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College of Agriculture, Agricultural Fraternities, Societies, and Associations records

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: UA 25

Scope and Contents

The College of Agriculture, Agricultural Fraternities, Societies, and Associations records contain material from agricultural organizations associated with Purdue University’s College of Agriculture. A large portion of the collection consists of materials related to the Delta Chapter of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity. Other organizations whose material appear in the collection include but are not limited to the Purdue Agricultural Society, the State Poultry Association of Indiana, and the National Institute of Animal Agriculture.

The types of material present in the collection include correspondence, constitutions, meeting minutes, pamphlets, booklets, programs, and reports pertaining to the history, administration, and activities of various associations, fraternities, and societies associated with Purdue University’s College of Agriculture. 

Dates

  • circa 1880s - 2000

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

As a land-grant university, a central part of Purdue’s mission is providing students with an adequate agricultural education. Courses in agriculture originated with the first classes taught at the university in 1874, but it wasn’t until 1878 that the School of Agriculture was established. In 2004, the school was renamed to the College of Agriculture.

Since its inception, the purpose of the Purdue University College of Agriculture has been to teach the theoretical and practical elements necessary for careers in agriculture and horticulture. Purdue’s investments in student and faculty resources caused the College of Agriculture to grow in graduates and geographic extent throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. By 2023, usnews.com ranked Purdue’s College of Agriculture eighth in the nation, with approximately 2,750 undergraduates enrolled and 20 agricultural research facilities.

Alpha Gamma Rho is a social fraternity geared towards students in agriculture, natural resources, and related fields. Purdue’s Delta Chapter, founded in 1911, is the fourth-oldest Alpha Gamma Rho chapter in the United States.

Extent

2.76 Cubic Feet (Two cubic foot boxes, one legal-size full-width manuscript box, and five flat folders)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

The College of Agriculture, Agricultural Fraternities, Societies, and Association records are organized into five series by organization type.
  1. Fraternities
  2. Purdue Societies and Associations
  3. Indiana Societies and Associations
  4. National Societies and Associations
  5. Miscellaneous

Physical Access Information

Some materials are fragile and should be handled with care. Some books may have red rot, which can leave stains on fingers and clothing.

Acquisition Information

Indiana Corn Growers' Association Annual Report, Indiana poultry bluebooks, and The Northeastern Logger periodical were transferred from the Purdue University Libraries in May 2008. An Agricultural Conference program and State Poultry Association of Indiana records were transferred from the Purdue University College of Agriculture via Fred Whitford in 2023. Additional materials were donated by Margaret Titus. The source and date of acquisition of all other materials are unknown.

Existence and Location of Copies

Digital reproductions of materials are available for research use. See our digital collections database e-Archives: College of Agriculture, Agricultural Fraternities, Societies, and Associations records

Processing Information

Materials have been removed from their original folders and rehoused in acid-free folders and acid-free boxes.  The Collection identifier was updated from UA 14.21 to UA 25 as of November 3, 2015. Addition 01 was processed into the collection in October 2023.

The collection was reprocessed in May 2024. Legal-size and oversize materials have been removed from their original folders and placed in appropriately-sized folders and boxes for preservation purposes. The connection between materials of different sizes has been maintained through the folder titles and files created in the finding aid. The collection organization was condensed into five series. Oversize newsprint was photocopied, and original newspaper clippings have been discarded.
Title
College of Agriculture, Agricultural Fraternities, Societies, and Associations records
Status
Completed
Author
John Michael Foster, Adelle Rogers, Sara Pettinger, William Niner, and Amelia Simpson.
Date
2024-06-20
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English
Edition statement
Fifth edition. Collection description was first completed 2015-01-07.

Revision Statements

  • 2020-05-05: Collection description updated by Adelle Rogers.
  • 2023-10-18: Addition 01 added to the resource record and collection description updated by Sara Pettinger.
  • 2023-11-29: Material from the Collection of Purdue Agricultural records accession related to the State Poultry Association of Indiana and an Agricultural Conference added to the resource record and the collection description updated by William Niner.
  • 2024-06-20: Materials were rehoused for preservation purposes and to be more space efficient; the collection was reorganized into five series to be more accessible by Amelia Simpson and William Niner.

Repository Details

Part of the Purdue University Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
504 Mitch Daniels Boulevard
West Lafayette Indiana 47907 United States
765-494-2839