Search

Contains branch reports from Kansas Agricultural Experiment Stations. The branches and dates which we have reports for are Colby branch reports, dating from 1914-1981, Garden City branch reports, dating from 1908-1972, Fort Hays branch reports, dating from 1906-1972, Southeast Kansas branch reports, dating from1913-1984, and Mound Valley branch reports, dating from1950-1964.

This collection features many pieces of correspondence. In addition, there are items concerning Francis Lewis’s activities in Cooperative Extension and 4-H. There are family expense books, receipts, canceled checks, bank statements, and other statistical financial information, plus photographs, awards, and ribbons. A major portion of the collection deals exclusively with the registered bull records. This material begins with the start of the herd to the dispersal auction in 1987. Another part of the records is ranch-related correspondences from the time John M. Lewis owned the herd to the final days of Walter’s control of the farm. Most of these letters consist of requests for bull prices and information, bull shows, bull sale confirmations, and association with the American Polled Hereford organization.

The Correspondence Series consists of nine boxes of personal letters from Robert and Martha Lewis to their parents. The letters begin when each child were students at Kansas State University, and continue through their academic pursuits. Also in this series is ranch-related correspondence to John and Walter as foremen of the herd. These letters are arranged alphabetically by the name of the person or company and in chronological order within each. Boxes eight and nine contain letters related to various subjects such as international, awards, hotels, publications, university, legal, and cattle organizations.

The second series concerns Francis Lewis. It begins with her time as a student at Kansas State Agricultural College and continues with her involvement in 4-H and a meats instructor/judge. Printed items in her collection concern meat cooking, judging, showing, and education. These items include brochures, pamphlets, books, and charts. There are various items dealing with meat judging contests including scorecards, statistical information, team placement information, and some unidentifiable material. Also contained are family expense booklets and receipts.

The third series comprises Walter and Francis’s judging for the Herford and Polled Hereford Association in arenas and shows in various countries which drew contestants from around the world. The fourth series is the Financial Series. Because of the nature of the records, this series includes both family business and ranch business. There are credit card records, canceled checks, bank statements, farm receipts, and Cooperative receipts. The fifth series is Cattle Records/Documentation. Within this group is a wide range of cattle records dealing with registration, births, deaths, sales, purchases, history, and transfer of the majority of the Lewis herd. There are various records, some complete and some incomplete, from the Polled Hereford Association Application Records to the Guide Lines Program records. This series also contains printed material associated with Walter Lewis, “Farm Management Records,” miscellaneous farm records, and weekly planners and calendar books pertaining to both Walter and Francis.

Photographs make up the sixth series. This includes family members, awards, shows, and cattle. The photos are organized by subject, although a portion of the collection is unidentified. The seventh series is Artifacts, primarily those of Walter Lewis. They include pins from shows in the United States along with some foreign countries. Also included are buttons representing Walter’s activities. Other items include an assortment of name tags and ribbons from both Walter and Francis. Whenever possible, a few of these items, such as the pins and buttons, have been photocopied for easier identification and retrieval.

Alma Williams, author of the 1975 book, Educating the Consumer: A Practical Guide, advocated for consumers around the world. Based in Great Britain, Williams was an active member of the International Organization of Consumers Unions (IOCU). Through her work with IOCU, she traveled extensively throughout Europe, Israel, Asia, and the Pacific Region to work with consumer advocacy organizations. Williams served as IOCU’s representative to UNESCO. Her collection includes numerous IOCU programs, proceedings, and reports as well as a questionnaire for consumer advocates and an outline of her tasks at an IOCU Regional Office.

Within Williams' collection, there is evidence of her work for IOCU’s Asia and Pacific Regional Workshop on Consumer Testing and Research. One organization she worked with was the Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development. Materials from this group include scripts for programs targeting consumer products such as shampoo, detergent, and acne preparations.

Williams’ involvement in other international consumer organizations is represented through a variety of documents including conference proceedings, correspondence, papers, consumer education materials, and reports. Some of the organizations she had ties with are the Hong Kong Consumer Council, the Council of Europe, the International Congress on the Children of the Fourth World, Consumers Association, and Consumer Assembly (based in Great Britain).

Williams’ focus on educating consumers is evident in her papers. There is a booklet about adult education and television, a consumer education kit for teachers in Penang, and a paper titled Definition of Consumer Education from Consumer’s Association in London which, interestingly, quotes Dr. Richard L. D. Morse. Also of interest is correspondence from a House of Lords sub-committee member about her upcoming testimony to that group. On a lighter note, there is a caricature of Williams, as well as a handwritten score for a tune titled Consumer Rights, by Samuel Liew.

A letter in the donor file reveals that Williams remained active in the consumer movement in her later years continuing to represent IOCU at UNESCO, working with overseas consumer organizations, and developing a safety curriculum for the European Commission targeted at children in secondary schools. She noted the curriculum was for twelve countries and would be in nine languages.

Alumni Association Records spanning from 1863 to 2012, containing: Correspondences, Class Letters, Awards, Degrees, Certificates, Memorabilia, Promotional Material, Pictorial and Physical Media Material, Photos, Scrapbooks, Newsletters, Paintings, Journals, Event and Athletics records, Reunion documents, Alumni Medallions, and other miscellaneous material pertaining to the Alumni Association.

Collection primarily contains amateur radio club QSLs, administrative/program materials, and station logs. Meeting minutes, the club constitution, and licensing material is included. Also in the collection are brochures, guides, and other publicity for the club itself.

Disaster recovery appraisal, 2023.
Box 1- A83412044333- Contains files pertaining to the American Association of University Professors. There are letters, financial records, meeting agendas, conference details, membership details, tenure, and chapter letters. Files are from 1962-1967.

The American Council on Consumer Interests (ACCI) records document the activities of the group from its beginning in 1953 through 1983.

The first series contains incoming and outgoing correspondence of the executive directors, Edward Metzen (1973-1976), Karen Stein (1975-1978), Mel Zelenak (1978-1982), and Barbara Slusher (1984- 1986). The correspondence pertains mainly to payment of membership dues, a proposed site relocation, 1978, and publications.

The second series, the board of directors, consists of minutes from board meetings and annual reports to the board from the executive directors (1976-1982).

The third series, committees, is one of the largest comprising forty-three folders. The executive committee sub-series (1956- 1982) contains correspondence, agendas, annual reports, and documents concerning annual business meetings, meetings, conference calls, and miscellaneous matters.

The membership committee (1972-1977) is the second sub-series and contains correspondence regarding membership in ACCI and a promotional manual. Conferences is another sizable series in the records. It spans the years 1953-1978 and is housed in one box. In this series is information about each annual conference including registration, program, finances, and planning.

The fifth series contains financial documents. It is divided into three sub-series; financial documents (1955-1983), grants (1963- 1981), and Internal Revenue Service (1967-1979). The first sub-series includes monthly, budget, and accountants reports, financial projections, and miscellaneous items. The grants sub-series contain information on grants applied for and/or received from Consumer's Union and the Office of Consumer Education. The third sub-series, Internal Revenue Service, has information pertaining to tax status, employee withholding, and miscellaneous tax information.

The last series contains miscellaneous material for the years 1965-1982. It concerns the following; ACCI history (a history of ACCI written by Henry Harap in 1969 is found here), an internship program that began with the Conference of Consumer Organizations, a booklet on lobbying by public interest charities, National Consumers Week, and testimonies from the Consumer Federation of America.

Photograph Collection
Box 1- A83412 063476 -Contains 16 file folders all containing photographs pertaining to the department of clothing, textiles, and interior design. The photos vary in date from 1898 to 1969. The photos show various “domestic science” classes, fashion shows from the department, furniture and interior design showcases, as well as many photos showing people in daily life and the clothing that was worn at the time. There is also a file about how to market and clothing.
Box 2- A83412 064901-Contains 11 folders with photos. Once again all are over events/ projects for the department of clothing, textiles, and interior design. One folder shows off students getting ready and participating in a fashion photoshoot. This box also contained several rug designs with yarn swatches, and pattern design. The years of the photos range from circa1930- 1968.
Box 3- A83412 063484 -Contains 6 folders, each housing photographs of various events and classes, all pertaining to clothing, textiles, interior design, and some art. There are photos covering garment fittings, designing textiles, figure drawing, and photos showing off the fashion of the time. The dates that the box covers ranges from 1925-1952, with a couple of photos going back as far as 1914.

Items in the collection span 1961–1986 and include informative pamphlets, leaflets, guidebooks, and research relating to consumer interests and consumer behavior. Illustrated pamphlets published by the Bay Area Neighborhood Development address consumer issues such as signing contracts, buying food and appliances, and paying rent. Several pamphlets are in Spanish. Booklets offer advice to co-ops on campaigning, organizing, running, and reporting to owners, and include three authored by Mr. Danforth. One file labeled Center for Consumer Research contains flyers, research materials, newsletters, and correspondence. A publication titled "To Tell the Truth," published by the Cooperative League of the United States, provides an “illustrated outline of some of the consumer information and protection activities of American cooperatives.” Copies of KONSUM, the League’s newsletter, span 1972–1977. A newsletter towards the end of the run noted a lack of adequate funding for the League and stated budget cuts would limit the number of newsletters distributed.

The collection has publications from Frontier Cooperative Herbs and Midland Cooperatives, Inc. as well as a copy of the Golden Jubilee Journal and Kazan Memorial publication from the Amalgamated Housing Corporation (also listed as the Amalgamated Housing Cooperative). The Journal contains historical and biographical information about the co-op from 1951–1977, as well as congratulatory letters from Presidents Carter and Ford. Interestingly, there is a 1979 research paper about growth in consumer cooperatives from 1960–1980 by Ann Hoyt, an instructor in the Department of Family Economics at Kansas State University, in the collection. No tie to K-State is evident.

This collection belonging to Dr. Arthur D. Weber, vice president emeritus and former dean of the college of agriculture at Kansas State University, encompasses a diverse array of materials that provide insight into the life, achievements, and interests of Dr. Weber. The collection is organized into multiple boxes, each containing a variety of personal and professional items spanning his lifetime.

Personal Belongings: This portion of the collection includes personal items such as clothing, accessories, and other artifacts that offer a glimpse into Arthur D. Weber's daily life and personal style.

Personal Notes: These handwritten and typed notes encompass a range of topics, including diaries, journals, and personal reflections, shedding light on Arthur D. Weber's thoughts and experiences throughout his life.

News clippings: The collection includes a substantial number of news clippings, offering a record of significant events, interests, and issues that Arthur D. Weber followed or was involved in over the years.

Awards: This section showcases the various awards and honors received by Arthur D. Weber for his contributions to his field, community, or other notable achievements.

Photographs: A diverse assortment of photographs captures moments from Arthur D. Weber's life, including family, friends, professional activities, and travel experiences.

Books and Articles: This segment consists of published works related to Arthur D. Weber, as well as, content used for his research.

Travel Memorabilia: The collection features an array of souvenirs, travel documents, and mementos from Arthur D. Weber's travels, offering insights into his work abroad in cattle judging and agricultural developments, during his stays in India, Mexico, and Europe.

Letters and Cards: These materials encompass personal and professional correspondence, providing a window into Arthur D. Weber's relationships, both personal and business-related.

Addresses: Arthur D. Weber's address books and contact lists document his social and professional networks, offering valuable information about the people and organizations with whom he maintained connections.

Club Activities: The collection contains records related to various club and organizational memberships, shedding light on Arthur D. Weber's participation in and contributions to these groups.