Purdue University. Farm Work Simplification Laboratory

Dates

• Existence: 1942 - 1946

Biography

In 1942, the General Education Board launched a national program to study work simplification and workplace efficiency in the agricultural industry. Twelve land-grant colleges participated in the project, including Colorado State College, University of Florida, University of Illinois, University of Kentucky, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska, Rutgers University, Cornell University, Oregon University, University of Vermont, State College of Washington, and Purdue University. The General Education Board appointed Purdue’s Dean of the Graduate School, Ernest C. Young, as the director of the National Farm Work Simplification Project. Lowell S. Hardin from Purdue’s Department of Agricultural Economics was appointed as assistant director. The Farm Work Simplification Laboratory was launched in January 1942, with $87,000 in initial funding from the General Education Board. Purdue University was specifically tasked with researching tomato peeling, picking, canning, factory operation, and hog production. An additional $7,000 was allocated for work simplification research in the field of home economics. The laboratory had no university budget and consisted of an interdisciplinary group that was interested in farm work simplification. Facilities and resources were obtained through a cooperative agreement with the Agricultural Experiment Station, the Engineering Experiment Station, the Department of Agricultural Economics, and the Motion and Time Study Laboratory.

Since work simplification and motion-time studies had been mostly pioneered by industrial engineers, the Purdue Motion Study Laboratory and Industrial Engineering professors were brought into the project to help teach motion and time study technique and conduct research. The director of the laboratory was Ernest C. Young, Dean of the Graduate School. Professor of Industrial Engineering Marvin Mundel was heavily involved with launching the laboratory and overseeing the project. Other laboratory participants included L.S. Hardin, J.E. Oberholtzer, and L.J. Haverkamp.

The Purdue Farm Work Simplification Laboratory provided work simplification training for Purdue staff and faculty, agricultural extension workers, state agricultural leaders, and home economists. The laboratory also produced publications and instructional films about agricultural work simplification. The laboratory sponsored work simplification conferences at Purdue. The grant agreement with the General Education Board concluded on July 1, 1945. There was a proposal to continue the National Farm Work Simplification Project with the General Education Board serving as a coordinating office. The proposal was never realized and the Purdue Farm Work Simplification Laboratory disbanded shortly afterwards.

On March 19-20, 1946, after the grant completion, the School of Engineering and Agriculture launched the Farm Work Simplification Institute, a two-week program designed to give agricultural and allied industries personnel practical instruction in work simplification research and teaching techniques. The institute utilized the Farm Work Simplification Laboratory. Instructors included Marvin Mundel, Lowell Hardin, L.C. Pigage, and C.W. McFarland.

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