Scope and Content Note

Office records of the Agricultural and Rural History Section, including correspondence and administrative files; records relating to organization, training, personnel and planning within the Economic Research Service and its predecessor, the Bureau of Agricultural Economics; biographical materials about USDA personnel; and other records.

This series is arranged into five subseries.

Subseries 1. Agricultural and Rural History Section, Records

Records of the Agricultural and Rural History Section (ARH) including correspondence with researchers, administrative materials such as budgets, project proposals and personnel materials, and other records.


Subseries 2. Agricultural History Society Newsletter, Records

Editorial and subscriptions records of Agricultural History, the newsletter of the Agricultural History Society.


Subseries 3. Biographical Sketches, ca. 1940-ca. 1970. ca. 0.3 cubic ft.

Press releases and other documents containing announcements of appointments, brief biographies, obituaries, resumes and other items. This group of documents dates from the mid-1940s to about 1970. A limited number of biographies include portraits.

Agencies represented include the Office of the Secretary, Agricultural Marketing Service, Agricultural Research Administration, Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (including state Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Committees), Commodity Credit Corporation, Commodity Stabilization Service, Farm Credit Administration, Farmer Cooperative Service, Farmers Home Administration, Foreign Agricultural Service, Foreign Operations Administration, Office for Foreign Agricultural Relations, Production and Marketing Administration, and Soil Conservation Service.

These records were originally filed in four green canvas-covered 3-ring binders. They are organized alphabetically. Most records are filed by name of individual. Press releases announcing membership of state Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Committees are filed under the name of the state.

Related Materials
Other files containing biographical materials can be found in Series I , Documentary Files, under the following headings:

  • Series I, subseries 1. IX B1b(4) USDA Auxiliary services, Office of Personnel.
  • Series I, subseries 2. IX B2a(4) Secretary's office, Auxiliary Services, Personnel.
  • Series I, subseries 3. IX B2a(4) Personnel.
  • Series I, subseries 4. XI B2a(4) Office of Personnel
  • Series I, subseries 5. VII. Biography.
  • Series I, subseries 6. VII. Biography.
Also in the Documentary files, biographical materials may be found in folders relating to the agencies for which individuals worked.

In Series II, the Class file, biographical information may be filed in folders under individual names.


Subseries 4. Personnel Administration file

Materials compiled by ARH historian Vivian Wiser from many sources, dealing with administration of personnel matters in the Federal government, emphasizing USDA, but including relevant material from other departments.

Arranged chronologically beginning with the 1860s (and a few earlier items), the files include letters, memoranda, reports, notices, policies, procedures, staff bulletins, minutes, newsletters, press releases, publications, speeches, telephone lists, laws, Congressional publications, organizational charts, pamphlets and other materials.

A few newsletters of general interest have been separated from these files, including Ag Reporter, OPEDA News and USDA/USDA News. These are now filed in Series VI, subseries 1, Newsletters, USDA-related. Newsletters that specifically relate to personnel management were not removed, and remain in the folders filed by date. A list of these newsletters follows, along with the publishing organization, if known.

  • ASPA News. American Society for Public Administration
  • Equal Opportunity in Federal Government. U.S. Civil Service Commission.
  • Exchange. National Civil Service League
  • FirstLine: A newsletter for supervisors and midmanagers. Office of Personnel Management
  • Good Government. National Civil Service League
  • IMPA News. International Personnel Management Association
  • News & Views. American Society for Public Administration
  • Personnel Pointers. Division of Personnel, Office of Personnel Management
  • Public Administration News. American Society for Public Administration
  • SPA News. Society for Personnel Administration
  • Spotlight: In the interest of affirmative action programs. Office of Personnel Management
  • Voice Newsletter: Voice of informed community expression.
  • Women in Action. Federal Women's Program, Office of Personnel Management

Subseries 5. Other ERS Records

Other administrative records in this series include a "Management Fact Book," 1974; records relating to the proposed organization of a division for Economics, Statistics and Cooperative Services (ESCS) [may be duplicated in Series I.5, Section XI, Administration]; strategic plans; "War Records Monographs" prepared by ERS staff and primarily relating to commodities, (in this context "War Records" refers to the two World Wars); and other correspondence, memoranda, chronologies, bibliographies, reports, publications, drafts, notes, manuscripts, news notices created by the Economic Research Service, the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, or other related organizations.