SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION SOCIETY (U.S.). MINNESOTA CHAPTER:

The Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) is an interdisciplinary organization of professional conservationists whose purpose is to advance good land use and management and to promote conservation of soil, water and related renewable natural resources.

The Minnesota chapter, organized in November 1952, works together with the national SWCS on various conservation projects and in the publication of the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. It holds three meetings annually, publishes a quarterly newsletter, and exchanges ideas, information, and material on conservation. It maintains its headquarters in Saint Paul. The chapter is governed by an executive committee which consists of the chairman, vice-chairman, secretary-treasurer, another elected member, all of whom are elected annually in December, and the immediate past chairman. The title "chairman" was changed to "president" in 1964. Chairmen have included Alex S. Robertson (1955-1956), William P. Martin (1957), C. A. Van Doren (1958), Morrie A. Bolline (1959), Curtis L. Larson (1960), Matthias A. Thorfinnson (1961), Gerald A. Simpson (1962), Rodney A. Briggs (1963), and William J. Brune (1964).

The Soil and Water Conservation Society was known as the Soil Conservation Society of America until 1988.

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These documents are organized into the following sections:

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Soil and Water Conservation Society (U.S.). Minnesota Chapter. Organizational records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Location of Master Files:

Digital masters of the Moriarity and Pearson interviews are maintained on the Society's secure digital collections storage servers and are managed and preserved in accordance with archival best practices.

Accession Information:

Accession numbers: 11,375; 12,230; 12,255; 12,288; 12,855; 13,279; 17,172

Processing Information:

Catalog ID number: 990017310190104294

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Location

Internet

George Moriarty interview conducted by Donald Benrud, April 1985. 2 audio files: digital, MP3.

Moriarty discusses the early days (1930s-1940s) of the soil conservation movement, particularly in southeastern Minnesota and the involvement of the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Track 1

Track 2

Location

Internet

William Pearson interview conducted by Donald Benrud, April 1985. 1 audio file: digital, MP3.

Pearson discusses the early days (1930s) of soil conservation activities, especially in Kanabec County, and the formation of the Minnesota chapter.

Track 1

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Conservation of natural resources -- Study and teaching.

Land use, Rural -- Minnesota.

Soil conservation -- Minnesota.

Water conservation -- Minnesota.

Watersheds -- Minnesota.

Zoning -- Wisconsin.

Persons:

Briggs, Rodney A., author.

Brune, William J., author.

Hermsmeier, Lee F., author.

Martin, William P., author.

Moriarty, George, interviewee.

Pearson, William, interviewee.

Pritchard, H. Wayne (Harold Wayne), 1916- author.

Robertson, Alex S., author.

Simpson, Gerald Alvin, 1911- , author.

Thorfinnson, Matthias A., author.

Van Doren, Cornelius A.

Wilson, Chester S. (Chester Sawyer), 1886-1983, author.

Organizations:

Soil Conservation Society of America, author.

Soil Conservation Society of America. Minnesota Chapter, creator.

Minnesota Conservation Education Council.

Minnesota Council of Natural Resources.

National Association of Soil Conservation Districts.

St. Croix River Association.

Document Types:

Photographs.

Sound recordings.

Titles:

Journal of soil and water conservation.

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