Adolph Maassen Agrarian Reformers and Farmers Union Collection, 1935-1973
Content Description
Papers and reel-to-reel audio tapes related to Adolph Maassen’s Oral History interview project. Maassen tried to interview leaders in Wisconsin and Minnesota from farm organizations, cooperatives, labor unions, and who had a hand in with pieces of new legislation, that played key roles in changes for rural communities during the 20th century. Contains biographical information about interviewees, a list of interviewees, interview questions, correspondence, transcripts for some of the interviews, and notes pertaining to Maassen’s master’s thesis about the Rural Electrification Act in West Central Wisconsin, published in 1968. There are transcripts of interviews with Kenneth Hones, former president of the Farmers Union; Thomas Amlie, a former Wisconsin congressman who worked on the Rural Electrification Act; M.W. Thatcher; and Harold Burns, who was a director of Field Services for the Farmers Union Central Exchange in St. Paul, Minnesota. For the Reel-to-Reel audio tapes, almost every interview has two sets of reels, the original and a copy. Seven interviews have cassette tape copies and are digitized. The rest of the audio reels are unprocessed. One reel is of the Wisconsin State College at Eau Claire Library Dedication, recorded by WECL Radio, circa 1963.
Dates
- Creation: 1935-1973
Creator
- Maassen, Adolph (Person)
Access Restrictions
Collection is open to the public.
Use Restrictions
Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. Copyright owned by the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire.
Biographical/Historical Note
Adolph Ralph Maassen was born in 1915 in Belvidere, Buffalo County, Wisconsin. He received his master’s degree in history from Wisconsin State University-Eau Claire. During March of 1962, Maassen was a 47-year-old college freshman driving from Alma, Wisconsin, to attend classes. Maassen farmed near Alma for 18 years and then was named manager of the Nelson Station of the Alma Farmers Union Cooperative in 1958. Maassen was president of the Buffalo County Association of Cooperatives and president of the Alma Farmers Union Cooperative. Maassen wrote his thesis in 1968 on the growth, development, and effect of the Rural Electrification Act Program in West Central Wisconsin. The Rural Electrification Act of 1936 was a New Deal proposal which provided federal loans channeled through cooperative electric power companies to set up electrical distribution systems in rural parts of the United States. Maassen taught for 20 years at Bradford High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he was head of the social studies department. Maassen passed away in 1989 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Extent
1.2 Linear Feet (1/2 archives box, 1 record carton)
Language of Materials
English
Summary
Papers and reel-to-reel audio tapes related to Adolph Maassen’s Oral History interview project, interviewing leaders in Wisconsin and Minnesota from farm organizations, cooperatives, labor unions, and who had a hand in with pieces of new legislation, that played key roles in changes for rural communities during the 20th century. Contains a list of and biographical information about interviewees, interview questions, correspondence, transcripts for some of the interviews, and notes pertaining to Maassen’s master’s thesis about the Rural Electrification Act in West Central Wisconsin, published in 1968. Seven interviews have cassette tape copies and are digitized. The rest of the audio reels are unprocessed.
Acquisition Information
Donated to the Special Collections and Archives, University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire prior to April 2006.
Digitized Materials
Seven interviews from Series 2 have cassette tape copies and are digitized as WAV files. The rest of the audio reels are unprocessed.
Reference Code
UHC298
Processing Note
Processed by Brice Vircks in February 2020. Reprocessed by Julie Hatfield in May 2025. Archives Series 246 Maassen Oral History Project Tapes added to UHC298 in May 2025. Most of the reel-to-reel audio tapes are unprocessed.
Subject
- Hones, Kenneth W., 1898-1972 (Person)
- Amlie, Thomas (Person)
- Thatcher, M.W. (Person)
- Wisconsin Farmers Union (Organization)
- Maassen, Adolph (Person)
- Wisconsin State University-Eau Claire (Organization)
- National Farmers' Union (U.S.) (Organization)
- Wisconsin State College at Eau Claire (Organization)
- Gilberts, Arnold (Person)
- Burns, Harold (Person)
- Mittelsdorf, Herbert (Person)
- Linse, Edward (Person)
- Long, Jean (Person)
- Hitt, Arthur (Person)
- Status
- Published
- Author
- Kierstin Wagner
- Date
- February 9, 2024
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and Archives, McIntyre Library, UW-Eau Claire Repository
Special Collections and Archives, McIntyre Library
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
103 Garfield Avenue
Eau Claire WI 54701 United States
715-836-2739
library.archives@uwec.edu