Summary
Abstract
John Hamilton began his studies at the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania in 1865. In 1866, he was appointed the Superintendent of the Farm and he suspended his studies to develop the farms. In 1869, he resumed his studies and graduated in 1871 and was appointed professor of agriculture and military instructor. John Hamilton was affiliated with the Pennsylvania State College in various capacities including professor of agriculture, business manager, and treasurer until his retirement in 1911. He also served as the Secretary of Agriculture for Pennsylvania, and as Farmers' Institute Specialist in the Office of Experiment Stations of the United States Department of Agriculture. The collection of Penn State professor and treasurer John Hamilton includes his writings and speeches, and official daybooks and ledgers of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Farmers' Institute and Pennsylvania State College dating from 1865 to 1919. The collection documents the financial transactions of the college in its first four decades as well as Hamilton's involvement in agricultural and rural reform activities.
Dates
- Creation: 1865-1919
Extent
4 Linear Feet
Background
Biographical / Historical
John Hamilton was born in Juniata County, Pa., on February 19, 1843. In 1861, he joined the First Pennsylvania Reserve Cavalry. John Hamilton began his studies at the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania in 1865. In 1866, he was appointed the Superintendent of the Farm and he suspended his studies to develop the farms. In 1869, he resumed his studies and graduated in 1871 after which he was appointed professor of agriculture and military instructor. He married Elizabeth McFarlane on October 27, 1884. In 1890, he was elected Trustee of Pennsylvania State College (elected by Alumni). John Hamilton was affiliated with the Pennsylvania State College in various capacities including professor of agriculture, business manager, and treasurer until his retirement in 1911. In 1895, he was appointed Deputy Secretary of Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and Director of Farmers' Institutes. In 1899, he was appointed Secretary of Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. In 1921, he was awarded an honorary Master of Science degree by Pennsylvania State College. He died on July 5, 1921 in State College, Pennsylvania.
Scope and Contents
The John Hamilton Collection consists of books, personal and scholarly papers, speeches, pamphlets and newspaper clippings, daybooks, journals and ledgers. They cover the period 1867 through 1921; the material contains his work as a professor of agriculture and Treasurer of Pennsylvania State College, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and Farmers' Institute Specialist in the Office of Experiment Stations of the United States Department of Agriculture. The collection reflects a segment of Penn State history, information on Farmers' Institutes and agriculture in Pennsylvania and the United States. It contains valuable information about the history of agriculture at Penn State at the turn of the twentieth century.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in four series: Speeches and writings; Farmer's institutes; Financial books (non-Pennsylvania State College); and Pennsylvania State College financial records.
Physical Location
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Penn State University Libraries catalog via the link above. Archival collections may be housed in offsite storage. For materials stored offsite, please allow 2-3 business days for retrieval.
Processing Information
Processed by Special Collections staff.
Using These Materials
Repository Details
Part of the Eberly Family Special Collections Library Repository
104 Paterno Library
Penn State University
University Park 16802 USA
(814) 865-1793
spcollections@psu.edu
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Photocopies of original materials may be made available for research purposes at the discretion of the Eberly Family Special Collections Library. Photocopies or reproductions of original materials may be subject to fees as outlined by the Pennsylvania State University Libraries reproduction policies.
Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. Patrons seeking advice on the availability of unpublished materials for publication should consult relevant copyright law and laws of libel.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], John Hamilton papers, 00412, Eberly Family Special Collections Library, Pennsylvania State University.
- Title
- Guide to the John Hamilton papers
- Status
- Published
- Author
- Prepared by Special Collections Library faculty/staff
- Date
- 2011
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2021: Lexy deGraffenreid revised the Finding Aid Status and revised standard notes to current standard. She also merged the two abstracts.