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College of Agriculture Department of Entomology records

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: UA 23

Scope and Contents

The College of Agriculture Department of Entomology records (1931-1993) consists of correspondence (1940-1949), Experiment Station Reports (1931-1945), and other materials (circa 1930s-1990s) documenting the history, administration, and activities of the entomology program at Purdue University.

Dates

  • 1931-1993

Language of Materials

Collection materials are in English.

Access Information

Collection is open for research.

Copyright and Use Information

Some material in this collection are in the public domain, while other material copyrights are held by Purdue University. Consult with Purdue University Archives and Special Collections prior to reproduction of materials.

Historical Information

Founded in 1884, the Department of Horticulture and Entomology was one of the original departments organized for Purdue University’s School of Agriculture.  Entomology became a separate department in 1920 and offered its first baccalaureate program eight years later.  Entomology conferred its first PhD in 1942.  The department experienced impressive growth in the 1940s and 1950s, appointing its first Agricultural Extension entomologist and holding its first urban pest control conference in 1936, establishing an undergraduate structural pest control curriculum (the first in the United States) in 1946, and adding 18 new academic positions under John V. Osmun’s leadership.  Osmun succeeded J.J. Davis in 1956.  Davis’s tenure as department head stretched from 1922 to 1956.  Appointed in 1972, Eldon E. Ortman expanded Purdue Entomology research and extension beyond U.S. borders and expanded and enhanced the department’s computer capabilities and physical facilities.  Ortman served eighteen years as the head of the Entomology Department.  His successor, Christian Y. Oseto oversaw the expansion of interdisciplinary outreach, the creation of Bug Bowl, and the growth of Entomology’s international programs.  Steve Yaninek replaced Oseto as department head in 2000.  More information about the Department of Entomology’s history can be found at the below link.

Note written by John Michael Foster

Extent

1.30 Cubic Feet (Three letter-size full-width manuscript boxes, one letter-size half-width manuscript box, and one folder)

Additional Description

Arrangement

The Records are organized into a single series with items arranged by document type.

Custodial History

College of Agriculture to ASC. Addition 03 was given to Fred Whitford by Jane Ann Read and later donated to Purdue Archives and Special Collections by Whitford.

Acquisition Information

Purdue University records transfer from the College of Agriculture. Addition 03 was donated by Fred Whitford.

Processing Information

All materials are housed in acid-free manuscript boxes.  Some materials are housed in acid-free folders.  Collection identifier updated from UA 14.08 to UA 23 as of November 3, 2015. Addition 03 was added to the resource record in October 2023.

Subjects

Collecting Areas

Related Names

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
College of Agriculture Department of Entomology records
Status
In Progress
Author
John Michael Foster, Hayden Sholtis, Adelle Rogers, and Sara Pettinger.
Date
2023-10-27
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English
Edition statement
Fourth edition. Collection description first created on May 5, 2014.

Physical Storage Information

Links

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Purdue University Archives and Special Collections Repository

http://www.lib.purdue.edu/spcol
Contact:
504 Mitch Daniels Boulevard
West Lafayette Indiana 47907 United States
765-494-2839

Related Unprocessed Material