was assigned to the Board of Trustees of the Iowa Agricultural College (Iowa State University). The Board, in turn, elected Captain R. P. Speer as the first director of the Experiment Station.

Early efforts of the Experiment Station staff involved establishing an orchard and planting experimental plots of grains, grasses, and vegetables on the campus grounds. Starting in 1888, the Experiment Station published quarterly Bulletins that described activities and results of the research conducted by the staff. Many of these results are also included in annual reports prepared by the director. In 1911, the staff, which by this time consisted of a combination of specialized researchers and a part-time teaching force, first published research bulletins and soon offered the first research fellowships.

Since its inception, the Experiment Station has existed under the auspices of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and it is not surprising that the Dean of the College also holds the title of Director of the Experiment Station. Although it serves as the research arm of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Experiment Station also supports programs in almost every other college at Iowa State and at a number of off-campus research facilities in the surrounding area. During the earliest years of its existence, Experiment Station research focused on soil, crops, horticulture, and dairying. Today, research conducted by Experiment Station staff has become over-arching in scope and multidisciplinary in practice reflecting the complexity of agricultural problems facing scientists and farmers today.

 

Collection description

This collection (1951-1988) consists of bound volumes of newsletters sent to Cooperative Extension Service personnel and Experiment Station employees. The Extension Service gave this particular newsletter the "An" designation. These monthly newsletters contain information on conferences, meetings, and personnel changes, but the largest section was dedicated to sharing the latest Experiment Station research results. Each newsletter contains brief summaries of the research being conducted along with the resulting conclusions. This set of newsletters spans nearly four decades and provides valuable insight into the kind of research being conducted by agriculture and home economics faculty and staff associated with the Experiment Station.

 

Related materials

Related collections in the Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library include:

  • Collections related to the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station are classified under RS 9/2
  • Publications of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station include:

  • Annual Report (call no. S542 I09ra)
  • Bulletin (call no. S542 Io9b)
  • Bulletin P (call no. S542 Io9bp)
  • Circular (call no. S542 Io9c)
  • Farm Science Reporter (call no. S1 F21)
  • Research Bulletin (call no. S542 Io9rb)
  •  

    Organization

    The collection is organized chronologically.

     

    Container list

    Box

    Folder

    Title

    Dates

    1

    1-4

    An Series

    1951-1958

    2

    1-4

    An Series

    1959-1966

    3

    1-5

    An Series

    1967-1976

    4

    1-6

    An Series

    1977-1988