Descriptive  Guide  to    

Cooperative  Extension  Service  records     South  Dakota  State  University  Archives  and  Special  Collections   Briggs  Library  (SBL)  Room  241  Box  2114   1300  North  Campus  Drive   Brookings,  SD  57007   Phone:  605-­‐688-­‐5094   Email:  [email protected]    

Collection  Summary  

  Identifier     UA  5.4   Title       College  of  Agriculture  and  Biological  Sciences,  Cooperative  Extension  Service   records   Creator     Cooperative  Extension  Service,  College  of  Agriculture  and  Biological  Sciences,   South  Dakota  State  University   Dates       1920-­‐2011   Extent       38.42  linear  feet  -­‐-­‐  39  boxes,  microforms,  photographs,  realia,  moving  image   materials,  sound  recording   Language       English   Repository     South  Dakota  State  University  Archives  and  Special  Collections,  Hilton  M.   Briggs  Library,  Brookings,  South  Dakota.   Access  note     This  collection  is  stored  off-­‐site.  Requests  to  view  this  material  must  be  made   at  least  24  hours  in  advance.  This  collection  is  open  to  researchers  without  restrictions.  The   materials  in  the  Archives  do  not  circulate  and  may  be  used  in-­‐house  only.   Preferred  Citation   Name  of  item.  College  of  Agriculture  and  Biological  Sciences,  Cooperative   Extension  Service  records.  UA  5.4.  South  Dakota  State  University  Archives  and  Special  Collections,   Hilton  M.  Briggs  Library,  Brookings,  South  Dakota.   Abstract   SDSU  Extension's  purpose  is  to  foster  a  learning  community  environment  that  empowers  citizens  to   advocate  for  sustainable  change  that  will  strengthen  agriculture,  natural  resources,  youth,  families,   and  the  communities  of  South  Dakota.  This  collection  is  composed  of  records  generated  by  the   Cooperative  Extension  Service  and  includes  general  administrative  materials,  4-­‐H  publications,   personnel  communications,  news  releases,  and  the  South  Dakota  AgrAbility  Project.    

Historical  Note  

In  1914,  the  United  States  Congress  passed  the  Smith-­‐Lever  Act.  This  act  proposed  to  set  up  a   system  of  general  demonstrations  throughout  the  country,  and  the  agent  in  the  field  of  the   department  and  the  college  provided  agricultural  information  to  the  rural  population.     The  basic  elements  of  extension  had  their  inception  during  the  late  1880's  when  farmers  in  the  area   began  calling  on  agricultural  experts  at  the  college  to  talk  to  them  and  show  them  the  best  methods   for  raising  crops.  Farmers'  Institutes,  the  first  regular  meetings  that  were  held  in  1888,  were  the  

medium  through  which  such  information  was  communicated.  These  institutes  had  grown  out  of   local  farmers'  organizational  gatherings  in  the  Territory  since  about  1880.  The  institutes  were  held   both  at  the  college  and  throughout  the  state,  the  attendance  of  South  Dakota  Agricultural  College   [SDAC]  faculty  members  at  these  assemblages  being  authorized  by  the  Regents  and  Trustees.     In  1889  and  in  1891  the  Legislature  enacted  laws  providing  for  state  assistance  to  Farmers'   Institutes.  The  Board  of  Trustees  for  the  Agricultural  College  was  authorized  to  conduct  the   institutes  at  different  places  in  the  state.  In  1894,  the  state  government  began  making   appropriations  for  these  meetings  although  the  money  available  was  too  small  to  have  much  effect.   Many  local  communities  decided  to  take  over  this  financial  responsibility.  After  the  Smith-­‐Lever  Act   was  enacted,  the  Farmers'  Institutes  were  discontinued.     In  1912,  a  county  agent  was  appointed  to  serve  Brown  County.  The  agent  was  named  under  a   cooperative  agreement  among  the  Better  Farming  Association,  the  United  States  Department  of   Agriculture,  and  South  Dakota  State  College.  In  1913,  additional  counties  took  up  county  agent  work   and  in  1914,  Dean  G.  L.  Brown  signed,  on  behalf  of  the  college,  a  memorandum  of  agreement  with   the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  [USDA].  Through  the  Smith-­‐Lever  Act,  this  provided  for   contributions  to  extension  funds  by  the  federal  government,  the  state  of  South  Dakota,  and  local   communities.  State  College  contracted  to  maintain  a  Division  of  Extension,  and  the  USDA  agreed  to   provide  a  States'  Relation  Service  to  administer  the  funds  and  cooperate  with  extension  work.  Either   the  college  or  the  Department  of  Agriculture  could  nullify  this  arrangement.     At  first,  considerable  personal  service  was  given  farmers  and  homemakers.  Later  the  trend  was   toward  working  with  organizational  groups.  There  was  once  a  close  tie  between  Extension  and  the   Farm  Bureau  Federation.  The  Farm  Bureau  had  been  started  with  the  specific  purpose  of   cooperating  with  extension  work.  The  state  College  Extension  Service  took  an  active  role  in   organizing  Farm  Bureaus  in  the  state.  During  the  1920's,  other  agricultural  organizations  began  to   challenge  this  intimate  relationship.  Their  argument  was  that  the  county  agent  was  a  public  servant   and  that  it  should  not  be  part  of  his  job  to  promote  organizations,  which  frequently  espoused  public   policies  of  a  controversial  character.  However,  it  was  not  until  1935  that  the  Farm  Bureau  ceased  to   be  the  official  cooperating  organization  with  extension.     Club  and  home  demonstration  work  have  been  two  major  areas  of  the  Extension  Service.  Boys'  and   girls'  club  work  began  in  1913  and  was  subsequently  assisted  by  Smith-­‐Lever  funds.  This  legislation   further  provided  for  home  demonstration  work.  Before  that  time,  homemakers'  clubs  had  been   held  in  connection  with  Farmers'  Institutes.  Several  women  had  been  employed  in  the  Extension   Service  as  demonstrators  prior  to  the  appointment  of  the  first  regular  home  demonstration  agent.   Among  the  early  topics  at  home  demonstration  meetings  were  poultry  raising,  use  of  the  fireless   cooker,  clothing,  and  food  values.  Changing  technology  and  economic  conditions  have  caused   subjects  to  vary.     Contributions  of  specialists  have  supplemented  those  of  county  agents.  From  the  first,  the  college   undertook  to  supply  specialized  as  well  as  general  agricultural  information  to  those  writing  for  it,   but  farmers  felt  the  need  for  personal  interviews  and  demonstration  in  highly  technical  problems  as   well  as  the  more  generalized  subjects  that  were  the  province  of  county  agents.  Shortly  after  the  

Smith-­‐Lever  Act  went  into  effect,  a  dairy  specialist  became  the  extension  department's  first   specialist.  Extension  has  had  specialists  in  wide  areas,  including  breeding,  farm  records,  and  farm   building  construction.     Today,  the  overall  mission  of  the  Cooperative  Extension  Service  is  to  disseminate  and  encourage  the   application  of  research-­‐generated  knowledge  and  leadership  techniques  to  individuals,  families  and   communities  in  order  to  improve  agriculture  and  strengthen  the  South  Dakota  family  and   community.  The  Cooperative  Extension  Service  is  the  off-­‐campus  informal  educational  function  of   the  College  of  Agriculture  and  Biological  Sciences  and  the  College  of  Family  and  Consumer  Sciences.     The  service  extends  the  South  Dakota  State  University  campus  to  every  community  and  the   advantages  of  higher  education  to  all  people.  The  extension  staff  is  dedicated  to  the  task  of  assisting   individuals  and  groups  to  meet  the  challenges  of  change  in  farming,  ranching,  marketing,  the  home,   state  and  nation.  They  use  the  press,  radio,  television,  satellite,  interactive  audio-­‐visual,  educational   publications,  group  methods,  and  individual  contacts  to  inform  and  teach.  Through  its  extension   agents  and  specialists,  the  Cooperative  Extension  Service  disseminates  the  findings  of  research  and   encourages  the  application  of  knowledge  to  solution  of  problems  encountered  in  everyday  living   across  the  entire  state.    

Arrangement  

This  collection  is  arranged  into  series:     Series  1.  Administrative  records   Series  2.  4-­‐H  Publications   Series  3.  Personnel  communications   Series  4.  News  Releases   Series  5.  Publications   Series  6.  South  Dakota  AgrAbility  Project    

Contents  Note  

Series  1.  Administrative  records.  The  Administrative  records  series  is  composed  of  Extension   correspondence  with  R.  Milton  Rich,  Area  Development  Specialist,  regarding  the  adult  education   program  in  1964,  and  proposals  for  a  division  of  continuing  study,  extension,  and  terminal   education.  Also  included  are  Cooperative  Extension  Impact  Statements  for  the  West  District  and  a   history  and  philosophy  of  the  service.  Folders  and  arranged  in  alphabetical  order.     Series  2.  4-­‐H  Publications.  This  series  is  composed  mainly  of  4-­‐H  club  publications  directed  at   members  and  leaders  of  statewide  4-­‐H  clubs.  These  include  newsletters,  project  guides,  forms,   reports,  and  other  informative  pamphlets.  Also  included  is  a  state  commemorative  document   noting  the  centennial  of  4-­‐H  and  club  member  record  books  from  the  1930s.  Folders  are  arranged  in   alphabetical  order.     Series  3.  Personnel  communications.  This  series  is  composed  of  published  items,  which  were   distributed  to  extension  personnel  across  the  state.  These  items  were  bound,  however,  no  system   of  arrangement  could  be  determined  except  by  year.  The  earlier  items  seem  to  have  less  

arrangement  than  the  more  recent  items.  From  about  1977,  the  items  seem  to  be  arranged  by   subject  which  covers  a  broad  area  including:  4-­‐H,  agricultural  economics,  agricultural  engineering,   animal  science,  calendar  of  events,  dairy,  Farm  and  Ranch  News,  home  economics,   horticulture/forestry,  plant  science,  State  Fair,  and  veterinary  science.  Also  included  are  some  news   releases  that  were  left  with  this  sub-­‐group  because  they  were  bound  together.  In  2004,  this   material  was  microfilmed  so  material  was  unbound.  These  items  are  arranged  first  chronologically   by  year  then  alphabetically  by  the  title  on  the  bound  item.     This  collection  is  housed  at  an  off-­‐site  facility.  Requests  to  view  this  material  must  be  made  at  least   24  hours  in  advance.  Some  material  is  available  in  microfilm.     Series  4.  News  Releases.  This  series  is  composed  of  news  releases  distributed  to  the  media  by   Extension  Services.  These  cover  all  areas  of  extension  during  1939-­‐48.  In  2004,  this  material  was   microfilmed  so  material  was  unbound.  These  items  are  arranged  first  chronologically  by  year  then   alphabetically  by  the  title  on  the  bound  item.     This  collection  is  housed  at  an  off-­‐site  facility.  Requests  to  view  this  material  must  be  made  at  least   24  hours  in  advance.  Some  material  is  available  in  microfilm.     Series  5.  Publications.  This  series  is  composed  of  publications  and  newsletters  produced  by  the   Extension  Service.  Included  are  circulars,  handbooks,  leaflets,  newsletters,  reports,  series,  and   miscellaneous  items.  Folders  are  arranged  in  alphabetical  order.  The  South  Dakota  AgrAbility  Project   series  is  composed  of  published  items.  Folders  are  arranged  in  alphabetical  order.     Series  6.  South  Dakota  AgrAbility  Project.  The  National  AgrAbility  Project  was  established  through  a   provision  of  the  1990  Farm  Bill.  Congress  began  funding  the  project  in  1991.  The  goal  is  to  inform,   educate  and  assist  individuals  with  disabilities  and  their  families.     The  South  Dakota  AgrAbility  Project  is  a  cooperative  programming  effort  between  South  Dakota   State  University  Cooperative  Extension  Service,  Easter  Seals  of  South  Dakota,  and  Avera  McKennan   Hospital  and  University  Health  Center.    

Key  Words  

4-­‐H  clubs  -­‐-­‐  South  Dakota   Agricultural  extension  work  -­‐-­‐  South  Dakota   Agriculture  -­‐-­‐  South  Dakota  -­‐-­‐  Periodicals   Home  economics  extension  work  -­‐-­‐  South  Dakota   South  Dakota  AgrAbility  Project   South  Dakota  State  University  -­‐-­‐  Athletics   South  Dakota  State  University  -­‐-­‐  Cooperative  Extension  Service   South  Dakota  State  University  –  History    

Administrative  Information     Conditions  Governing  Access  

This  collection  is  open  to  researchers  without  restrictions.  The  materials  in  the  Archives  do  not   circulate  and  may  be  used  in-­‐house  only.     Researchers  conducting  extensive  research  are  asked  to  make  an  advance  appointment  to  access   archival  material.  Please  call  or  e-­‐mail  prior  to  visiting  the  collection  and  indicate  as  much  detail  as   possible  about  a  particular  topic  and  intended  use.     South  Dakota  State  University  supports  access  to  the  materials,  published  and  unpublished,  in  its   collections.  Nonetheless,  access  to  some  items  may  be  restricted  as  a  result  of  their  fragile  condition   or  by  contractual  agreements  with  donors.     Copyright  note   Copyright  restrictions  apply  in  different  ways  to  different  materials.  Many  of  the  documents  and   other  historical  materials  in  the  Archives  are  in  the  public  domain  and  may  be  reproduced  and  used   in  any  way.  There  are  other  materials  in  the  Archive  carrying  a  copyright  interest  and  must  be  used   according  to  the  provisions  of  Title  17  of  the  U.S.  Code.  The  Archive  issues  a  warning  concerning   copyright  restrictions  to  every  researcher  who  requests  copies  of  documents.  Although  the   copyright  law  is  under  constant  redefinition  in  the  courts,  it  is  ultimately  the  responsibility  of  the   researcher  to  properly  use  copyrighted  material.     Arranged  and  Described  by   Crystal  J.  Gamradt,  1998  September  22,  additions  made  2013  August  19.    

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