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Cage 458
Bertram Rodney Bertramson
Papers, 1933-1979
| Back to Finding Aids | |
| Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA (509) 335-6691 Inquiries |
Cage 458
Bertram Rodney Bertramson
Papers, 1933-1979
The papers of Bertram Rodney ("Rod") Bertramson were
donated to Washington State University in 1979 by Dr. Bertramson
in two groups (MS 79-26 and UA 79-9) which were later combined.
The papers were processed in May-June of 1982 by Barbara Kovarik
Gahl.
BIOGRAPHY
Bertram Rodney ("Rod") Bertramson was born on a livestock and grain farm near Potter, Nebraska on January 25, 1914, to James W. and Gladys Nelson Bertramson. He received his B.S. in agronomy and M.S. in soils from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1933 and 1937 respectively. In 1938 he married Eleanor Maloney of Omaha, Nebraska. Bertramson went on to further graduate study at Oregon State University where he earned his doctorate in soils in 1941.
After working with the Soil Conservation Service in Rapid City, South Dakota and teaching at Colorado State University (then Colorado A&M) for a short time Bertramson was drafted in 1942 as a first lieutenant. He served with the Tank Destroyer Officer Candidate School in Fort Hood, Texas. Later Bertramson was promoted to Food and Agriculture Officer for the Rhineland and Gross Hessen regions in Germany. His job was to set up an administrative organization for food and general agriculture.
At the end of World War II, Bertramson reestablished his teaching career. Initially after his discharge in 1946 he was employed by the University of Wisconsin as an assistant soils scientist, but later that year moved to Purdue University as an associate soil chemist and assistant soils scientist.
In 1949 Bertramson became the Chairman of the Agronomy Department at Washington State University and served in this capacity for eighteen years. He was appointed Director of Resident Instruction of the College of Agriculture in 1967. He served in this capacity until his retirement in 1979. During his thirty years at Washington State University Bertramson worked closely with a number of agriculture associations within the state and region. His administration was also identified with several historically significant events, including the release of high yielding Gaines wheat developed by Dr. Orville A. Vogel.
Bertramson authored or co-authored numerous articles published in various trade magazines such as Soil Scientist and Agronomy Journal. He was an active member of many professional and honorary agricultural organizations: Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, Soil Conservation Society of America and others. In 1960 he was elected Vice-President of the American Society of Agronomy and in 1961 served as President of the Society. Later, Bertramson was elected a Fellow of the ASA. He also served as the President of the Agronomic Science Foundation and editor of the Journal of Agronomic Education. In 1978, Bertramson was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
Not all of Bertramson's activities centered around agronomy. He was active in civic affairs and the Pullman beautification projects of the mid-1960's. He also served as President of the Pullman Chamber of Commerce, President of the Pullman Community Hospital Corporation, and a member of the Pullman City Council. For more information see "Biographical Sketch, 1967-1979," box 4, folder 107; and "Correspondence, 1946-1967," box 4, folder 110.
ARRANGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION
The papers of Bertram Rodney ("Rod") Bertramson are divided into five series: American Society of Agronomy, 1952-1979; Journal of Agronomic Education, 1967-1976; Biographical Information Writings and Speeches, 1933-1979; Civic Services, 1960-1977; and Washington State University, 1942-1979.
The first series, American Society of Agronomy, 1952-1979, has been divided into three subseries. Subseries one, Agronomy Advisory Board, 1952-1962, contains materials collected when Bertramson was Vice- President of the ASA. It includes general papers, an index of information, minutes, reports, and material concerning the Washington Association of Wheat Growers. The second subseries, Presidency of the ASA, is made up of Bertramson's presidential papers. Items such as Board of Directors' records, Committee Manual materials, correspondence, Executive Committee records, handbooks, headquarters building plans, news releases, notes on presidential addresses, luncheons, and publicity are part of this second subseries. Subseries three, General ASA Material, includes later papers pertaining to the ASA. It includes Agronomic Administrators Roundtable Committee records, an headquarters expansion study, fellow nominations, and Orville A. Vogel materials. All folders in this series have been arranged alphabetically by subject within their respective subseries.
Series II, Journal of Agronomic Education, 1967-1976, contains papers concerning meetings of the ASA Educational Board, correspondence, editorials and letters to the editor, information about professionalism, promotion, publishing policy and the Society, and work lists and files. All folders are arranged alphabetically by subject.
The third series, Biographical Information, Writings, and Speeches, 1933-1979, includes papers on agronomy, biographical sketches and personal correspondence, dedications, publications and various speeches on a wide variety of topics. All folders have been arranged alphabetically by subject.
Series IV, Civic Services, 1960-1977, is made up of papers collected during Bertramson's community work in Pullman on a number of projects centering around city beautification. The series includes records of clean-up projects, mass transit studies, shopping centers, and environmental quality. All folders are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Series V, Washington State University, 1942-1979, contains various material which Bertramson collected in his association with the College of Agriculture at Washington State University. The material spans the period from 1942 through 1979 and includes such things as reports (e.g., from the Seed Laboratory), a history of the Department of Plant Pathology, correspondence regarding WSU short courses, College of Agriculture Awards, committee work, and a file called "Archives" which consists of material relating to agriculture. This series has been arranged alphabetically by subject.
CONTAINER LIST
Box Folder Description Items
Series I. American Society of Agronomy, 1952-1979
Agronomy Advisory Board, 1952-1962
1 1-5 General Correspondence, 1959-1962 339
6 Index of Information for Agronomy Advisory
Board, 1952 1
Minutes:
7-9 General, 1952-l960 275
10-11 Meetings, 1959-1960 55
12 Report on Research for Meeting, 1952 1
13 Washington Association of Wheat Growers,
1956-1958 22
Presidency of ASA, 1959-1966
14 Award for Industrial Agronomists, 1960-1962 50
15 Banquet Program and Other Details, 1961 35
Board of Directors:
16 Bylaws: Revisions, 1960 15
17 Committee Reports, 1962 30
18-19 Directors--General Correspondence, 1959-1961 81
20 Meeting Session I, 1961 150
21 Minutes, 1950-1962 50
Box Folder Description Items
Committee Manual:
2 22 Comments on, 1961 31
23 Manual, 1961 1
24 Supplements, 1961 2
Correspondence:
25 Bertramson as President, ASA, 1961 35
Congratulations to Bertramson:
26 President of ASA, 1960-1961 30
27 Vice-President of ASA, 1959-1960 19
28 Matt Stelly, 1961 50
29 Early Daze, 1960 8
Executive Committee:
30-32 General Correspondence, 1960-1962 91
33 Meetings, 1961-1962 81
34-35 Reports, 1960-1961 40
36-37 Secretary, 1960-1963 91
38 General Big Meeting Program, 1961 21
39 Handbook for President and Vice-President, 1961 6
Headquarters Building:
40-42 General Correspondence, 1959-1962 195
43 Site and Plans, 1961 18
Tjog Case:
44 Correspondence, 1961 36
45 Replies for Material, 1961 26
46 News Releases, 1960-1961 15
47 Option Number Four--ASA Dues, 1960-1961 35
President:
48 Address, 1961-1964 34
49 Luncheons, 1954-1961 7
50 Publicity on, 1961 12
51 Welcome to Students, 1961 4
52 Programs, 1960 46
53 Regional Branch Officers' Handbook, 1962-1966 1
Stelly, Matthias:
54 Employment as Executive Secretary, 1960-1961 42
55 Personal, 1961 3
56 Tax Exemption/ASA and Legal XXXII, 1960-1961 11
General ASA Material, 1968-1979
Box Folder Description Items
3 57 Agronomic Administrators Roundtable Committee,
1969 11
American Society of Agronomy:
58-69 ASA General Correspondence, 1968-1979 348
70 Council for Agricultural. Science and
Technology, 1972-1978 38
71 Feasibility of Headquarters Expansion
Committee, 1974-1975 17
72 Fellow Nominations, 1977-1979 25
73-74 Journal of Agronomic Education, 1978 33
75-76 Meetings, 1973-1974 41
Dr. Orville A. Vogel:
77 Browing Award, 1971-1972 33
78 General File, 1972-1977 6
79 National Medal of Science Award, 1975-1976 21
80 Wolfe Prize, 1978 14
Series II. Journal of Agronomic Education, 1967-1976
81 ASA Meetings of Educational Board, JAE, 1972 24
82 Bertramson Expenses, 1972 6
Correspondence:
83 Authors, 1972-1974 35
84 Beatty, Marvin T., 1971-1972 5
85 Carson, E. W., 1971 9
86 Cuyno, Rogelio V., 1971 6
87 Forward and Editorial, 1971-1972 14
88 Form Letter to Association Editors, n.d. 1
89-90 General, 1970-1976 55
91 "Getting Started," 1971-1972 21
92 Larson, K. L., 1971 5
93 Reviewers, 1971-1973 32
Box Folder Description Items
4 94 Editorials and Letters to the Editor, 1973 26
95 Materials Concerning Professionalism and Pro-
motion, 1967 45
96 Publishing Policy and the Society, 1970-1971 150
97-99 Work Files, 1969-1974 87
100 Work Lists, 1972-1973 8
Series III. Biographical Information, Writings and Speeches, 1933-1979
Agronomy:
101-102 Agronomy, 1951-1956 27
103 Farm, 1952-1956 53
103.1 Nebraska, 1936-1937 (thesis, added to collection, 2004) 1
104 Program and Facilities, 1950-1964 38
105 Publications, 1965-1970 6
106 Appreciation of Dr. O. A. Vogel's Forty Years
of Plant Breeding and Testing Program, 1970 1
107 Biographical Sketch, 1967-1979 14
108 "The Challenge to Students in Agriculture," 1975 1
109 Columbia Plateau Resource Council, 1965-1968 30
110 Correspondence, 1946-1967 28
111 Dedication of Compton Union Building, 1969 25
112 Growth of WSCIA Pure Seed Project, 1978 15
113 Kennewick Plant Dedication, 1969 20
114 Making the Most of Seminars, 1948-1960 17
115 Outlying Testing, 1952-1954 20
116-119 Publications, 1938-1979 101
120 Pullman Herald, 1972 3
121 Remarks for Beef Center Dedication, 1974 1
122 Salute to Paul Abendroth, 1973 2
123 Studies on Phosphorus Assimilation of Higher
Plants, 1933, 1946 2
124 Twenty-five Years: Retrospect and Predictions--
Regional Fertilizer Conference, 1974 35
125 "What the Industry Looks for at Washington State
University in Teaching," 1970 9
Series IV. Civic Services, 1960-1977
Box Folder Description Items
Environment:
5 126 Environment and Ecology, 1970-1973 22
127 Environment Quality Commission, 1970-1973 37
128 Miracle on the Land, 1971 20
129 Role of Agriculture in a Quality Environment,
1971 1
Pullman:
130 Chamber of Commerce, 1971-1977 16
City Beautification:
131 1964-1966 22
132 1969-1971 200
133-135 Clean-Up Project, 1964-1965 186
136 Community Beautification, 1960 3
137 Community Development, 1968-1969 6
138 Mass Transit Feasibility Project, 1974-1976 100
139 Shopping Centers, 1971 25
140 Steptoe Canyon and Harry Sever, 1967-1975 41
Series V. Washington State University, 1942-1979
141 Agriculture Awards, 1964-1979 11
142 The Agriculturalist, 1942-1966 34
143 "Archives File," 1968-1979 25
144 Plant Pathology Department, History of, 1949 2
145 Recognition Assembly, College of Agriculture,
1950-1951 18
146 Seed Laboratory Report, 1950-1951 9
147-148 Short Course, 1951-1955 17
149 Soils Seminar, 1952 11
150 Space Priorities Committee, 1951-1953 8