Jacob A. Schowalter
Encyclopedia
Jacob Abraham Schowalter (August 25, 1879 – March 10, 1953) was a Kansas farmer, business owner and Mennonite
philanthropist
whose estate formed the basis of the Schowalter Foundation
.
Schowalter was born in Friedelsheim
in the Palatinate province of Germany. He came to North American with his family in 1883, and with the help of Mennonite relatives, settled near Halstead, Kansas
. Schowalter joined Halstead Mennonite Church in 1894. He attended Bethel College
and later Kansas State Agricultural College at Manhattan, Kansas
.
Schowalter's father died in 1885 and his mother in 1890. He received his share of the estate in 1903, 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) of the family farm near Halstead and purchased an additional 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) from a sibling. This was the start of the real estate
fortune that Schowalter would build over his lifetime. In 1917 he purchased 320 acres (1.3 km²) near Newton, Kansas
where he made his permanent residence. On the Newton farm Schowalter started raising livestock, keeping up to a thousand sheep and 150 cattle.
As a blacksmith
, Schowalter was able to improve and repair his farm equipment. He patented an adjustable cultivator
(1904) and a portable hoist (1921). In 1923 he formed a partnership to own and operate a grain elevator
, in part to market his own substantial wheat
crop. Later he took over full ownership of the elevator.
During World War I wheat farming was profitable and Schowalter invested his earnings in stocks and bonds. When land prices fell during the Great Depression
Schowalter was able to buy vast tracts of western Kansas and Oklahoma farmland from farmers eager to sell. Schowalter had earlier observed summer fallow
ing in eastern Oregon and applied it to his advantage, perhaps the first to introduce this practice to Kansas. From 1935 to 1950 good crop yields, high commodity prices and increasing land values all helped to build the Schowalter estate.
By 1950 Schowalter owned property in Harvey
, Sedgwick
, Butler
, Scott
, Sherman
and Stevens
counties. A significant portion of this laid over the Hugoton natural gas field
and some of his 400 acres (1.6 km²) in Oklahoma produced oil income.
Schowalter, a Democratic Party
member, felt Mennonites should be more engaged in the political process and the problems of government. He served two terms (1934–1938) as a Kansas state representative
.
Schowalter never married and lived a simple, austere life. His success was based on hard work, saving and common sense investments. Schowalter gave to charitable causes that were compatible to his Mennonite faith. He supported mission work, world relief efforts, education and church institutions. In 1952 Schowalter was a key donor involved in purchasing over 30,000 acres (120 km²) of land in Paraguay to aid resettlement of European Mennonite refugees displaced by World War II.
Schowalter died in 1953, leaving an estate of $1.57 million which became the basis for the Schowalter Foundation
, a charitable organization that continues to support numerous Mennonite projects.
General Conference Mennonite Church
The General Conference Mennonite Church was an association of Mennonite congregations based in North America from 1860 to 2002. The conference was formed in 1860 when congregations in Iowa invited North American Mennonites to join together in order to pursue common goals such as higher education...
philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
whose estate formed the basis of the Schowalter Foundation
Schowalter Foundation
The Schowalter Foundation is a Kansas-based Mennonite philanthropic foundation formed in 1954 from the estate of Jacob A. Schowalter of Newton, Kansas....
.
Schowalter was born in Friedelsheim
Wachenheim
Wachenheim an der Weinstraße is a small town in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, roughly 1 km south of Bad Dürkheim and 20 km west of Ludwigshafen...
in the Palatinate province of Germany. He came to North American with his family in 1883, and with the help of Mennonite relatives, settled near Halstead, Kansas
Halstead, Kansas
Halstead is a city in Harvey County, Kansas, United States. Halstead was named in honor of Murat Halstead, a respected Civil War correspondent and newspaper editor. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,085.-History:...
. Schowalter joined Halstead Mennonite Church in 1894. He attended Bethel College
Bethel College (Kansas)
Bethel College is a private college affiliated with Mennonite Church USA. The college is located on the edge of the Flint Hills and the vast wheat fields of south central Kansas in the town of North Newton...
and later Kansas State Agricultural College at Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281...
.
Schowalter's father died in 1885 and his mother in 1890. He received his share of the estate in 1903, 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) of the family farm near Halstead and purchased an additional 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) from a sibling. This was the start of the real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
fortune that Schowalter would build over his lifetime. In 1917 he purchased 320 acres (1.3 km²) near Newton, Kansas
Newton, Kansas
Newton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 19,132. Newton is located north of Wichita and is included in the Wichita metropolitan statistical area...
where he made his permanent residence. On the Newton farm Schowalter started raising livestock, keeping up to a thousand sheep and 150 cattle.
As a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, Schowalter was able to improve and repair his farm equipment. He patented an adjustable cultivator
Cultivator
A cultivator is any of several types of farm implement used for secondary tillage. One sense of the name refers to frames with teeth that pierce the soil as they are dragged through it linearly. Another sense refers to machines that use rotary motion of disks or teeth to accomplish a similar result...
(1904) and a portable hoist (1921). In 1923 he formed a partnership to own and operate a grain elevator
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
, in part to market his own substantial wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
crop. Later he took over full ownership of the elevator.
During World War I wheat farming was profitable and Schowalter invested his earnings in stocks and bonds. When land prices fell during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
Schowalter was able to buy vast tracts of western Kansas and Oklahoma farmland from farmers eager to sell. Schowalter had earlier observed summer fallow
Summer fallow
Summer fallow, sometimes called fallow cropland, is cropland that is purposely kept out of production during a regular growing season. Resting the ground in this manner allows one crop to be grown using the moisture and nutrients of more than one crop cycle...
ing in eastern Oregon and applied it to his advantage, perhaps the first to introduce this practice to Kansas. From 1935 to 1950 good crop yields, high commodity prices and increasing land values all helped to build the Schowalter estate.
By 1950 Schowalter owned property in Harvey
Harvey County, Kansas
Harvey County is a county located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 34,684. Its county seat and most populous city is Newton. The county is a part of the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area which also includes Butler,...
, Sedgwick
Sedgwick County, Kansas
Sedgwick County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. The county's population was 498,365 for the 2010 census. The largest city and county seat is Wichita. The county was named after General John Sedgwick...
, Butler
Butler County, Kansas
Butler County is a county located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 65,880. Its county seat and most populous city is El Dorado. The county is a part of the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area.-19th century:It was named in...
, Scott
Scott County, Kansas
Scott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 4,936...
, Sherman
Sherman County, Kansas
Sherman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 6,010...
and Stevens
Stevens County, Kansas
Stevens County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 5,724. Its county seat is Hugoton...
counties. A significant portion of this laid over the Hugoton natural gas field
Natural gas field
Oil and natural gas are produced by the same geological process according fossil fuel suggestion: anaerobic decay of organic matter deep under the Earth's surface. As a consequence, oil and natural gas are often found together...
and some of his 400 acres (1.6 km²) in Oklahoma produced oil income.
Schowalter, a Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member, felt Mennonites should be more engaged in the political process and the problems of government. He served two terms (1934–1938) as a Kansas state representative
Kansas Legislature
The Kansas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. It is a bicameral assembly, composed of the lower Kansas House of Representatives, composed of 125 Representatives, and the upper Kansas Senate, with 40 Senators...
.
Schowalter never married and lived a simple, austere life. His success was based on hard work, saving and common sense investments. Schowalter gave to charitable causes that were compatible to his Mennonite faith. He supported mission work, world relief efforts, education and church institutions. In 1952 Schowalter was a key donor involved in purchasing over 30,000 acres (120 km²) of land in Paraguay to aid resettlement of European Mennonite refugees displaced by World War II.
Schowalter died in 1953, leaving an estate of $1.57 million which became the basis for the Schowalter Foundation
Schowalter Foundation
The Schowalter Foundation is a Kansas-based Mennonite philanthropic foundation formed in 1954 from the estate of Jacob A. Schowalter of Newton, Kansas....
, a charitable organization that continues to support numerous Mennonite projects.