Tag Archives: USDA

April 10, 1936

Friday AM.

My Dear Sweetheart,

Thanks for the nice letter and the Easter wishes. Just in case I cannot come home tomorrow, I am enclosing the Standard Oil bill and the 13.50 statement from the insurance company at Dallas.

April 10, 1936

Right now I have 12 names on the SE list who were not recorded in the Secy’s office last year, and I am searching records of Congressional endorsement. We found 9 letters with applications in the different states & I am asking Dr. Bishopp to check for 3 in his office. This seems necessary in getting these men on the job again.

Have been with Mr. Townsend every evening until about 11:30 and then again the first thing in the morning. We are moving toward organization gradually. The coop statements in Wash. were endorsed by BAI & Extension Service and are now up for Secretary’s signature.Had a phone call from Mr. Strong early yesterday AM but he did not mention anything except the men’s names and endorsement. Says it is OK to send R.A. to Texas for arrangements out there.

The labor bill of $25.40 for Mr. Farmer seems reasonable & I think the job was good. I recommend a check to him.

Think we will get another insurance statement from Dallas in about 2 months covering tornado & storm. For some reason the mortgage Co. always carries two policies on the Owenwood place.

Claudelle attached a photo to her application blank so I am sending it home.

With love to all three of you,

Your
Walter

March 10, 1936

Stationery from the Hotel Houston, Washington, DC.

Washington, D.C. March 10 1936

My dear Sweetheart,

I wired the news by night letter and there is very little more to tell now. I am to have full charge under Strong’s office, which means not full charge, but as near full charge as any one else in Bureau. Right now I am busy trying to make set ups and detailed plans for work of next season. This to be done before the Cooperative Statement for States can be prepared. It means I’ll be here several days this time. (Will mail Income tax blank & check to Savannah). I am told by Cushing Bishopp & Rohner that the temporary nature of the S.W. program does not mean that I’ll not have a place when this is over. A place will be held open for me. Rohner insists that I have nothing to worry about on that score.

March 10, 1936

Do not know if we will have two administrative offices in field as planned or only one. Atlanta is undoubtedly too far east for a single office. Seems that Texas would be better, since program includes California. More about this later.

Bishopps were very cordial to me tonight and had a wonderful dinner. I am sure that he feels hurt. I intend to be so d. nice and cooperative, because I will not be subject to his many suggestions! I am writing Mr. Townsend & John but I certainly want the present kept secret. It is not known about Washington, even in B’s office. Parman and Babcock are to return to research. Roberts and Bruce are to be with me. All other state men etc. to be with me.

The music goes round and round but it is not coming out here very much.

There are a number of things to be discussed & all plans to be made.

With all my love, Honey,

Your
Walter

May 31, 1935

The screw-worm control project is really getting going now. Here’s the lineup for a conference the USDA held about the subject to kick off their big education and treatment push. At this point, the campaign focuses on teaching ranchers how to minimize and treat superficial wounds on their livestock, as those are the main point of entry for the screw-worm fly. As explained in the USDA archives, this campaign subsequently evolved into a biological control method that completely eradicated the pest from the US.

May 31, 1935

March 22, 1935

Stationery from the Hotel Houston, 910 E St. NW, Washington, DC.

My dear Ina,

I have just returned from the Cushings’ where Laake, Parman, Mr. & Mrs. Bishopp and I had dinner and a pleasant evening. The Cushings are living in Mr. & Mrs. Peters’s home while Mrs. Peters is away. Prof. Harned had asked me to join his family for a Mississippi meeting tonight, but when Cushing told me of their plans I had to beg off from the Miss. meeting. I was really glad to beg off, because I’ll see the Harneds Sunday. They may take me to Baltimore. Mr. Parman looks older and Mr. Laake seems younger. Mrs. Bishopp has some gray hair but talks in the usual way. Cushing looks fine and Mrs. Cushing looks as good as she did when they returned from England. She lost some of the Arctic bleaching but has a good healthy color. She has as much pep as usual.

March 22, 1935

The set up for screw worms seems to place me as director of all control work and Laake with all research work. Mr. Howell is listed as Asst. state leader of Ga., but I am quite sure that we will not be able to get him for that place. When Mr. Coffin gets behind it, I think his stock will go up. Prince was listed as state leader for Ga., though some political strings are pulling for others. It seems that the Congressmen and Senators will name most of the County men and that the district and state men will be left largely to us. Parman is listed for Mississippi, McGehee for Alabama, Mr. Bruce for Florida, and for Texas and Louisiana I do not know the men suggested. Bishopp keeps both control and research under his general direction. I’ll find out more tomorrow.

At a meeting with Mr. Strong today, Bish announced Atlanta as a general headquarters for all control work. I haven’t had a chance to discuss this, except that I am told that Mr. Strong does not favor Savannah for it. It is not central or a large enough place. The southeastern research on screw worms may go to Valdosta. King and Bradley are kept for possible mosquito work, but Strong does not favor a large program for the Bureau.

I’ve already announced my intentions of leaving soon, but I know that I’ll be here for several days. If you write, it should be addressed to the Bureau of Ent. & P.Q., Man and Animals Division. I may go to the same hotel where Laake and Parman are staying.

With lots of love,

Your,
Walter.

It looks like you might have a chance to visit at Uvalde during the S.W. work. I would be in charge of control work out there too.

September 3, 1933

401 Cecil St.
University Park,
Hyattsville, Md.
Sept 3, 1933.

Dear Dove:

I do not know how to apologize for not acknowledging your good letter of Aug. 2 sooner. I have been thinking that something more tangible would show up most any minute, but it hasn’t yet. Let me first thank you for your thoughtfulness and efforts in my behalf, also for the nice things you had to say of me. This last year and a half have shown me that friends are invaluable.

September 3, 1933

Now with reference to Mr. Garner I don’t know whether he will do much in this case as he has never seemed very friendly to entomology. It is certain that if he should interest himself that he could be a big factor. It will certainly do no harm to have him informed. Probably if several of his Texas friends should ask him to support the work of the bureau and recommend my appointment he would take some action. Your plan to have Mr. Lewis write Mr. Garner reminding him of their conversation is sound. If you think it desirable, you could drop him a personal note confirming your conversation, but I think that letters from his Texas associates especially officers of the Livestock Assn’s would be better. Maybe a line from you to Parman would help. I don’t think he knows of the situation here, at least not from me.

One of the difficulties here is the lack of knowledge of what is going to happen to the Bureau and who is close to Sec’y Wallace and others directing the policy of the Dept. One of my friends who has been writing some letters in my behalf sent me several letters. One of these was from Asst. Secy. Tugwell (in reply to a letter to Secy. Wallace). In this he said he would be glad to give careful consideration etc “if an appointment to that position is made.” This certainly hints at a dismemberment of the Bu. or possibly a fusion. Joining the Bu. & the Bu. of Plant Quarantine has been mentioned as a possibility. A good many feel that if this is done they wouldn’t want to see Strong, Chief of Quarantine made Chief of the consolidated organization because he is not an entomologist and not a college man. This they fear would make him an unsuitable leader for research, and might cause in him a lack of appreciation of research, especially of a fundamental nature.

The question of maintaining the Bureau as an administrative unit is paramount and I feel that every entomologist should do everything possible to hold our ground. In this direction, I am working on methods of disseminating favorable propaganda. Probably a committee of the two associations will be working on this soon. My feeling is that such work should be done very quietly, that is so it does not appear to be organized. This should create backing among the public and help educate the powers that be on the importance of the science. The com. could also contact industrial, and commercial & agr’l organizations and encourage their active support. Let me have your ideas along this line.

All join in sending best regards to all.

Sincerely
F.C.B.

I understand that the Committee on Bu. affairs appointed by the 2 assn’s have filed a statement with the Sec’y outlining the qualifications of a Chief of Bu. of Ent. but not mentioning names. E.F. Phillips (bee man of Cornell) appears to be a candidate. He is chairman of the Committee.

July 31, 1933 (from Dr. Bishopp)

The next letter in the file is nearly a year later, on a completely different subject.

401 Cecil St. Uni Park
Hyattsville, Md.
July 31 – 1933

Dear Dove:

It now appears practically certain that Dr. Marlett will retire upon reaching his 70th birthday in Sept. This makes the appointment of his successor a matter soon to come before the Secretary. As a matter of fact, a committee was appointed to represent the two entomological associations to make certain recommendations to the Secy regarding the Bureau, and one of these, I understand was the importance of an early appointment of a successor so that he might be ready to proceed energetically and intelligently with the conduct of Bureau affairs as soon as the Chief retires. I have been informed that the committee is unanimously opposed to Mr. Rohmer as Chief, though I don’t know that they have agreed to push any special candidate. This committee consists of E.F. Phillips, W.E. Britton, E.P. Felt, J.S. Houser and E.N. Cory. Phillips is receptive to the appointment and there is some indication that he is doing some active pulling for the job.

July 31, 1933 (from Dr. Bishopp)

Within the Bureau, apparently Dr. Marlatt expects to push Mr. Rohmer into the place, though he is not favorably looked upon by most of the division heads. Larrimer & I are the only other Bu. members whose names I have heard mentioned favorably.

I think it a worthy ambition for any entomologist to desire elevation to that important position and while I recognize my many shortcomings I feel that my experience, knowledge of the personnel and work of the Bureau and my knowledge of the entomological problems of the country and of the point of view of the farmers is at least equal to that of others. I have been encouraged greatly in making some effort to secure the appointment by the concentrated support of a goodly number of my associates in the Bu. and friends outside.

If you think I can handle the job satisfactorily I shall greatly appreciate your support where opportunity offers. A word now and then among the entomologists will help crystallize sentiment. There is every indication that some political wires are being pulled for certain others outside the Bu. so that slant may be very helpful and very necessary. I hope that the appointment will not take on a purely political aspect, but partisan consideration is having quite a part there these days. While I can’t claim being an old line Democrat, I’ve helped elect many good Democrats including F.D. (with 3 votes from our family). While the gov’t man is getting his bumps now we hope it will come out all to the good in the end.

We still hope and are working hard for the maintenance of the Bu. as a unit and the committee feels that the early appointment of a new Chief will be an important step in that direction.

Such help as you may lend will not be forgotten.

Wish you and the family could get up this way this summer, we would all enjoy a visit from you so much.

With best regards from all to all

Sincerely
FCB

November 1, 1926

Letter of Authorization
No. 516
Washington, D.C.
November 1, 1926

Mr. W. E. Dove, Collaborator.

Under authority conferred upon me by paragraph 2 of the Fiscal Regulations of the Department, you are hereby authorized to incur expenses as follows, during the fiscal year 1927, in the performance of official duties, under the appropriation: “General expenses, Bureau of Entomology, 1927, Miscellaneous Insects” –

November 1, 1926

To make such trips from Baltimore, Md., to Washington, D.C., and return, as may be necessary, for the purpose of conferring with Dr. G. F. White, Insect Pathologist of this Bureau, with reference to investigations of insects affecting the health of animals in which you are both engaged.

To incur necessary traveling expenses.

You will be reimbursed for actual subsistence expenses, not to exceed $7.00 in any one day, while absent from official station and in a travel status.

L.O. Howard
Chief of Bureau

Your official station will be Baltimore, Md.

A second page indicates that the total year’s travel budget for this project is $50, which would be $643.12 in today’s money.

September 23, 1926

The correspondence between Walter and Ina gets more sporadic now, as they’re mostly together. The next few items will be correspondence from Walter’s work, providing a more direct look at what it was like to be a USDA scientist in the early 20th century.

Dr. G.A. White, September 23, 1926, Jacksonville Beach, FL.

When this photo was taken, that screened porch was the United States Department of Agriculture’s primary research facility for the entire state of Florida.

March 21, 1919

On returning from the Great War, Walter resumed his previous job with the US Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Entomology. His salary was $1,800 per year, which is equal to $22,913 in today’s dollars. As before, his work consisted of investigating various insect problems in the Southwest and developing solutions for them. He continued to correspond with some of his old Army buddies, but otherwise focused entirely on his work.

March 21, 1919

Meanwhile, Ina finished an Associate’s degree at a local college, paying her way with a Spanish language scholarship. She then took a job in the tax collector’s office in Uvalde, TX, a small town west of San Antonio. She was a popular young lady, and by the age of twenty-five she had rejected twelve marriage proposals.

Graduation

Born and raised in Franklin County, MS, Walter E. Dove attended the local one-room schoolhouse until the teacher declared that he had taught the boy all he knew. Barely a teenager, Walter became the first in his family to go to college, and in 1913 he graduated from Mississippi A&M. He promptly got a decent job at Armour and Company, a meatpacking operation in North Dakota. After about a year, he switched jobs to become a Scientific Assistant with the US Department of Agriculture. Based in Dallas, he studied agricultural pests throughout the Southwest.

Walter E. Dove's first academic credential.

Around the time Walter was moving to Dallas, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, setting in motion a chain of events that would soon change the world, and Walter’s life, forever.