Young, Arthur W 1973, 1975
Dr. Arthur W. Young, Professor emeritus of Agronomy at Texas Tech, discusses his slide photographs, the growth and development of Tech’s College of Agricultural Sciences, and various aspects of his work from 1935 to 1969.
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Arthur W. Young
Additional Parties Recorded: None
Date: March 6, 1973; April 9 and May 27, 1975
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Interviewer: Beth Schneider, Richard Arnold, Donald E. Green
Length: 4 hours 15 minutes
Abstract
Tape 1, Side 1: Early Texas Tech photographs discussed,
Early buildings and landscapes cited,
Buildings used for World War II Air Force students,
Agriculture faculty named,
Changes, expansion of Agriculture School traced,
Anecdote on airplane crash,
First irrigation wells on campus remembered,
Early cotton varieties and mechanical pickers mentioned,
Recollections of early work with anhydrous ammonia.
Tape 1, Side 2: Early sugar beet work discussed,
Personal history related,
Reasons for move to Texas Tech examined,
Character of Tech’s Agriculture School reviewed,
Reasons for division of departments given,
Origin of Tech landscaping cited,
Professor Elo Urbanovsky hired,
Tree planting activities (1940s),
Difficulty in finding Lubbock housing cited,
Attitudes on Tech-Lubbock cooperation,
Tech water problems discussed,
Development of new Tech farm (1947),
Growth of program of cooperation between Texas Tech and A & M Experiment station recalled,
Discussion of agriculture curriculum,
Influence of Tech on area agriculture.
Tape 2, Side 1: Department of Agronomy,
Undergraduate program,
Graduate program,
History,
Organization (1925),
Arthur H. Leidigh,
Crop judging teams,
Sponsors,
Faculty participation,
Purposes,
Recognition,
Gathering materials,
Soil judging teams,
Origin,
Nathan J. Allen,
Intern program,
Departmental research,
Emphasis,
Grants,
University policies,
Texas A & M Experiment Station,
Effect on Texas Tech,
Land grant colleges,
Experimental stations,
Equipment needed.
Tape 2, Side 2: Blank
Tape 3, Side 1: Soil Conservation Service was hiring people (1933-35),
Ropesville resettlement project discussed,
Shelbyville project described as unsound because of lack of water,
Trees died because of lack of moisture,
Dr. John Orval Ellsworth left Texas Tech to work for Mormon Church,
Helped form Alpha Phi Omega,
His idea of forming a farmer’s service organization discussed,
Opposition to terraces,
Farmers came to College of Agriculture for advice,
Early fertilizer,
Dependency on irrigation,
Development of storm proof cotton,
Macha and other cotton types,
Reason for not accepting offer of pecan farm in Clyde, Texas.
Tape 3, Side 2: Tech Foundation explained,
Work with experiment stations,
Employment of Tech students,
Early experiments on sugar beets and other plants,
Castor bean production,
Problems with castor beans,
Early hiring was a problem,
Story of successful Tech graduate, J. Rex Johnson,
Graduates who returned to farming,
Ingenuity of Plains farmers,
Development of sandfighters, seed-firming wheel,
Characterization of Dean Arthur H. Leidigh,
Problems encountered as a dean.
Range Dates: 1925-1940s
Bulk Dates: 1925-1940s
Access Information
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Recording Format Notes:
Transcript:
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