Joseph M. Tucker Massey Harvest Brigade Collection

2.00 Boxes, 2.5 linear feet

Collection includes documents, photographs, magazines, personal records, and other materials related to the life of Joseph Maxwell Tucker and his work in formulating and organizing the Massey-Harris Harvest Brigade in 1944 and 1945 which used Massey-Harris self-propelled combines to harvest wheat and other crops in a wartime environment of both scarce labor and rationing of raw materials. The combines were used to harvest crops in the Great Plains states, Pacific Northwest states, Arizona, and California.

The Subject Series is made up of five folders and includes an organization chart for VP & GSM Sales Department, Joseph Tucker's 1941 job application with the War Food Administration, a 1943 memorandum on the organization of the Massey-Harris Emergency Harvest Brigade, the 1943 proposal of the Massey-Harris Harvest Brigade, and two War Production Board certificates.

The Printed Material Series consists of fourteen folders and includes a calendar, four journal articles, a speech Joseph Tucker gave in 1946, and seven publications.

The Don & Kay Kluck Series is comprised of seven folders. This series pertains to The Kluck Brothers: Custom Harvesters (Emil Kluck, Ray Kluck, and Roy Kluck), the combines they purchased, and a few photographs.

The Photograph Series contains four folders. There are photographs of Lawrence John Letnes, Joseph Tucker, and a photograph of the medal, Order of the British Empire give to Joseph Tucker by King George VI in 1946.

The Oversize Printed Materials Subseries consists of three journal articles, three publications, and two advertising posters.

The Oversize Photographs Subseries has two photographs: 1) Proclamation by King George VI, 1946 September 9, that nominates and appoints Joseph Maxwell Tucker “to an Honorary Officer of the Civil Division of Our said and Most Excellent Order of the British Empire" and 2) a newspaper advertisement poking fun at Joseph Tucker titled “Retribution Overdue."

This collection is arranged in two boxes. Box one consists of four series: 1) Subject Series; 2) Printed Material; 3) Don & Kay Kluck Series; 4) Photograph Series. Box two houses the Oversize Series and consists of two subseries: 1) Printed Material and 2) Photographs.

No access restrictions. All materials are open for research.

Original materials available during open hours of repository and any digitized materials that are online are available with the Internet.

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

• English

• Latin

Donated by Judy A. Horsch, Andale, KS, and delivered by Jason Holcomb to Bluemont Hall on June 24, 2019. Moved to Ag Press building where it was accessioned and processed by Cynthia Harris began in July 2019. It received Accession Number 2019-20.001.

These materials were donated by Judy A. Horsch on June 24, 2019.

These documents support the Kansas life and culture collections by showing how crops, especially wheat, were harvested by the Harvest Brigade throughout the Central Plains and on the west coast during World War II.

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Sources used for the Scope and Content note were found within the collection.

Cynthia Harris, Manuscripts/Collections Processor processed and described materials and curator, David Allen reviewed the finding aid in July 2019. Publication occurred on July 25, 2019.