RS 9/18/51
Sylwester, E.P. (1906-1975)
Papers, 1936-1971, n.d.

Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140


Descriptive summary

creator:

Sylwester, E.P. (1906-1975)

title:

Papers

dates:

1936-1971, n.d.

extent:

7 linear feet (26 document boxes)

collection number:

RS 9/18/51

repository:

University Archives, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research

publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department

preferred citation:

E.P. Sylwester Papers, RS 9/18/51, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Biographical note


Erhardt Paul (E. P.) Sylwester was born to John and Justina (Stelter) Sylwester on January 19, 1906, in Gaylord, Minnesota. He Received his B.A. (1930) from St. Olaf College and his M.A. (1931) and Ph.D. (1945) from Iowa State University. Sylwester taught at St. Olaf College, but spent most of his professional career at Iowa State. In 1935 Sylwester received an appointment with Iowa State Extension, where he worked for thirty years as an extension botanist and plant pathologist. He specialized in weed control, especially promoting cultural methods. He served as head of the Iowa State Seed Laboratory from 1946-1952. Sylwester helped found the North Central Weed Control Conference and served as president in 1950. He was the national chair of the Association of Regional Weed Control Conference in 1952-1953. He received numerous awards, including a Distinguished Faculty Citation from Iowa State in 1969.


 

 

Collection description

 

This collection (1936-1971, n.d.) contains a biographical sketch of Sylwester, his correspondence (1936-1970), Sylwester publications and manuscripts (1942-1955), clippings (1917-1977), committee files (1945-1971), agreements (1932-1960), reports and surveys (1926-1963), subject files (1898-1971), class notes (1926-1937), photographs, and sound recordings.  Correspondence is primarily related to inquiries regarding weeds and plant diseases in Iowa, but also includes requests from other states and international inquiries.  Material and pamphlets related to wildlife, farm safety, and weed control are in the collection as well.  Among the manuscripts is a draft of Louis H. Pammel’s weed survey of Iowa, which Sylwester co-edited.  Other manuscripts related to weed control written by Sylwester are in the collection.  Much of the material is ephemera collected by Sylwester related to botany and natural sciences.  Clipping files concern Barberry; 2, 4-D; “Bargain Seeds”; and clean seeds.  Collection also includes sound recordings related to weed control.

   

 

Organization

 

The collection is listed alphabetically.

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1

Biographical information

n.d.

1

2

Correspondence – greeting cards and post cards

1949-1969

1

3

Correspondence – incoming regarding queries on weed control

1936-1970, n.d.

1

4

Correspondence – Personal

1936-1970, n.d.

1

5

Correspondence – Professional

1936-1970

1

6

Correspondence – Missouri

1954-1955

1

7

Correspondence – Nebraska – Plant Pathology

1954-1955

1

8

Correspondence – Nevada

1954

1

9

Correspondence – North Carolina

1955

1

10

Correspondence – New Jersey

1954-1955

1

11

Correspondence – New York

1954-1955

1

12

Correspondence – North Dakota

1954-1955

1

13

Correspondence – Ohio

1954-1955

1

14

Correspondence – Pennsylvania

1954-1955

1

15

Correspondence – South Dakota

1954-1955

1

16

Correspondence – Tennessee

1954

1

17

Correspondence – Texas

1953-1955

1

18

Correspondence – Utah

1953-1954

1

19

Correspondence – Washington, D.C. General

1954-1955

1

20

Correspondence – Wisconsin

1954-1955

1

21

Correspondence – Canada

1953-1955

1

22

Correspondence – British Columbia

1953

1

23

Correspondence – Denmark

1955

1

24

Correspondence – South America

1954

2

1

Correspondence – Plant Disease (A-C)

1952-1953

2

2

Correspondence – Plant Disease (D-G)

1952-1953

2

3

Correspondence – Plant Disease (H-M)

1952-1953

2

4

Correspondence – Plant Disease (O-W)

1952-1953

2

5

Correspondence – Plant Disease (outside Iowa)

1952-1953

2

6

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Ad-Au)

1951-1953

2

7

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Be-Br)

1952-1953

2

8

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Bu)

1951-1953

2

9

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Ca)

1952-1953

2

10

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Ce-Ch)

1952-1953

2

11

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Ch-Cr)

1952-1953

3

1

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Da-De)

1952-1953

3

2

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (De-Du)

1952-1953

3

3

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Em)

1952-1953

3

4

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Fa-Fr)

1952-1953

3

5

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Gr-Gu)

1952-1953

3

6

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Ha)

1952-1953

3

7

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (He-Hu)

1952-1953

3

8

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Id-Io)

1952-1953

3

9

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Ja-Jo)

1952-1953

3

10

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Ke-Ko)

1952-1953

3

11

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Le-Li)

1952-1953

3

12

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Lo-Ly)

1952-1953

4

1

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Ma)

1952-1953

4

2

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Mi-Mu)

1952-1953

4

3

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (O)

1952-1953

4

4

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Pa-Po)

1952-1953

4

5

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Po)

1952-1953

4

6

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Po)

1952-1953

4

7

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Po)

1952-1953

4

8

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Ri-Sa)

1952-1953

4

9

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Sc-St)

1952-1953

4

10

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Ta)

1952-1953

4

11

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Un-Va)

1952-1953

4

12

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Wa)

1952-1953

4

13

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (We)

1952-1953

5

1

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Wi)

1952-1953

5

2

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Wo-Wr)

1952-1953

5

3

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (outside Iowa)

1952

5

4

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (outside Iowa)

1953

5

5

Correspondence – Weed Seeds (Canada)

1952-1953

5

6

Publications – 2,4-D, Weed Control (Open forum of the Sunday Register)

n.d.

5

7

Publications – Chemical Weed Control

1949

5

8

Publications – Common Poisonous Weed Enemies

1955

5

9

Publications – Educational Problems in Weed Control

1948

5

10

Publications – The Iowa Weed Law

1951

5

11

Publications – Modern Weed Control

n.d.

5

12

Publications – Questions and Answers on Weed Control

n.d.

5

13

Publications – Spraying – Babyhood to Manhood in 5 years

n.d.

5

14

Publications – Top-killing Alfalfa For Seed Production

1951

5

15

Publications – Weed Control

1949- 1950 ca.

5

16

Publications – Weed Control – Garden

1948-1949, n.d.

5

17

Publications – Weed Control – Lawns

1950 ca.

5

18

Publications – Weed Control – Noxious Weeds, Chick-weeds

1951-1955

5

19

Publications – Weed Control – Pasture

1951, n.d.

5

20

Publications, Talks – Weeds and Weed Control

n.d.

6

1

Publications – Weed Control – Roadside Spraying

1948-1950

6

2

Publications – Weed Control – Seed Treatment

1942-1950

6

3

Publications – Wild Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)

n.d.

6

4

Committees – 4-H Club Essay Scholarship Committee

1952-1955, n.d.

6

5

Committees – Albia Pasture Committee

1954

6

6

Committees – Cemetery File

1960-1962, n.d.

6

7

Committees – Cooperative Extension Work

1943-1944, n.d.

6

8

Committees – Epsilon Sigma Phi

1955-1957, n.d.

6

9

Committees – Epsilon Sigma Phi – Note from Recognition Committee

1952-1963, n.d.

6

10

Committees – Farm Safety Committee

n.d.

6

11

Committees – Farm Safety Committee

1945-1956

7

1

Committees – Farm Safety Committee

1957-1960

7

2

Committees – Farm Safety Review

1950-1961

7

3

Committees – Farm Safety Week

1955-1960

7

4

Committees – Future Meetings – NCWCC

1953-1960

7

5

Committees – Memorial Resolution – J.E. Sass

1971

7

6

Committees – Midwest Agricultural Chemicals Assn.

1961

7

7

Committees – Plant Industry Group

1951-1960

7

8

Committees – Program Development

1954, n.d.

7

9

Committees – Seed Laboratory Committee Meetings and Correspondence

1945

7

10

Committees – USDA Recognition

1961-1962, n.d.

7

11

Agreements – Memorandum of Understanding between Agriculture and Home Economics Extension Service ISU and American Cyanamid Company

1959 ca.-1960

7

12

Agreements – Project Agreements

1932 ca.-1954

7

13

Agreements – Proposed Revision of Project Agreements

1960, n.d.

7

14

Reports and Surveys – Barberry Eradication Campaign, Iowa, Annual Report

1929

7

15

Reports and Surveys – Extension Manuscript Report of Review Committee

1949

7

16

Reports and Surveys – Farm Accidents

1947-1956

7

17

Reports and Surveys – Committee on Integration of Work between the College and USDA 

1939-1940

7

18

Reports and Surveys – Committee on Relations with State Department

1939-1940

8

1

Reports and Surveys – Minneapolis Extension Conference

1950

8

2

Reports and Surveys – Committee on Striga Sp.

1957

8

3

Reports and Surveys – Housing Committee

1931-1935

8

4

Reports and Surveys –Trip to Third Pan-Pacific Science Congress

1926-1927

8

5

Reports and Surveys – Seed Viability

n.d.

8

6

Reports and Surveys – Sod and Nod

1950

8

7

Reports and Surveys – Twelfth Annual Report of Northern Iowa Agricultural Experiment Association

1942

8

8

Reports and Surveys – Weed Commissioner

1953-1956, n.d.

8

9

Reports and Surveys – Weed Commissioner

1957-1959

8

10

Reports and Surveys – Weed Commissioner

1960-1963

8

11

Reports and Surveys – Weed Survey of Iowa (I)

1931

9

1

Reports and Surveys – Weed Survey of Iowa (II)

1931

9

2

Reports and Surveys – Weed Survey of Iowa (III)

1931

9

3

Reports and Surveys – Weed Survey of Iowa (IV)

1931

9

4

Subject – 2,4-D Injury

1952-1962, n.d.

9

5

Subject – 2,4-D Weed Killer

1953-1966, n.d.

9

6

Subject – Algae Control

1954-1959, n.d.

9

7

Subject – Audubon Society (Des Moines)

1945

9

8

Subject – Bacterial Disease - Crown gall

1932

9

9

Subject – Birds

1928-1950

10

1

Subject – Bliss Material

1952-1955, n.d.

10

2

Subject – Brayton Chemicals

1955-1965

10

3

Subject – Brush Cutters

1953-1954, n.d.

10

4

Subject – Conservation

1933-1951, n.d.

10

5

Subject – Daily Summary – USDA Publications

1953-1957

10

6

Subject – Diseases of Livestock

1928-1956, n.d.

10

7

Subject – Elms

1961-1962, n.d.

10

8

Subject – Evergreen Windbreaks

1914-1940

10

9

Subject – Farm

1944-1950, n.d.

10

10

Subject – Farm and Home Practices and Labor Saving Methods

1943

10

11

Subject – Fence Posts – Preservative Treatments

1938-1944

10

12

Subject – Ferns of Iowa

1929-1950

10

13

Subject – Fish Recipes

1944-1952

10

14

Subject – Fishponds

1936-1951

10

15

Subject – Fishponds – USDA Publications

1936-1983

11

1

Subject – Forest

1934-1953

11

2

Subject – Forest Pathology

1938-1950

11

3

Subject – Forestry – USDA Publications

1933-1948

11

4

Subject – Fungi of Iowa

1921-1951

11

5

Subject – Game Birds

1936-1943, n.d.