UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON ARCHIVES
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

Interview #361
HOBSON, ASHER

HOBSON, Asher (1889-1992)
Professor of Agricultural Economics
At UW: 1931-53

Interviewed: November 9, 1983	
Interviewers: Barry Teicher and John W. Jenkins
Length: 2 hours, 3 minutes

Abstract: Background; Graduate work at UW; H. C. Taylor, B. H. Hibbard and Richard Ely; Farm Board and Department of Agriculture; Department of Agricultural Economics; Rudolph Froker, Christian Christensen and cooperatives; Discrimination: University Club and Arthur Burke; State and national agriculture committees; Athletic Board, Walter Meanwell and Guy Lowman; Neil Cafferty and A. W. Peterson; George Sellery; Dining clubs; Resignation.

Tape 1/Side 1

00:00:05	Interviewer’s introduction

00:00:30	AH was born November 26, 1889 in Quenemo, Kansas.  Every summer during grade school he would spend time with his grandfathers on their farms.  Graduated from the University of Kansas in 1913 in agricultural economics.  He was offered a job as a high school teacher for $1000 for nine months.  They just wanted a debating coach.  Instead he went to graduate school in agricultural economics.

00:04:30	Cornell and University of Wisconsin were both good schools.  AH was going to go to Cornell because there was no out-of-state tuition.  Head of the economics department in Kansas knew someone on the Wisconsin faculty (H.C. Taylor) and suggested AH go there instead.

00:05:40	Areas of economic agricultural study included management, marketing, finance, and history.

00:06:15	Key professors AH worked with were H. C. Taylor and B. H. Hibbard.  AH took statistics and economics classes.  Graduate student between 1913-1916.  Ely was head of the Economics department.  AH came back to the University in 1931.

00:08:40	From 1916-1931, AH taught at the Pullman State College of Agriculture.  In 1917 he was the State Director of Farm Marketing.  In 1919, he became the Assistant Chief of Farm Management in the Department of Agriculture.  Later he was an assistant professor at Columbia University.  

00:09:43	AH was the American delegate to the International Institute of Agriculture in Rome with the state department.  He received his Ph.D. from the University of Geneva in international relations. Graduated in 1931. Came back to US after book was published. 

00:12:04	Farm Board in 1931.  Department of Agriculture in International Service.  In 1931 offered a position at the University of Wisconsin.

00:15:28	AH was appointed chairman of the Agricultural Economics department.  He replaced Hibbard. 

00:16:30	UW had the top department in the nation.

00:16:35	AH's favorite teachers/lecturers in the department were George Wehrwein, Parsons, Charge, and Leopold.

00:18:20	Reactions of students rated the professors.  Professors lectured and held discussions.  There were no standard methods of teaching.

00:19:50	Froker was a good researcher.  He helped develop the Lake-To-Lake cooperative.  Froker dealt with cooperatives and milk marketing.  He would act as a Consultant to many cooperatives.

00:21:55	Froker developed a method of measuring the value of milk by solids, not fat, and butter fat.

00:22:50	Q. What was Hibbard’s accomplishment? Hibbard was a good teacher, researcher and lecturer.

00:23:20	Froker was a consultant with extension.  Most professors were budgeted with extension.

00:24:10	AH knew Slichter, but he did not give much money to AH's department because of funding available from extension and the Agricultural Experiment Station.

00:25:00	Generous support for the Agricultural Department.  Agricultural Sociology was separate from the Agricultural Department.  The Agricultural Department had some joint appointments with other departments.

00:26:18	Collaboration on research within the department and with the Agricultural Department because it financed some of the professors.

00:27:40	UW became known for its work in cooperatives.

00:29:12	Milo Swanton was the head of the Wisconsin Council of Agriculture, which helped cooperatives.  AH worked with the Council.

00:30:20	The Agricultural Department was an advocate of cooperatives in the state.  The theory was that in bargaining individuals have no leverage.  Must operate as a group.  AH was also critical of cooperatives.

00:32:50	Christensen was known for his support of cooperatives.  AH was involved in cooperative in the state of Washington before coming to Wisconsin.

00:36:05	As chairman of the department AH had limited powers.  Department met once a week at the University Club with the Economics Department until Sellery broke them apart in the 1940s.

00:37:30	AH was chairman of the University Club for four years.  This was during the war years, and it experienced financial troubles.

00:38:05	Faculty voted on tenure.  Individuals were asked or asked themselves to be considered.  During the Depression the department was strapped for funds.  Salary reductions.

00:42:30	As chairman, AH always had access to the dean's office.  

00:44:23	End of side.

Tape 2/Side 1

00:44:40	AH's resignation letter from the University.

00:46:45	Faculty within the department got along well.  AH was the only controversial member of the staff.  Retired in 1948.  Three years prior to his resignation, some faculty wanted to elect a new chairman, but they never took action.

00:48:42	Differences with faculty would arise because some were not promoted as quickly as they thought they should be.

00:50:50	AH was the chairman of the Social Sciences.  AH opposed setting up separate divisions.  This was discussed in general faculty meetings.

00:52:20	AH was the secretary-treasurer of the American Farm Economic Association for 15 years.  Most others had shorter terms.  Members met once a year for a three day program, which involved the presentation of papers.

00:54:25	AH was a board member on the American Institute of Cooperation.  He was the chairman from 1949-1952.  He resigned in 1953.

00:54:55	AH was a member of the Agricultural Committee of the US Chamber of Commerce.  He was elected two or three times.

00:55:15	AH's influence on national committees was more important than on university committees.  AH was a supporter of cooperative on the all committees.

00:57:20	AH received honorary recognition from the Farm Bureau (Wisconsin).  AH was against the agricultural New Deal. Thought it kept farmers in the business who should not have been because of hand outs.

00:59:20	Christensen was supported by the LaFollettes.

00:59:45	AH had no concerns about academic freedom.  He always expressed his views.

01:00:50	AH was a conservative who supported cooperatives.  The Farm Bureau (Wisconsin) was accused of being capitalists.

01:04:30	The Agricultural Economics Department's facilities were adequate.  Offices were spread out in different buildings.  AH gave away personal library to the Agricultural Hall of Fame.

01:08:34	AH got along with the Deans. Had less contact with “Fred”. AH was on the Athletic Board.  AH had taken a class from Dykstra in Kansas.

01:12:20	Neil Cafferty was the head of business operations. A.W. Peterson and AH belong to a dining club.  Peterson's personality.

01:14:08	AH did not have contact with the Graduate School.  Slichter gave AH a grant when he first came to Wisconsin to investigate the marketing of cheese.  AH had funding from the Experimental Station.

01:14:45	University Alumni Research Foundation mainly funded physical and biological sciences.

01:16:45	AH knew Sellery.  Sellery had broken Agricultural Economics from the Economics Department.

01:17:55	AH was on the Athletic Board for four years.  Meanwell was the head of athletics.  The Board voted to keep him on because they could not find a replacement.  Regents fired Meanwell because of personality problems.  The Board resigned.

01:22:50	The Athletic Board ran the department, made the budget, and set salaries.  There were problems getting enough money to support programs.  In 1932, when AH started on the Board, the department had $87,000.

01:24:10	Football, boxing, and basketball generated the most income.  Boxing was popular, but many in the faculty opposed.

01:27:23	AH was appointed to the Athletic Board because he was dependable and not because of some special interest in sports. 

01:28:20	Guy Lowman taught classes in the Department of Education in athletics and was well respected.

01:29:23	End of side.

Tape 2/Side 2

01:29:25	AH was on the Regent Faculty Conference Committee.

01:30:34	AH was on the Library Committee, but was not very active.  It mainly purchased books.  The library was adequate.

01:32:30	The divisional committee dealt with courses.

1:35:05	AH went to all the faculty meetings when he was in town.  He thought it was his duty.

1:35:32	AH and his wife always entertained.  His wife belonged to the Daughter of Demeter and AAUW.

01:36:50	AAUW met at Vilas House, which overlooked the lake.  It was built to entertain President Cleveland.  It was the biggest house in town. Unknown connection to the AAUW.

01:38:47	No one lead faculty meetings all the time.  It would depend on agenda.  AH only spoke when he was against something.

01:39:56	Voted on issues at faculty meetings like nominations for the University Committee.  AH and Kiekhofer were nominated and Kiekhofer won, but died before his term ended, so AH was appointed.

01:41:29	University Committee.

01:42:32	University Club rented rooms to graduate students.  All departments held their meetings at the club. Did not have to join to eat at the Union, hence membership declined.

01:44:41	The club had financial troubles while AH was president.

01:45:46	Women were allowed membership around 1932-1933.  AH thought they always had access to the public meeting areas.

01:46:51	Turned club property over to the University.  Wanted University heat.  Bonds had to be canceled.

01:48:55	Arthur Burke, a black graduate student, was rented a room at the club, and no one knew he was black.  Issue was referred to the board and the membership voted him in 2 to 1.  Would not have been a problem had he been faculty.  Controversial.

01:51:50	AH wanted to extend facilities at the club and had Donald Halverson draw up a design.  Board turned it down because it was too expensive.

01:52:19	AH belonged to two elite dining clubs.  Just general discussion during dinner.  AH helped organize one of them.  Tried to make it formal, but did not happen.  Members included Andrew Weaver, Glenn Frank, and Ira Baldwin.  Almost everyone belonged to dining clubs.  Had to find places that could seat 12 people.

02:00:59	AH taught summer school at Northwestern and Cornell.

02:03:06	End of interview.

END