Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
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Rominger (Richard Elmer)
Papers
D-087
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
University of California, Davis Library,
Dept. of Special Collections
Title: Richard Elmer Rominger Papers
Creator:
Rominger, Richard Elmer,
1927-
Identifier/Call Number: D-087
Physical Description:
144 linear
feet
Date (inclusive):
1977-2000
Abstract:
Correspondence, clippings, budget papers, agendas, and meeting
notes relating to farmer and civil servant Richard Rominger's
work with the Department of Food and Agriculture; files on
pesticides, water appropriation, soil erosion, farm labor, and
natural resources.
Physical Location: Researchers
should contact Archives and Special Collections to request
collections, as many are stored offsite.
Richard Rominger was a fourth-generation farmer from Yolo County, California. His family emigrated from Germany to California
over one hundred years ago. Born in Woodland, California in 1927, Rominger was raised in Winters, a farming community located
about 15 miles southwest of Woodland. After serving with the U.S. Navy during World War II, Rominger attended UC Davis where
he was actively involved in the university band and majored in agricultural studies.
Rominger served as the director of the Yolo County Farm Bureau for 25 years and as president from 1971 to 1973. Additionally,
he co-founded and served as founding president of the Yolo Land Trust and served on the board of the American Farmland Trust
for several years. Rominger was also the chairman of the Yolo County Water Resources Board from 1971 to 1977. In 1977, Rominger
was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to be the director of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, serving in
this position until 1982. Years later, in 1993, Rominger was appointed by President Bill Clinton as the deputy secretary of
the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., a position he held until 2001. He was appointed to the Board
of Regents of the University of California in 2004 and served on the California Roundtable on Agriculture.
During his time as a part of the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the USDA, Rominger confronted drought and
agricultural labor issues. He also advocated for the National Emergency Drought Commission and the National Organic Standards
that were new at the time. Rominger also led the USDA in farm conservation efforts such as combating soil erosion and finding
ways to help farmers with long term pay-offs, not just by paying subsidies.
In his retirement, Rominger continued to raise awareness on issues such as drought and the impact climate change was having
on agricultural production. He received many awards from UC Davis for his work in agriculture and was named Agriculturalist
of the Year at the California State Fair. He also received a Distinguished Service Award from the California Farm Bureau,
commemorating his commitment to the agricultural community.
Rominger retired from government service to his family’s farm in Yolo County where he continued to advocate for the agricultural
community. Rominger passed away December 21, 2020, and is survived by his wife, kids, and grandchildren.
Correspondence, clippings, budget papers, agendas, and meeting
notes relating to Rominger's work with the Department of Food and
Agriculture; files on pesticides, water appropriation, soil
erosion, farm labor, and natural resources.
Collection is open for research.
Liz Phillips encoded this finding aid with help from student
assistant Aditi Sinha. The biography was written by Sacramento State Public History graduate student Katie Kirschner.
[Identification of item], Richard Elmer Rominger Papers,
D-087, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library,
University of California, Davis.
All applicable copyrights for the collection are protected
under chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code. Requests for
permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted
in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for
publication is given on behalf of the Regents of the University
of California as the owner of the physical items. It is not
intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder,
which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Agriculture -- Economic aspects --
California
Rominger, Richard Elmer, 1927- --
Archives
California. Department of Food and
Agriculture
United States. Department of
Agriculture