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University of California, Riverside, Citrus Research Center and Agricultural Experiment Station records
UA 042
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Title: University of California, Riverside, Citrus Research Center and Agricultural Experiment Station records
Date (inclusive): circa 1808-2007, undated
Date (bulk): 1910-1955
Collection Number: UA 042
Creator:
University of California, Riverside. Citrus Research Center and Agricultural Experiment Station
Extent:
34.15 linear feet
(69 boxes, 6 flat file folders)
Repository:
Rivera Library. Special Collections Department.
Riverside, CA 92517-5900
Abstract: The Citrus Research Center and Agricultural Experiment Station (
CRC
-AES) records collection contains administrative records, correspondence, faculty papers, publications, scrapbooks, clippings,
photographs, reports, project files, and other material relating to
CRC
-AES. Formerly known as the Citrus Experiment Station (CES), the bulk of materials precede the establishment of UC Riverside's
College of Letters and Sciences in 1954. The majority of topics document the history, events, faculty, staff, facilities,
research, and experiments of CES. Materials related to CES research and experiments pertain to the physiology and morphology
of citrus, fig, date palm, avocado, and other subtropical crops, soil management, smog studies, pest control, and diseases.
A majority of citrus related publications and faculty papers were originally part of the former University of California Graduate
School of Tropical Agriculture and Citrus Experiment Station Library. Project files pertain to research and experiments conducted
by CES staff, faculty, and associated members. In addition, other subjects include the history of the citrus and avocado industry
in Southern California, the introduction of the first Washington navel orange tree, and global production and marketing of
citrus and subtropical agriculture.
-AES) records collection contains administrative records, correspondence, faculty papers, publications, scrapbooks, clippings,
photographs, reports, project files, and other material relating to
CRC
-AES. Formerly known as the Citrus Experiment Station (CES), the bulk of materials precede the establishment of UC Riverside's
College of Letters and Sciences in 1954. The majority of topics document the history, events, faculty, staff, facilities,
research, and experiments of CES. Materials related to CES research and experiments pertain to the physiology and morphology
of citrus, fig, date palm, avocado, and other subtropical crops, soil management, smog studies, pest control, and diseases.
A majority of citrus related publications and faculty papers were originally part of the former University of California Graduate
School of Tropical Agriculture and Citrus Experiment Station Library. Project files pertain to research and experiments conducted
by CES staff, faculty, and associated members. In addition, other subjects include the history of the citrus and avocado industry
in Southern California, the introduction of the first Washington navel orange tree, and global production and marketing of
citrus and subtropical agriculture.
Languages: The collection is in English.
This collection is open for research.
For preservation and safety concerns, the use of nitrate negatives in Sub-series 8.5 has been restricted. Please contact Special
Collections & Archives for additional information regarding this material.
Copyright Unknown: Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction,
and/or commercial use, of some materials may be restricted by gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and
publicity rights, licensing agreement(s), and/or trademark rights. Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by
copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions
apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights holder is also required. Responsibility for
obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user.
[identification of item], [date if possible]. University of California, Riverside, Citrus Research Center and Agricultural
Experiment Station records (UA 042). Special Collections & University Archives, University of California, Riverside.
Processed by History Associates Incorporated, 2013.
Processing of the University of California, Riverside, Citrus Research Center and Agricultural Experiment Station records
was generously funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and administered by the Council on Library and Information Resources
(CLIR). The University of California, Riverside was awarded a Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives grant from
2010-2013, "Uncovering California's Environmental Collections," in collaboration with eight additional special collections
and archival repositories throughout the state and the California Digital Library (CDL). Grant objectives included processing
of over 33 hidden collections related to the state's environment and environmental history. The collections document an array
of important sub-topics such as irrigation, mining, forestry, agriculture, industry, land use, activism, and research. Together
they form a multifaceted picture of the natural world and the way it was probed, altered, exploited and protected in California
over the twentieth century. Finding aids are made available through the Online Archive of California (OAC).
The Citrus Research Center and Agricultural Experiment Station (
CRC
-AES) was established by the Regents of the University of California on February 14, 1907. In the late 1800s, the citrus industry
was quickly expanding in Southern California causing the need for a research facility closer than the State Agricultural Experiment
Station located in Berkeley. In 1899, John Henry Reed, a citrus grower and member of the Riverside Horticultural Club, developed
a proposal for the construction of an experiment station in Riverside for the purpose of improving the growth and production
of citrus crops. Over the next five years, Reed and his fellow club members created petitions, acquired endorsements, and
lobbied the California legislature to have a station developed. In May 1906, a group of commissioners created to represent
the UC Regents approved a plan that would allow for the establishment of an organization with two separate branches: a laboratory
in Whittier and an experiment station in Riverside.
CRC
-AES) was established by the Regents of the University of California on February 14, 1907. In the late 1800s, the citrus industry
was quickly expanding in Southern California causing the need for a research facility closer than the State Agricultural Experiment
Station located in Berkeley. In 1899, John Henry Reed, a citrus grower and member of the Riverside Horticultural Club, developed
a proposal for the construction of an experiment station in Riverside for the purpose of improving the growth and production
of citrus crops. Over the next five years, Reed and his fellow club members created petitions, acquired endorsements, and
lobbied the California legislature to have a station developed. In May 1906, a group of commissioners created to represent
the UC Regents approved a plan that would allow for the establishment of an organization with two separate branches: a laboratory
in Whittier and an experiment station in Riverside.
Initially known as the Rubidoux Laboratory, the Citrus Experiment Station (CES) was constructed on approximately 23 acres
of land on the eastern side of Mount Rubidoux in Riverside. Leased to the University of California from the Huntington Park
Association, the site was comprised of a few small buildings, two cottages, and a stable. To celebrate the opening of the
Citrus Experiment Station on January 27, 1907, Riverside staged the largest Farmers' Institute ever held in California at
that time. During its earliest days at the Rubidoux laboratory, CES had only two technically trained staff and few staff assistants,
with research limited to topics in soil management, irrigation, and fertilization for the improvement of citrus quality and
production.
In 1912, the retirement of Dean Wickson of the College of Agriculture and director of the State Agriculture Experiment Station
in Berkeley prompted a decision by the UC president and regents to consider a reorganization of the university's agricultural
research and activities. In 1913, Herbert John Webber was appointed dean of the newly formed Graduate School of Tropical Agriculture
in Southern California as well as the new director of CES. In January of that year, a freeze in Southern California caused
a record loss in citrus crops, prompting the California Fruit Growers Exchange to lobby for an increase in citrus funding.
The result allowed for a new and larger citrus experiment station to be built. In 1914, Webber worked closely with the Riverside
Chamber of Commerce and city officials to convince the UC Regents to keep the station in Riverside instead of moving it to
the San Fernando Valley. On December 22, 1914, the regents voted 14 to 4 in favor of keeping the station in Riverside. The
dedication ceremony for the new Graduate School of Tropical Agriculture and citrus station took place on March 27, 1918 at
the new 475 acre site located at the foothills of the Box Springs Mountains, five miles east of the original Rubidoux site.
During his tenure, Webber recruited eleven scientists and organized six divisions within CES: agricultural chemistry, plant
physiology, plant pathology, entomology, plant breeding, and orchard management. In June 1917, Webber directed the installation
of experimental plots on the new site for the purpose of studying orange cultivation and fertilization. This was the start
of the citrus variety collection (CVC), one of the greatest citrus tree varieties collections worldwide. Some of the most
important achievements within CES during Webber's directorship were in biological control, plant diseases, soils and plant
nutrition, and studies regarding mottle-leaf disease, the mealybug, and subtropical agriculture with a focus on avocados.
After Webber's retirement in 1929, Leon D. Batchelor became the second director of CES. During his term, he focused on fertilizer
experiments and research on tristeza disease. Through the development of a new rootstock that was tristeza resistant, the
threat of extinction of California citrus trees was prevented. In 1932, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
established a College of Agriculture and the Division of Subtropical Horticulture was transferred from Berkeley to Los Angeles.
Over the course of the next few years, divisions were transferred from Berkeley, Davis, and Riverside to Los Angeles. This
resulted in the Graduate School of Tropical Agriculture being discontinued in Riverside in 1939. In 1946, Webber and Batchelor
co-edited
The Citrus Industry, a two volume work regarding citrus growth, production, and distribution.
In 1951, Batchelor retired from his post as director and Homer D. Chapman took over until the end of that year. In January
1952, entomologist and CES staff member Alfred M. Boyce became the new CES director. During Boyce's term, CES expanded its
research to include the nation's first department of Nematology, and dedicated time to research in air pollution and insect
resistance to pesticides. In 1954, the Riverside campus established a College of Letters and Science and became a general
University of California campus in 1959. In 1960, a College of Agriculture was created at Riverside and Boyce was appointed
the first dean. Through this partnership, CES researchers and scientists acquired joint research and teaching appointments.
In 1961, CES officially changed its name to the Citrus Research Center and Agricultural Experiment Station (
CRC
-AES) to reflect new growth and developmental changes within the research conducted at the station. Since the 1960s, the
CRC
-AES has continued research in areas such as biological control and pest management, and has added new areas in molecular
biology, genetics, and agriculture in arid and semiarid regions. In 2007, the
CRC
-AES celebrated its 100th anniversary. Today, the
CRC
-AES is administered by Agricultural Operations, a department within the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at UC
Riverside. Through Agricultural Operations,
CRC
-AES continues to grow and manage crops for the future research of citrus and subtropical agriculture.
CRC
-AES) to reflect new growth and developmental changes within the research conducted at the station. Since the 1960s, the
CRC
-AES has continued research in areas such as biological control and pest management, and has added new areas in molecular
biology, genetics, and agriculture in arid and semiarid regions. In 2007, the
CRC
-AES celebrated its 100th anniversary. Today, the
CRC
-AES is administered by Agricultural Operations, a department within the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at UC
Riverside. Through Agricultural Operations,
CRC
-AES continues to grow and manage crops for the future research of citrus and subtropical agriculture.
| 1899: | John Henry Reed developed a proposal for the construction of a citrus experiment station in Southern California. |
| 1906: | UC Regents approved a plan to institute an experiment station in Southern California in May. |
| 1907: | The Citrus Experiment Station (CES) site was officially established on Mt. Rubidoux on February 14. |
| 1913: | Herbert J. Webber was named the first director of the CES. |
| A record breaking frost devastated citrus crops across Southern California in January. | |
| 1914: | UC Regents voted 14 to 4 in favor of keeping the station site in Riverside. |
| 1917: | Herbert J. Webber established the citrus variety collection (CVC) through the installation of experimental plots on the new station site. |
| 1918: | The Citrus Experiment Station and the new Graduate School of Tropical Agriculture were dedicated on March 27. |
| 1924: | Summer sessions in Subtropical Horticulture for undergraduate students were instituted in Riverside. |
| 1929: | Herbert J. Webber retired and Leon D. Batchelor took Webber's place to become the second CES director. |
| 1931: | The north wing of the CES building was constructed. |
| 1933: | Summer sessions in undergraduate instruction in Subtropical Horticulture were suspended. |
| 1939: | The Graduate School of Tropical Horticulture was discontinued. |
| 1940: | Herbert J. Webber and Leon D. Batchelor co-edited and released The Citrus Industry. |
| 1951: | Leon D. Batchelor retired and Homer D. Chapman took Batchelor's place as director for the remainder of the year. |
| 1952: | Alfred M. Boyce took over as CES director. |
| 1954: | A College of Letters and Science was established on the Riverside campus. |
| 1957: | CES celebrated its 50th anniversary. |
| 1959: | UC Riverside became a general campus. |
| 1960: | A College of Agriculture was established at UC Riverside and Alfred M. Boyce was appointed the new dean. |
| 1961: | CES officially changed its name to the Citrus Research Center and Agricultural Experiment Station (
CRC
-AES).
|
| 1968: | The first International Citrus Symposium was held at UC Riverside in March. |
| 1982: |
CRC
-AES celebrated its 75th anniversary.
|
| 2007: |
CRC
-AES celebrated its 100th anniversary.
|
The Citrus Research Center and Agricultural Experiment Station (
CRC
-AES) records collection contains administrative records, correspondence, faculty papers, publications, scrapbooks, clippings,
photographs, reports, project files, and other material relating to
CRC
-AES. Formerly known as the Citrus Experiment Station (CES), the bulk of materials precede the establishment of UC Riverside's
College of Letters and Sciences in 1954. The majority of topics document the history, events, faculty, staff, facilities,
research, and experiments of CES. Materials related to CES research and experiments pertain to the physiology and morphology
of citrus, fig, date palm, avocado, and other subtropical crops, soil management, smog studies, pest control, and diseases.
A majority of citrus related publications and faculty papers were originally part of the former University of California Graduate
School of Tropical Agriculture and Citrus Experiment Station Library. Project files pertain to research and experiments conducted
by CES staff, faculty, and associated members. In addition, other subjects include the history of the citrus and avocado industry
in Southern California, the introduction of the first Washington navel orange tree, and global production and marketing of
citrus and subtropical agriculture.
CRC
-AES) records collection contains administrative records, correspondence, faculty papers, publications, scrapbooks, clippings,
photographs, reports, project files, and other material relating to
CRC
-AES. Formerly known as the Citrus Experiment Station (CES), the bulk of materials precede the establishment of UC Riverside's
College of Letters and Sciences in 1954. The majority of topics document the history, events, faculty, staff, facilities,
research, and experiments of CES. Materials related to CES research and experiments pertain to the physiology and morphology
of citrus, fig, date palm, avocado, and other subtropical crops, soil management, smog studies, pest control, and diseases.
A majority of citrus related publications and faculty papers were originally part of the former University of California Graduate
School of Tropical Agriculture and Citrus Experiment Station Library. Project files pertain to research and experiments conducted
by CES staff, faculty, and associated members. In addition, other subjects include the history of the citrus and avocado industry
in Southern California, the introduction of the first Washington navel orange tree, and global production and marketing of
citrus and subtropical agriculture.
This collection is arranged into ten series as follows:
- Series 1. Administrative records, 1868-1978, undated
- Series 2. Faculty papers, 1873-1971, undated
- Series 3. Citrus industry records and publications, 1890-1991, undated
- Series 4. History of the Citrus Experiment Station, 1899-1978, undated
- Series 5. Scrapbooks, 1908-1957
- Series 6. Press clippings, 1899-1985, undated
- Series 7. Project files, 1907-1967
- Series 8. Photographic material, 1898-1986, undated
- Series 9. Citrus Experiment Station anniversary celebrations, 1933-2007
- Series 10. Maps, site drawings, and other oversize materials, 1888-1952, undated
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
library's online public access catalog.
University of California, Riverside. Citrus Research Center and Agricultural Experiment Station
Webber, Herbert John, 1865-1946
Thomas, Edward Ellis, 1883-1936
Quayle, H. J. (Henry Josef), 1876-
Parker, E. R. (Edwin Robert), 1896-1952
Chapman, Homer Dwight, 1898-2005
Batchelor, L. D. (Leon Dexter), 1884-
Boyce, A. M.
Agriculture
Avocado
Citrus
Citrus -- Diseases and pests
Citrus fruit industry
Citrus fruits -- Research
Entomology
Horticulture
Riverside (Calif.)
Administrative records
Articles
Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence
Documents
Lantern slides
Maps
Negatives (photographs)
Notes
Photographs
Publications
Reports
Slides (photographs)
Typescripts
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