Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140
MS 438
Risser, James V., Jr. (1938- )
Papers, 1963-1983, n.d.
Descriptive summary
| creator: | Risser, James V., Jr. (1938- ) |
| title: | Papers |
| dates: | 1963-1983, n.d. |
| extent: | 5.88 linear ft. (14 document boxes) |
| collection number: | MS 438 |
| repository: | Special Collections Department, Iowa State University. |
Administrative information
| access: | Open for research |
| publication rights: | Consult Head, Special Collections Department |
| preferred citation: | James V. Risser, Jr. Papers, MS 438, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library. |
Biographical note
James V. Risser, Jr. was born on May 8, 1938 in Lincoln, Nebraska. He received his B.A. in psychology from the University of Nebraska (1959), a Juris Doctor (J.D.) (1962) from the University of San Francisco's law school, and then returned to the University of Nebraska for a professional certificate in journalism. Risser was an investigative reporter who worked for the Des Moines Register for twenty years beginning in 1964. In 1969 he transferred to the Register's Washington bureau, and was the Register's Washington bureau chief (1976-1985). While working for the Register, Risser won two Pulitzer Prizes for National Reporting, one in 1976 for articles exposing corruptive practices of the grain exporting industry in the United States, and the other in 1979 for a series of stories on how modern American agricultural practices harm the environment. Risser accepted the directorship of the John S. Knight Fellowships for Professional Journalists at Stanford University, which he held until his retirement (1985-2000). |
Collection description
The collection (1963-1983, n.d.) continues trial documents, copies of laws and regulations, correspondence, articles, clippings, court documents and Risser's notes and rough drafts related to his Pulitzer Prize winning articles. Also included are some copies of the prize winning articles. Most of the collection consists of Risser's research materials of the grain inspection scandals, but also includes material from his research on farming and the environment. For a related collection that includes correspondence with Risser, please see the Frank R. Eyerly Papers (MS 132). |
Organization
The collection is organized into two series: |
Description of series
| Series 1 | Grain Inspection Scandals | 1963-1980, n.d. |
| extent: | 4.58 linear feet | |
| description: | The series contains documents Risser used during his investigation of the grain inspection and exporting industry and includes hearing testimonies and bills of the Senate and House, laws and regulations related to grain inspection and exportation, documents from various trials, correspondence, articles, and Risser's notes and rough drafts. The series is arranged alphabetically. | |
Container list
Box |
Folder |
Title |
Dates |
1 |
1 |
Articles (reprints and photocopies) of prize winning articles |
1975 |
1 |
2 |
Bunge Corp |
1975 |
1 |
3 |
Cargill and Grain Standards |
1976 |
1 |
4 |
Certificates: Pink and Yellow |
1975 |
1 |
5 |
Civil Suits |
1975 |
1 |
6 |
Clapper Award |
1976 |
1 |
7-9 |
Congressional Conference Committee |
1976 |
1 |
10 |
Congressional Record |
1975-1976 |
1 |
11 |
Congressional Remarks on Grain Inspection |
1975 |
1 |
12 |
Continental Grain Co. |
1975-1976 |
2 |
1-2 |
Cook Industries |
1976-1977 |
2 |
3 |
Correspondence |
1976 |
2 |
4 |
Correspondence: Barry Barrios |
1975 |
2 |
5 |
Correspondence: B.T. Skeels |
1975 |
2 |
6 |
Correspondence: Willard W. Griffin (Office of the Inspector General), Special Agent |
1971-1975 |
2 |
7 |
De-Certification of Louisiana Department of Agriculture |
1963-1968 |
2 |
8 |
Des Moines Grain Exchange |
1964-1975 |
2 |
9 |
Destrehan (Louisiana) Board of Trade |
1976 |
2 |
10 |
Food for Peace |
n.d. |
2 |
11 |
Foreign Complaints |
1973,n.d. |
2 |
12 |
Foreign Complaints Re: Grain Shipments |
1975 |
2 |
13 |
Gallinghouse, Gerald, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana (Clippings) |
1975-1976 |
2 |
14 |
Grain Grades and Standards |
1975-1977 |
3 |
1 |
Greater Baton Rouge Port Commission |
1975-1976 |
3 |
2-6 |
Grain Inspection |
1977-1980 |
3 |
7 |
Grain Inspection: Correspondence |
1975-1976 |
4 |
1 |
Grain Inspection: Farm Organizations' Responses |
1975-1976 |
4 |
2 |
Grain Inspection: Notes |
n.d. |
4 |
3 |
House of Representatives - Agriculture Committee: Grain Inspection System |
1975 |
4 |
4-5 |
House of Representatives - Agriculture Committee: Grain Inspection System |
1975-1976 |
4 |
6 |
House of Representatives: H.R.12572 (U.S. Grain Standards Act of 1976) |
1976 |
4 |
7-8 |
House of Representatives: Committee on Government Operation Subcommittee Hearings on Investigation of the Commodity Credit Corporation, pt.4, 1960. Report of Comptroller General of U.S. Assessment of the National Grain Inspection System |
1976 |
5 |
1-3 |
House of Representatives: Committee on Agriculture, Subcommittee on Livestock and Grains Hearing |
1979 |
5 |
4 |
House of Representatives: Neal Smith Bill regarding Grain Inspection |
1975 |
5 |
5 |
Houston, Texas grain inspection: notes, memoranda, news clippings |
1975-1976 |
5 |
6 |
Inspection Agencies and Points |
1975 |
5 |
7 |
Notes |
n.d. |
5 |
8 |
Sources, Inquiries, etc. |
n.d. |
6 |
1 |
Mississippi River Grain Elevator |
1975-1976 |
6 |
2 |
Montana: Big Sandy Grain Company – notes, correspondence, Congressional Record (June 11, 1975) |
1975 |
6 |
3 |
Negrotto, Drebing A. – supervisor in grain industry |
1975 |
6 |
4 |
New Orleans Trip, April |
1975 |
6 |
5 |
New Orleans Trip, June |
1975 |
6 |
6 |
New Orleans Trip, July |
1975 |
6 |
7 |
New Orleans Trip, August |
1975 |
6 |
8 |
New Orleans Trip, December |
1975 |
6 |
9 |
New Orleans Trip, January |
1976 |
6 |
10 |
New Orleans Trip, April |
1977 |
7 |
1-2 |
Newspaper Clippings (originals) |
1975-1977 |
7 |
3-4 |
Newspaper Clippings (photocopied) |
1975-1977 |
7 |
5-6 |
Newspaper Clippings and Magazine Articles Re: Grain Scandal (includes correspondence) |
1975-1976 |
8 |
1 |
Newspaper Clippings and Magazine Articles Re: Grain Scandal (includes correspondence) |
1975-1976 |
8 |
2 |
Notes: Alexander Tampa |
1975 |
8 |
3 |
Oregon and other states: correspondence, reports, notes |
1976 |
8 |
4 |
Philadelphia: notes |
1976 |
8 |
5 |
Pulitzer Prize: correspondence, clippings, events |
1976 |
8 |
6 |
Risser Article in Baltimore Sunday, May 23 |
1976 |
8 |
7 |
Roy W. Howard Public Service Award |
1976 |
8 |
8 |
Ryan, Harland |
1975 |
8 |
9 |
S.J. Res.88 (Emergency Grain Standards Amendments of 1975) |
1975 |
8 |
10 |
Senate - Committee on Agriculture and Forestry |
1976 |
9 |
1 |
Senate - Committee on Agriculture and Forestry: Hearing |
1975 |
9 |
2 |
Senate - Committee on Agriculture and Forestry: Hearing, March 11 |
1976 |
9 |
3 |
Senate - Agriculture Committee - Subcommittee on Foreign Agricultural Policy: Hearings, June 19 and July 8 |
1975 |
9 |
4 |
Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, Hearing of Grain Inspection, Bondurant, Iowa, August |
1975 |
9 |
5-6 |
Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry Subcommittee Hearing on Implementation of Grain Standards Act (1976) |
1977 |
9 |
7 |
Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry Subcommittee's Hearing on Grain Inspection Irregularities and Problems; Parts 1, 1-A, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
1975 |
10 |
1 |
Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry. Subcommittee Hearing on Grain Standards 1968; U.S. GAO-Report on Irregularities in the Marketing of Grain |
1976 |
10 |
2-3 |
Senate - S.3055 (Grain Inspection Reform Act of 1976) |
1976 |
10 |
4 |
Senate (S.3055?) Sponsored by Humphrey, Clark & McGovern F |
1976 |
10 |
5 |
Shiplot Plans |
1974 |
10 |
6 |
Sigma Delta Chi Distinguished Service Award |
1976 |
10 |
7 |
Southeast Farm Weekly, Inc. |
1975 |
10 |
8 |
Soviet Complaints Re: Corn |
1975 |
10 |
9 |
Tanke (M-T Porto) |
1975 |
10 |
10-11 |
USDA Grain Cargoes Inspected for Export |
1970-1974 |
10 |
12 |
U.S. Grain Standards Act (PL 90-487) |
1968 |
11 |
1 |
USDA Inspection Reports |
1970-1975 |
11 |
2 |
USDA Office of the Inspector General |
1974-1975 |
11 |
3-4 |
USDA Publications Re: Grain Inspection and Shipment |
1975-1976 |
11 |
5 |
USDA Report on Dust Explosions in Grain Elevators |
1980 |
11 |
6 |
USDA Transportation and Warehouse Division |
1968-1975 |
11 |
7 |
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana: Grand Jury Indictments |
1974-1975 |
11 |
8 |
U.S. General Accounting Office |
1976 |
11 |
9 |
White House and USDA Publications |
1975-1976 |
11 |
10 |
Worth Bingham Award |
1976 |
Description of series
| Series 2 | Agriculture-Environment Series | 1971-1983, n.d. |
| extent: | 1.25 linear feet | |
| description: | The series contains the original series of articles on farming practices and their impact on the environment and contains related notes, drafts, correspondence, interview notes, clippings, articles, and photographs. The series is arranged alphabetically. | |
Container list
Box |
Folder |
Title |
Dates |
12 |
1 |
Agriculture-Environment Articles in Register and Other Publications |
1978 |
12 |
2 |
Agriculture-Environment Series: Typewritten Copies |
n.d. |
12 |
3 |
Agriculture-Environment Series: Copies of the Articles |
1978 |
12 |
4 |
Agriculture - Environment Series: Correspondence |
1977-1982 |
12 |
5 |
Agriculture - Environment Series: Draft Copy |
n.d. |
12 |
6 |
Agriculture - Environment Series: Outlines and Names |
n.d. |
12 |
7 |
Article in Reader's Digest |
1981 |
12 |
8 |
Article in Smithsonian Magazine - includes correspondence, notebooks |
1980-1983 |
12 |
9 |
Interview Notes |
n.d. |
13 |
1 |
Interview Notes: Iowa |
n.d. |
13 |
2-4 |
Iowa: includes clippings, printed materials, correspondence |
1979-1983 |
13 |
5 |
Nebraska: Center for Rural Affairs - Publications |
1977-1981 |
13 |
6 |
Nebraska: Clipping, Articles |
1979-1983 |
14 |
1 |
Nebraska: Notes, Correspondence |
1981 |
14 |
2 |
Nebraska: Sandhills, O'Neill Project Clippings, printed matter |
1971-1982 |
14 |
3 |
Photographs (7- 8x10 b/w photographs) |
n.d. |
14 |
4 |
Pulitzer Prize Clipping |
1979 |
14 |
5 |
Smithsonian Magazine Article: Article in New Farm and Smithsonian |
n.d. |
14 |
6 |
Soil Conservation of America - Health Cooper Rigdon Conservation Newswriter Award |
1979 |
14 |
7-8 |
Soil Conservation Clippings and Printed Materials |
1976-1982 |