Fletcher Pearre Veitch papers
Abstract
An 1891 graduate of the Maryland Agricultural College, Veitch (1868-1943) was a chemist and soil physicist for the college, the Agricultural Experiment Station, and the United States Department of Agriculture. The collection, consisting of correspondence, publications, proxy records, and speeches, documents Veitch's active involvement in the alumni affairs of the Maryland Agricultural College and the University of Maryland.
Important Information for Users of the Collection
This collection is open for research.
Fletcher Pearre Veitch papers, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries.
Photocopies of original materials may be provided for a fee and at the discretion of the curator. Please see our Duplication of Materials policy for more information. Queries regarding publication rights and copyright status of materials within this collection should be directed to the appropriate curator.
This collection is PROCESSED.
Historical Note
Fletcher Pearre Vietch (1868-1943) was associated with Maryland Agricultural College, later Maryland State College of Agriculture and the University of Maryland, as a student and as an active alumnus. Veitch received a B.S. from Maryland Agricultural College in 1891 and then, except for a one-year stint with a Baltimore firm, served as chemist and soil physicist for the College and the Agricultural Experiment Station until 1901. Veitch's lifelong interest in the College and alumni affairs peaked in the years 1914-1917 when he served variously as member-at-large, vice-president, and president of the Maryland Agricultural College Alumni Association Executive Committee. A resident of College Park for most of his life, Veitch left the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station in 1901 to work for the United States Department of Agriculture. For the next thirty-seven years, until retiring in 9138, Veitch worked in a number of USDA laboratories and bureaus as chemist and administrator. The chemist authored 275 bulletins and articles on agriculture, leather, and paper, and he was a member of a number of professional organizations and commissions.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The papers of Fletcher Pearre Veitch cover the years 1890 to 1938. The bulk of the materials date from 1914 to 1920 when Veitch was particularly active in the Maryland Agricultural College Alumni Association. Few of the documents cover subjects other than Maryland Agricultural College. The papers include correspondence, newsletters, legislation, newspaper clippings, photographs, proxy records, printed material, and speeches. Central topics include alumni affairs, state legislation affecting Maryland Agricultural College, the College's search for a president, and fundraising. The materials are divided into two series.
Custodial History and Acquisition Information
The papers of Fletcher Pearre Veitch were donated to the University of Maryland Libraries by Veitch's son, Dr. F.P. Veitch, on April 23, 1987.
Processing Information
Processed by Thomas L. Edsall, June 1987
Two series were created from the Veitch papers. Paper clips, pins and staples were replaced with plastic clips. Newspaper clippings were photocopied onto acid-free bond paper and discarded. All duplicates were discarded. Photographs were separated from the papers and transferred to the Photographic Collection. Printed material, except when described as enclosed with correspondence, was removed. All remaining material was placed in acid-free envelopes, folders, and boxes.
EAD markup created using EAD database in Microsoft Access. Markup completed by Jennie A. Levine.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Series 1: Correspondence, 1913-1938 (0.5 linear feet)
Series I consists of original incoming correspondence and carbon copies of outgoing correspondence relating almost entirely to Maryland Agricultural College and the Alumni Association. The bulk of the material covers the years 1914 to 1920. The correspondence focuses on: 1) Alumni Association affairs -- elections, membership, committees, meetings; 2) state legislation-lobbying for charter and appropriations bills concerning Maryland Agricultural College; 3) Maryland Agricultural College president search, especially the Patterson controversy; 4) 1914 proxy fight to elect trustees; 5) Maryland Agricultural College construction and grounds improvement; 6) fundraising, especially for Maryland field and chemistry facilities; and 7) selection of the State Board of Agriculture. Veitch's chief correspondents include: Alumni Association Executive Committee members R. Brigham, H.BYRD, Hellegeist, H. Holzapfel, R. Pindell, and W. Skinner; Maryland Agricultural College presidents H. Patterson, R. Pearson, and A.F. Woods; and others including C .Goldsborough, P. Laird, G. Pearre, and A. Sisk.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Correspondence, 1913 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 1 | |
| Correspondence, Jan-Jun1914 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 2 | |
| Correspondence, Jul-Dec 1914 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 3 | |
| Correspondence, Jan-Jun 1915 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 4 | |
| Correspondence, Jul-Dec 1915 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 5 | |
| Correspondence, 1915 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 6 | |
| Correspondence, Jan-Mar 1916 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 7 | |
| Correspondence, Apr-Jun 1916 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 8 | |
| Correspondence, Jul-Dec 1916 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 9 | |
| Correspondence, 1917 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 10 | |
| Correspondence, 1918-1924 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 11 | |
| Correspondence, 1925-1929 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 12 | |
| Correspondence, 1930-1938 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 13 | |
Series 2: Maryland Agricultural College, 1890-1931 (0.5 linear feet)
Series II contains newsletters, legislation, newspaper clippings, photographs, proxy records, printed material, and speeches. The bulk of the records cover the years 1914 to 1917. Concerns raised in the correspondence in Series I permeate the files of Series II. In particular, alumni affairs dominate the newsletters and speeches, while state legislation concerning Maryland Agricultural College is the subject of the newspaper clippings and legislation files. Finally, the photographs are portraits of early (1890-1892) Maryland Agricultural College students Charles Branch, Jr., Fletcher Pearre Veitch, J.B. Latimer, and Pyon Su. Pyon Su was the first Korean to receive a degree at an American college (M.A.C., 1891 B.S.). He was killed in a train accident in College Park on October 22, 1891. Arrangement is chronological within each folder. Folders are distinguished by document type.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alumni Association, 1914-1917 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 1 | |
| Legislation and related reports, 1912-1917 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 2 | |
| Newspaper clippings, 1914-1916 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 3 | |
| Photographs, 1890-1892 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 4 | |
| Proxy Records, 1914 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 5 | |
| Publications, 1914-1931 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 6 | |
| Speeches, 1915-1916 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 7 | |
Related Material
Fletcher Pearre Veitch as a student appears in a photograph of a chemistry laboratory (c.1893) in the Photographic Collection (#5868).
For other related archival and manuscript collections, please see the following subject guides.
Separated Material
Printed material was removed from the Veitch papers and either added to the University Publications collection or discarded. Contact the University Archives for more information.