Otto Frederick Hunziker
Encyclopedia
Otto Frederick Hunziker (25 December 1873 – 16 November 1959) was a pioneer in the American and international dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...

 industry, as both an educator and a technical innovator. Otto Hunziker was born and raised in Switzerland, emigrated to the U.S., and studied at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...

. He started and developed the dairy program at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...

 when such programs were at their infancy. At this same time, Professor Hunziker was heavily involved with the development of the American Dairy Science Association
American Dairy Science Association
The American Dairy Science Association is a non-profit professional organization for the advancement of dairy science. ADSA is headquartered in Savoy, Illinois, located near the Urbana-Champaign, Illinois area....

 (ADSA) and the standardization and improvement of many dairy tests and processes. Professor Hunziker wrote several of the leading dairy processing texts, which continue to be cited. After leaving Purdue University, Otto Hunziker managed research and operations at a large, national condensary, continued to drive ADSA's standardization and publishing efforts, represented the U.S. at international dairy congresses, and facilitated dairy industry improvements across the globe.

Early years

Otto Frederick Hunziker was born in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...

, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, on 25 December 1873 to Karl Otto
Karl Otto Hunziker
Karl Otto Hunziker was a Swiss professor of pedagogy, pastor, and politician.-Early life:Karl Otto Hunziker, was born in Zürich to Karl Rudolf Hunziker and Anna Barbara Schinz...

 and Luise (Pupikofer) Hunziker.
Otto's siblings were Karl Rudolf (born 5 February 1870, Zürich), Barbara Luise (17 June 1871 – 16 October 1871), and Marie Julie (23 July 1872 – 30 June 1938). Otto Hunziker spent many early years in Goldbach
Goldbach, Zurich
Goldbach is part of the municipality of Küsnacht in the district of Meilen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. Goldbach is located north of Küsnacht proper, south and west of Zollikon, and on the Goldküste of Lake Zürich....

, Switzerland, where his father was a pastor, professor, and member of the canton parliament. Otto graduated from a Swiss agricultural college at age 19. In 1893, Otto Frederick Hunziker emigrated
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...

 to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

During this time period, significant new development in dairy processing technology was occurring on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In 1890, Stephen Babcock published specifications for the Babcock test
Babcock test
The Babcock test is the first inexpensive and practical test factories could use to determine the fat content of milk.-Motivation:Until the 1890s, dishonest farmers could water down their milk or remove some cream before selling it to the factories because milk was paid for by volume...

 for milk fat content. In 1892, Dr. Niklaus Gerber
Niklaus Gerber
Niklaus Gerber was a Swiss dairy chemist and industrialist. He was born in 1850 in Thun, Switzerland. He attended the University of Bern and University of Zurich, studied chemistry in Paris and Munich and spent 2 years at the Swiss-American Milk Co. in Little Falls, New York.In 1887, Gerber...

 acquired a Swiss patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....

 on the Gerber method
Gerber method
The Gerber Method is a primary and historic chemical test to determine the fat content of milk and other substances. The Gerber Method is the primary testing method in Europe and much of the world. The fairly similar Babcock test is used primarily in the United States, although the Gerber Method...

 for analyzing fat content in milk. Dr. Gerber was based in Zürich, had studied at the University of Zürich
University of Zurich
The University of Zurich , located in the city of Zurich, is the largest university in Switzerland, with over 25,000 students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of theology, law, medicine and a new faculty of philosophy....

, and worked for two years at the Swiss-American Milk Company in Little Falls, New York
Little Falls (town), New York
Little Falls is a town in Herkimer County, New York, United States. The population was 1,544 at the 2000 census. The town is named after a waterfall located nearby.The Town of Little Falls has on its eastern end a small city called Little Falls...

. Otto Hunziker would spend a substantial amount of time studying and improving these analytic methods.

In the United States, O. F. Hunziker initially worked on a dairy farm near Attleboro, Massachusetts
Attleboro, Massachusetts
Attleboro is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States and is immediately north of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Once known as "The Jewelry Capital of the World" for its many jewelry manufacturers, Attleboro had a population of 42,068 at the 2000 census, and a population of 43,645 as of...

. To improve his English and commercial skills, he studied at Bryant and Stratton Business College (now Bryant University
Bryant University
Bryant University is a private university located in Smithfield, Rhode Island, U.S., that grants the degrees of bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and master's degrees in business, taxation and accounting. Until August 2004, it was known as Bryant College...

), Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

 in 1896. He returned to Switzerland briefly in 1898 before returning to receive a B.S. Agriculture in 1900 and M.S.A.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...

 in 1901 from Cornell University. He served as an assistant in charge of dairy bacteriology at Cornell University until 1902, when he equipped and operated a dairy manufacturing research laboratory for the Scranton Condensed Milk Company in Ellicottville
Ellicottville (town), New York
Ellicottville is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,738 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Joseph Ellicott, principal land agent of the Holland Land Company....

, New York. Otto Frederick married Florence Belle Burne on 10 April 1905 in Portville
Portville (town), New York
Portville is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 3,952 at the 2000 census. The name is derived by the town's early role in shipping lumber and other items down river....

, Cattaraugus County, New York
Cattaraugus County, New York
Cattaraugus County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 80,317. The county seat is Little Valley.-History:...

.

Professorship at Purdue

In 1905 Hunziker accepted a position at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana
West Lafayette, Indiana
As of the census of 2010, there were 29,596 people, 12,591 households, and 3,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,381.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 74.3% White, 17.3% Asian, 2.7% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.03% Pacific...

 as head of Purdue's Dairy Department. Dairy departments were relatively new at American colleges. (The first dairy school in the U.S. was created at the University of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...

 in 1890.) Professor Hunziker led Purdue's dairy department through significant growth.

In the summer of 1906, O. F. Hunziker was among 18 teachers and investigators meeting at the University of Illinois, Urbana, to found what was then known as National Association of Dairy Instructors and Investigators. (The following year, this association changed its name to "Official Dairy Instructors' Association" and, in 1916, changed its name to "American Dairy Science Association" (ADSA).) From 1910 to 1926, Otto Hunziker chaired ADSA's Committee on Official Methods of Testing Milk and Cream for Butterfat
Butterfat
Butterfat or milkfat is the fatty portion of milk. Milk and cream are often sold according to the amount of butterfat they contain.- Composition :The fatty acids of butterfat are typically composed as follows :...

. In 1911, this committee met in Washington DC with the U.S. Bureau of Dairying
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...

, the U.S. Bureau of Standards
American National Standards Institute
The American National Standards Institute is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards with international...

 and manufacturers of glassware. Standard specifications for Babcock glassware
Babcock test
The Babcock test is the first inexpensive and practical test factories could use to determine the fat content of milk.-Motivation:Until the 1890s, dishonest farmers could water down their milk or remove some cream before selling it to the factories because milk was paid for by volume...

 were published as a result of this meeting. Professor Hunziker actively pursued numerous improvements to the testing methodology, which improved the quality and safety of dairy products. Otto Hunziker was the third president of ADSA
American Dairy Science Association
The American Dairy Science Association is a non-profit professional organization for the advancement of dairy science. ADSA is headquartered in Savoy, Illinois, located near the Urbana-Champaign, Illinois area....

 from 1910 through 1911. During Professor Hunziker's presidency, ADSA also: created a national score card for scoring dairies; standardized dairy judging contests; secured scholarships for student contests; improved national milk standards; developed ties with breed associations; and, provided fora for industry discussions on dairy instruction and extension services.

Apart from application of improved pedagogy
Pedagogy
Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....

 and scientific methodology, Professor O. F. Hunziker oversaw planning and construction of Smith Hall, the building which thereafter housed Purdue's dairy manufacturing group, extension service
Cooperative extension service
The Cooperative Extension Service, also known as the Extension Service of the USDA, is a non-formal educational program implemented in the United States designed to help people use research-based knowledge to improve their lives. The service is provided by the state's designated land-grant...

, and creamery. While at Purdue, he published over 50 bulletins, leaflets, and scientific treatises addressing dairy farm and plant problems. In 1917, O. F. Hunziker left Purdue to manage manufacturing and research at the Blue Valley Creamery Company
Blue Valley Creamery Company
Blue Valley Creamery Company was a company that operated many creameries and milk plants across the United States.-History:Before 1900, limitations in transportation and storage limited the geographic scope of creameries. To that time, creameries were primarily local, gathering cream from nearby...

 in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

.

Professional life

Professor Hunziker wrote dairy articles and textbooks used throughout the world, developed dairy curricula, advocated for dairy laws, and developed standard testing methodology. In particular, Dr. Hunziker authored The Butter Industry, Prepared for Factory, School and Laboratory, a well-known text in the industry that enjoyed at least three editions (1920, 1927, 1940). A book that Dr. Hunziker originally self-published in 1914, Condensed milk and milk powder: prepared for the use of milk condenseries, dairy students and pure food departments, was republished in a seventh edition in October 2007 by Cartwright Press. According to one book review: "The popularity of this book may be judged by the fact that this is the fourth edition, the three previous editions having long since been exhausted. The book is the most important contribution on the condensed milk and milk powder industry. It should be in the library of the teacher, the student or factory man interested in any phase of the condensed milk and milk powder industry." Both books are listed by Cornell University as "Core Historical Literature of Agriculture
Core Historical Literature of Agriculture
The is the name of both a digital preservation project and the resulting digital library which began at Cornell University's Albert R. Mann Library in 1994...

". In the 1920s, O.F. Hunziker initiated a "dairy school over the air"—a radio program on WGN
WGN (AM)
WGN is a radio station in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is the only radio station owned by the Tribune Company, which also owns the flagship television station WGN-TV, the Chicago Tribune newspaper and Chicago magazine locally. WGN's transmitter is located in Elk Grove Village, Illinois...

 for which dairy experts were invited to discuss various issues. Otto Hunziker was a director of the National Dairy Council and is listed in The Ten Master Minds of Dairying. When the World's Dairy Congress was held in the U.S. in 1923, the U.S. Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...

 selected O. F. Hunziker to head the industry and economics program. He later represented the United States at World Dairy Congresses in London, 1928; Copenhagen, 1931; Berlin, 1937; Stockholm, 1949; and The Hague, 1953. He obtained several United States patents, including: and . At Blue Valley, O. F. Hunziker established a research program for 22 creameries and two milk plants. In 1932, Purdue University bestowed an honorary doctoral degree in science. He retired from Blue Valley Creamery in 1939 to work as a consultant. In 1942, O F Hunziker was honored with the first ADSA honorary life membership. Otto Hunziker was awarded numerous international honors for his work, including:
  • Diploma from Italian government for scientific papers at Milan International Exposition
  • 1927: Australian Dairy Council
  • 1928: Swiss gold medal
  • 1934: A.D.S.A. Distinguished Service Scroll
  • 1942: "Grande Diploma de Honra," Brazilian Instituto―Tecnico Industrial
  • 1950: Honorary membership in "Tu Sociedad Espanola de Bromatologia" (Spain)

Family life

All three sons of Professor Hunziker attended Purdue University. Children of Otto and Florence were:
  • Thelma Belle (Raymond Alton Tipple), born 12 November 1905, Ellicottville, New York
    Ellicottville (town), New York
    Ellicottville is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,738 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Joseph Ellicott, principal land agent of the Holland Land Company....

    , died 4 February 1995, Dallas, Texas
    Dallas, Texas
    Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

    .

  • Florence Louise (Carroll Dunham Galvin), born 15 December 1906 in Indiana, died 27 January 1980, Concord, California
    Concord, California
    Concord is the largest city in Contra Costa County, California, USA. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 122,067. Originally founded in 1869 as the community of Todos Santos by Salvio Pacheco, the name was changed to Concord within months...

    .

  • Karl Otto, born 27 June 1908, Lafayette, Indiana
    Lafayette, Indiana
    Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...

    , died 3 November 1932, West Lafayette, Indiana
    West Lafayette, Indiana
    As of the census of 2010, there were 29,596 people, 12,591 households, and 3,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,381.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 74.3% White, 17.3% Asian, 2.7% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.03% Pacific...

    , in an automobile accident while a student at Purdue.

  • Walter Burne (Mary Ann Murphy Hyer), born 1 Aug 1910, Indiana, died April 1971, Alexandria, Louisiana
    Alexandria, Louisiana
    Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....

    , graduated from Purdue in 1931 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering
    Mechanical engineering
    Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...

    , as business manager of the Purdue Engineer magazine, and as a member in the band, orchestra, and Delta Chi
    Delta Chi
    Delta Chi or D-Chi is an international Greek letter college social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890,at Cornell University, initially as a professional fraternity for law students. On April 29, 1922, Delta Chi became a general membership social fraternity, eliminating the requirement for men...

    .

  • Isabelle Mary (Milton Eugene Kerr), born 8 March 1912, Indiana, died 16 January 1994 in Oakland, California
    Oakland, California
    Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...

    .

  • Otto Frederick, Jr., born 5 September 1915, Lafayette, Indiana
    Lafayette, Indiana
    Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...

    , died 19 August 1993, Osprey, Florida
    Osprey, Florida
    Osprey is a census-designated place in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The population was 4,143 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

    , graduated from Purdue in 1937 with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and as a member of the Cary Club and Kappa Delta Rho.


Otto (Sr.) was on the board of the La Grange First Methodist Church and the La Grange Federal Savings and Loan Association as well as active in the Civic Club, Kiwanis
Kiwanis
Kiwanis International is an international, coeducational service club founded in 1915. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Current membership is 240,000 members in 7,700 clubs in 80 nations...

 Club, and American-Swiss Chamber of Commerce. Hobbies included water sports, mountain climbing, ice skating and gardening.

Death and posthumous honors

Otto Frederick Hunziker died on 16 November 1959 in La Grange, Illinois
La Grange, Illinois
La Grange, a suburb of Chicago, is a village in Cook County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 15,608 at the 2000 census.-History:...

. A portrait of Dr. Hunziker and plaque hang in Purdue's Smith Hall. In 1964, 283 leaders in the dairy industry were asked to name contributors most significantly shaping the dairy industry. O. F. Hunziker was listed third, ahead of such well-known industry luminaries as Gail Borden
Gail Borden
Gail Borden, Jr. was a 19th century U.S. inventor, surveyor, and publisher, and was the inventor of condensed milk in 1853.- Early years :...

. He was also inducted into the National Dairy Shrine
National Dairy Shrine
The National Dairy Shrine is an American dairying group founded in 1949 and based in Ohio. The shrine promotes the dairy industry and records its history. As of 2007, the organization had over 18,000 members from most facets of dairying...

as a "pioneer".

External links

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