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

MS 256
Kenneth Kopf (1904-1997)
Papers, 1895-1994, undated


Descriptive summary

creator: Kopf, Kenneth (1904-1997)
title: Papers
dates: 1895-1994, undated
extent: 7.98 linear feet (19 document boxes)
collection number: MS 256
repository: Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access: Open for research
publication rights: Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation: Kenneth Kopf Papers, MS 256, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Biographical note

Kenneth Kopf (1904-1997) was born in Farrar, Iowa on May 28, 1904. He received a B.S. (1930) in Agronomy and a Ph.D (1952) in Genetics from Iowa State University. Kopf began his career with F. H. Woodruff & Sons of Milford, CT as a plant-breeding supervisor (1933-1944). He then worked as a geneticist for the Hawaiian Pineapple Company (1944-1949) and after serving as a graduate assistant at Iowa State College (University) (1949-1952), he moved to the United Nations where he worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization in Iraq (1952). Kopf then became an agricultural advisor for the U.S. Agency for International Development and worked in Korea (1954), Columbia (1960), Nigeria (1965), and Vietnam (1970).

Kopf was a book collector from a young age, and has donated hundreds of books to the Iowa State University Library.

Kopf died January 19, 1997.

 

Collection description

This collection (1895-1994, undated) consists of both personal and professional documents and artifacts, including correspondence, reports, publications, course notes, photographs, and certificates.

 

Organization

This collection is organized into ten series:

 

Description of series

Series 1 Biographical Information 1930-1994, undated
extent: 0.84 linear feet
description: Series contains documents about Kopf's personal life, including certificates for both he and his wife, personal correspondence, and other non-work-related activities. This series is arranged alphabetically.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1

50th Class Reunion (Iowa State University) List

1985

1

2

 Appointment calendar

1954

1

3

 Appointment calendar with prints from the collection of the museum of modern art

1957

1

4

 Certificates: Grace E. Kopf

1950, 1952

1

5

 Certificates (11)

1930-1991

1

6

 Correspondence: personal

1970-1971

1

7

 Correspondence and ephemera

1950-1967

1

8

 Correspondence and publications (WW II)

1941-1942

1

9

 Correspondence related to returning to Iowa State for completion of PhD.

1948-1949

1

10

 Correspondence with First National Bank, Ames, IA

1966-1970

1

11

 First aid training (WW II)

1941-1942

1

12

 General correspondence

1952-1974

1

13

 Grace E. Kopf WAC materials

1942-1947

1

14

 Grace Elizabeth Jones Kopf (1 4x5" B&W prints)

1952

1

15

 Grace Kopf: Women's Army Auxiliary Corps

1943

1

16

 Iowa State College Diploma (B.S.) and graduation program - Grace E. Kopf

1950

2

1

 Iowa State College Diploma (M.S.) and graduation program - Grace E. Kopf

1952

2

2

 Ken Kopf's 90th birthday party invitation

1994

2

3

 Letters opened by government censors

1944, undated

2

4

 Masters Thesis - Grace E. Kopf

1952

2

5

 NAFTA correspondence and background publications

1962-1993

2

6

 Pan Am Airline commemorative certificates (2)

1960

2

7

 Personal correspondence

1971-1974

2

8

 Personal photographs (6 8x10" B&W prints)

ca. 1930s

2

9

 Personnel evaluations/comment

1970-1973

2

10

 Personnel questionnaire (6 8x10" color prints)

1969

2

11

 Personnel records

1954-1959

2

12

 Personnel records

1971

2

13

 Red Cross, Civil Defense, and WAC

1934, 1940-1942

2

14

 Revised rough draft of Kopf's PhD thesis

1952

2

15

 Sigma Xi Newsletter

1983, 1986

2

16

 Milford Conn. Sketches of Grace and Ken Kopf

ca. 1936-1938

 

Description of series

Series 2 Course notes 1920-1952, undated
extent: 2.94 linear feet
description: Notes and other miscellaneous coursework during Kopf's education at Iowa State College (University). This series is arranged alphabetically.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

3

1

Agronomy 621, 622, 624, Botany 624

1949-1951

3

2

Agronomy 645 A & B

1952

3

3

Animal husbandry 506B

1936

3

4

Bibliographies

1927-1931

3

5

Blue book exam: one of Dr. Lush's early courses

1933

3

6

Botany 130a

1929-1930

3

7

Botany 143a

1931

3

8

Botany 145: Cytology

1931

3

9

Botany 200

1929

3

10

Botany 201

undated

3

11

Chemistry 502A, 503A, 606, 751A, 751B

1926-1927, undated

3

12

Chemistry 890

1930

3

13

Chemistry 890

1931

4

1

Cornell University Department of Plant Breeding

1930-1936

4

2

Cytology and Morphology

1931-1932

4

3

Des Moines University Extension certificate: Elementary Psychology

1924

4

4

Disease resistance papers

1920-1930, undated

4

5

Economic Science 119 and 120

1929-1930

4

6

Elementary genetics 130 (Lindstrom)

1929

4

7

Farm Crops

undated

4

8

Farm Crops 151

1924

4

9

Farm Crops 152

1924-1925

4

10

Farm Crops 153 and 251

1930

4

11

Farm Crops 156

1929

4

12

Farm Crops 159

1929

4

13

Genetics

1950-1952

4

14

Genetics

1934-1935

4

15

Genetics: R. A. Fisher

1931

4

16

Genetics 130

ca. 1930

4

17

Genetics 300

1941

4

18

Genetics 300, 305, 540, 630, 635

1950-1951

5

1

Genetics 530

1935

5

2

Genetics 630

undated

5

3

Genetics 635

1950-1951

5

4

Genetics essays

ca. 1930s

5

5

Genetics of populations: J. L. Lush (1 of 2)

1949

5

6

Genetics of populations: J. L. Lush (2 of 2)

1949

5

7

Genetics seminar (Jay Lush)

Dec. 10, 1930

5

8

"Genetics varia" (1 of 3)

1950-1951

5

9

"Genetics varia" (2 of 3)

1950-1951

6

1

"Genetics varia"  (3 of 3)

1950-1951

6

2

Government 215

1930

6

3

History 124

1929

6

4

History of genetics

undated

6

5

Industrial Science 2B

1925

6

6

"Introduction to the Definite Integral"

undated

6

7

Iowa State College Genetics course

undated

6

8

Lectures in statistics (Gertrude Cox); PRJ-Honolulu

1947

6

9

"Lectures to Prep Engineers in the Fall of 1926"

1926

6

10

Mechanical Engineering 51

undated

6

11

Miscellaneous course notes

1918-1932
 

6

12

Miscellaneous seminars, lectures, readings. Includes correspondence.

1930s

6

13

Mycology (J. C. Gilman) folder 1

ca. 1929

7

1

Mycology (J. C. Gilman) folder 2

ca. 1929

7

2

Mycology (J. C. Gilman) folder 3

ca. 1929

7

3

Physical Education, Bacteriology 314, and misc. notes

ca. 1930

7

4

Physics 208, 209, 210

1928-1929

7

5

Physics 316

1931

7

6

Physics 438

1931

7

7

Physics 567 - Nuclear physics and Biology

1951-1952

7

8

Plant Pathology: C. S. Reddy

1895-1935

7

9

Plant pathology (IE Melhas) folder 1

ca. 1929

8

1

Plant pathology (IE Melhas) folder 2

ca. 1929

8

2

Plant pathology (IE Melhas) folder 3

ca. 1929

8

3

Religious Education 3 and 7

1925

8

4

Scientific Photography: Iowa State Buildings and Gardens (27 4x5 B&W prints)

 

1930-1932

8

5

Scientific Photography: Iowa State Buildings and Gardens (6 glass negatives)

 

1930-1932

8

6

Scientific Photography: painting of a tree on a riverbank (3 glass negatives)

 

1930-1932

8

7

Scientific Photography: painting of a tree on a riverbank (7 4x5" B&W prints)

 

1930-1932

8

8

Scientific Photography: plants and plant cuttings
(7 glass negatives)

 

1930-1932

8

9

Scientific Photography: plants and plant cuttings (29 4x5" B&W prints)

 

1930-1932

8

10

Scientific Photography: scientific illustrations
(4 4x5" B&W prints)

 

1930-1932

8

11

Scientific Photography: unidentified men
(4 4x5" B&W prints)

 

1930-1932

8

12

Scientific Photography: unidentified men
(2 glass negatives)

 

1930-1932

8

13

Scientific Photography (2 lantern slides)

1927-1932

8

14

Soil Classification Short Course

1925

8

15

Soils 151a

1925

8

16

Soils 251

1929

8

17

Soils 252 and 251a

1930

8

18

Soils 451

1930

8

19

Soils 652a and 652b

1930

8

20

Statistics

1949-1950

9

1

Statistics (G. H. Snedecor)

1929-1930

9

2

Statistics (R. A. Fisher)

1931

9

3

Statistics (1 of 2)

1949

9

4

Statistics (2 of 2)

1949

9

5

Statistics 447 (TA Bancroft) folder 1

Winter 1950

9

6

Statistics 447 (TA Bancroft) folder 2

Spring 1950

9

7

Statistics 448  (TA Bancroft) folder 1

Spring 1950

9

8

Statistics 448 (TA Bancroft) folder 2

Spring 1950

9

9

Studies with β-radiation on Tomato Seed

1932

9

10

Technical Journalism 28

1930

 

Description of series

Series 3 F.H. Woodruff & Sons, Milford, Connecticut 1931-1962
extent: 0.42 linear feet
description: Files relating to Kopf's plant breeding work for F.H. Woodruff & Sons, his first job after graduating from college. This series is arranged alphabetically.

 

Container list

 

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

10

1

Correspondence with Crookham Company, Caldwell, Idaho

1941-1942, undated

10

2

Correspondence with ISC professors while at F. H. Woodruff Seed Company (1933-1944)

 

1931-1962

10

3

Descriptions of National Vegetable Variety Trials

1939-1940

10

4

F. H. Woodruff and Sons, correspondence

1939

10

5

F. H. Woodruff and Sons, Milford, Connecticut, reports

1933-1939

10

6

New England Vegetables Trials Standardization records

1936-1941

10

7

Storrs (Connecticut) 1941 Vegetable Variety Trials

1941

10

8

Vegetable trial reports (folder 1)

1938

10

9

Vegetable trial reports (folder 2)

1938

10

10

Vegetable trial reports (folder 3)

1938

 

Description of series

Series 4 Hawaiian Pineapple Company 1935-1956
extent: 0.45 linear feet
description: Correspondence and reports concerning Kopf's work on improving pineapples in Hawaii, includes photographs. This series is arranged alphabetically.

 

Container list

 

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

11

1

Annual Report of the Hawaiian Pineapple Company, Ltd.

May 1946

11

2

Annual Reports for the Hawaiian Pineapple Co., Ltd.

1942-1945, 1948

11

3

Average fruit weight memo

1948

11

4

"The Bromeliads of Brazil"

1943

11

5

Charts: Sugar Crops 1938-1947

1948

11

6

Comparison of Hilo and Cayenne Strains of Ananas Comosus

1944

11

7

Complex experiments

1935-1941

11

8

Correspondence: Rent Control Commission, City and County of Honolulu

 

1946

11

9

Correspondence and related materials (2 5x7" B&W prints)

1948-1949

11

10

Genetics Group Triennial Report 1944-1947

1947

11

11

Genetics Section HAPCO Research Department

1947

11

12

Genetics Section, Research Department, Hawaiian Pineapple Co. Ltd. Quarterly Report Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 1944

1944

11

13

Guava Survey: Lanai and related correspondence

1946

11

14

Guava Survey Data Sheets

1948

11

15

Guava Survey Report for 1947

1947

11

16

Hawaii: Correspondence and reports: Hawaiian Pineapple Co.

1944-1949

11

17

Hawaiian Academy of Science

1954-1956

11

18

Hawaiian Pineapple Company Annual Report

1947

11

19

Invoices (research books)

1944-1948

11

20

Lanai Monthly average fruit weights

1937-1949

11

21

Maui: photographs (14 4x5" B&W prints)

ca. 1940s

11

22

Minutes: Hawaiian Academy of Science

Apr. 1955

11

23

Miscellaneous correspondence

1942-1946, undated

11

24

Oahu average fruit weights annual summaries

1937-1948

12

1

Oahu Monthly average fruit weights

1937-1949

12

2

Photographs: Pineapple (11 4x5" B&W prints)

1946

12

3

Phytophthora Cinnamomi in Relation to Avocado Decline

1946

12

4

Pineapple Research Institute of Hawaii

1947-1949

12

5

Publications: pineapple

1947-1949

12

6

Reference articles collected during HAPCO employment (15)

 

1944-1949

12

7

Reforestation in Hawaii

1944-1949

12

8

Report: Fruit Diseases of Pineapple (11 4x5" B&W prints)

ca. 1948

12

9

Reports and correspondence

1947-1949

12

10

Reports: Pineapple (10 8x10", 1 5x7" B&W prints)

1938-1949

13

1

Statistics techniques

1946-1948

13

2

Watanabe, Ken, "Vitamin C Studies on the Pineapple"

1938

 

Description of series

Series 5 Food and Agricultural Organization 1952-1960
extent: 0.42 linear feet
description: Correspondence, reference materials, and photographs from Kopf's time in Iraq with the FAO. This series is arranged alphabetically.

 

Container list

 

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

13

3

Agricultural Research in Iraq

1952

13

4

Correspondence

1952-1953

13

5

FAO Publication

1960

13

6

FAO assignment financial records

1952-1953

13

7

Lambert, W. - correspondence

1952

13

8

Map of Iraq

1952

13

9

Photographs: Al Hatra (8 4x5" B&W prints)

1952-1953

13

10

Photographs: Amadea (6 4x5" B&W prints)

1952-1953

13

11

Photographs: architectural ruins, buildings, and towns (33 4x5" B&W prints)

1952-1953

13

12

Photographs: Chemchemal soil survey party (4 4x5" B&W prints)

1952-1953

13

13

Photographs: Landscapes (20 4x5" B&W prints)

1952-1953

13

14

Photographs: people: includes explanatory note from Kopf (13 4x5" B&W prints)

1952-1953

13

15

Photographs: people with working animals and farming implements (30 4x5" B&W prints)

1952-1953

13

16

Photographs: Sirsang and milling grain (6 4x5" B&W prints)

1952-1953

13

17

Photographs: tomb of Rafai (6 4x5" B&W prints)

1952-1953

13

18

Photographs: UR (10 4x5" B&W prints)

1952-1953

13

19

Photographs: water features (1 4x5" B&W print)

1952-1953

 

Description of series

Series 6 USAID 1954-1990
extent: 1 linear foot
description: Correspondence, reference files, reports, and other miscellaneous material relating to Kopf's many years in the service of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This series is arranged alphabetically.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

14

1

Annex A-I description, status, and recommendations

undated

14

2

Bandar Buat Research Center Status, Kopf comments, review

 

1977

14

3

Bills/Loan agreements

1957, 1972

14

4

Boston University Orientation: 2 week course

1965

14

5

Business cards and receipts

1954-1960, undated

14

6

Central Sumatra Research Center for Agriculture

1975-1976

14

7

Reports - Columbia (includes map)

1962

14

8

Cornell University Study of Federal Executives

undated

14

9

Correspondence: Nigeria

1965-1970

14

10

Correspondence: Korea

1955-1958

14

11

Correspondence and reports: Colombia

1961-1965

14

12

Correspondence and travel brochures: Vietnam

1970-1971

14

13

Correspondence and travel ephemera: USAID

1968

14

14

Correspondence, articles and reports: Korea

1956-1960

14

15

Correspondence, ephemera and photographs (4 8x10"
B&W prints and 1 5X7" color print): Korea

 

1954-1959

15

1

Federal Executive Inventory

ca. 1970

15

2

Fertilizer records: Korea

1959

15

3

Final draft of Evaluation Report of Team: Korea

1978

15

4

Inventory of household furniture and equipment

Feb. 15, 1973

15

5

Invitations to Far East Seed Improvement Regional Meetings

1959-1960

15

6

Japanese receipt

March 27, 1956

15

7

Kolifa/Tane Integrated Farmers Association (Kotaifaass) Mayosoh: translated by John B. Kamara

 

1989-1990

15

8

Korea - Evaluation of AID Loan 489-T0088, Suweon, Republic of South Korea

 

1978

15

9

Korea: USAID Reports

1975

15

10

Maize and Rice Production (Nigeria)

1970

15

11

Sumatra: map of project location; Ambassador's invitation

1976

15

12

Map of South Vietnam

undated

15

13

Measuring pole

1971

15

14

Nigeria: Conference Papers from Cereals Conference held in Zaria, Nigeria

 

Oct. 1969

15

15

Performance evaluation report: Kenneth Kopf, Agronomy Advisor, Lagos, Nigeria

 

1968

15

16

Personnel evaluations

1958-1960

15

17

Plan of Work Cropping System Project in Southern Sumatera

 

1976

16

1

Professional correspondence

1971-1974

16

2

Request for extension of Vietnam tour

1972

16

3

Review of the Proposed Sumatra Agricultural Research Project

 

1977

16

4

Sumatra notes

1977

16

5

U.S. Visit Chief of Crops Division Columbian Department of Agriculture

 

1965

16

6

Vietnam: Correspondence & publications

1972-1974

 

Description of series

Series 7 Conferences/workshops 1934-1974
extent: 0.42 linear feet
description: Conference materials from various plant breeding/genetics related conferences and workshops in which Kopf attended/participated. This series is arranged alphabetically.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

16

7

2nd Far East seed improvement workshop (folder 1)

1959

16

8

2nd Far East seed improvement workshop (folder 2)

May 1959

16

9

3rd International Biometric Conference

Sept. 1-5, 1953

16

10

9th international conference of genetics

Aug. 24-31, 1953

16

11

American Seed Trade Assn. Hybrid Sweet Corn Committee Records

1935-1938

16

12

Conference on bacterial wilt of sweet corn

June 26, 1934

17

1

Annual Congress of Genetics, Stockholm, Sweden
(1 of 3)

1948

17

2

Annual Conference of Genetics (2 of 3)

1948

17

3

Annual conference of genetics (3 8x10" B&W prints)
(3 of 3)

1948

17

4

Heterosis Conference

July 1950

17

5

Maryland canning crops conference

Feb. 10-11, 1938

 

17

6

Meeting on winged bean (folder 1)

Oct. 24-26, 1974

17

7

Meeting on winged bean (folder 2)

Oct. 24-26, 1974

17

8

Society for International Development 1st Annual International Conference

1959

 

Description of series

Series 8 Writings 1951-1952
extent: 1 folder
description: Kopf's abstracts written in 1952.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

17

9

Abstracts by Kenneth Kopf July 1952: includes correspondence.

1951-1952

 

Description of series

Series 9 Publications/Reports 1926-1983
extent: 0.45 linear feet
description: Reports collected by Kopf that relate to his work in plant genetics. This series is arranged alphabetically.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

17

10

"Tanzania: Future Horticultural Development Recommendations"

1967

17

11

514-AA-13-AB Agricultural Diversification

1964

18

1

Additions to: The Measurement of Linkage in Heredity-

1951

18

2

Agro Climatology Report Number 1 and 2

1976

18

3

Biological Abstracts (carbon copies)

1950-1952

18

4

Chile: soil conservation pamphlet (in Spanish)

1960

18

5

Corn Breeding Program (F. H. Woodruff & Son, Inc., Milford, CT) 1943 Results with history of work from 1935 to 1943 inclusive

1943

18

6

Corn hybrids

1935-1936

18

7

Fiber crops

1939-1956

18

8

Glossary of genetic terms

1931-1932

18

9

Indexes to periodicals and technical bulletins (8)

1926- 1937

18

10

Literature Abstracts: On Agrobiology

1940s-1950s

18

11

Miscellaneous Genetics material

ca. 1930

18

12

National Academy of Sciences: Committee on the winged bean

1974

18

13

Notes and publications: U.S. Navy

1969-1983

18

14

Puerto Rico: sweet potatoes

undated

18

15

Results of the TM5 Comparison Experiment

undated

18

16

Significance of silicic acid in nutrition and resistance of squash leave to true mildew

 

1940

18

17

Wheat species crosses given by K. Kopf

Jan. 29, 1932

Artifact Collection

 

Medal (first place) American Royal Crops Judging Contest, Kansas City, Missouri

1929

 

Description of series

Series 10 Plant breeding 1931-1939
extent: 3 folders
description: Materials gathered by Kopf in the course of his research on plant breeding. This series is arranged alphabetically.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

19

1

Correspondence: Plant Breeding

1934-1939

19

2

Greenhouse and greenhouse supplies material

1935-1938

19

3

Plant breeding supplies

1931-1938