William Jasper Spillman
Encyclopedia
William Jasper Spillman is considered to be the founding father of agricultural economics
, In addition, he is famous for being the only American
to independently rediscover Mendel
's laws of genetics
.
, the eleventh of fifteen children of Nathan Cosby Spilman (b. 1823) and Emily Paralee Pruit (b. 1830). His childhood was spent on their 200 acre (0.809372 km²) southwest Missouri farm among a large family burdened by the accidental death of his father on July 21, 1871.
In his mid-teens, he began teaching at a rural school near home. Then in 1881, young Willie Spilman (he changed the spelling while in college) enrolled at the University of Missouri
. He subsequently received his B.S. in 1886. Following three years as a teacher at Missouri State Normal School, Cape Giradeau
, where he married Miss Mattie Ramsay (1865–1935) in 1889, he received his M.S. in 1890 from the University of Missouri in absentia.
in Indiana
where he was fortunate in making the acquaintance of Dr. Enoch A. Bryan
who later, as president of Washington Agricultural College and School of Science
, invited Spillman to join the faculty.
In 1889 the Spillmans moved to Oregon
where he was appointed teacher of science at the Oregon State Normal School, today Western Oregon University
, at Monmouth
. One of the Spillman sisters and her husband were living in near-by McMinnville
. Another older sister was living at The Dalles with her family. It was in Monmouth that Ramsay Spillman was born September 21, 1891.
The Spillmans remained in Monmouth until 1894, the year after E.A. Bryan
became the third president of the newly opened Washington Agricultural College and School of Science, now Washington State University
, in Pullman
. Bryan invited his former colleague to teach agriculture
. His preparation for this new assignment consisted of his farm childhood, his scientific training and several weeks of observation at the University of Wisconsin.
During his brief tenure at Washington's land-grant college, Spillman established the economically important wheat
breeding program that continues to this day. He asked the farmers of the fertile Palouse
region what they grew and what they needed, the latter being a winter wheat
. He used genetics as well as research trials to develop the varieties of wheat necessary for growers to continue to farm. In addition, he began to concentrate on the economics and methodology of practical agriculture for the farmer. He became known as the man with the knowledge to assist the farmer, not just a laboratory theorist.
It was at Pullman that Spillman made a momentous scientific discovery which, if he had not been preceded by an obscure Austrian monk forty-five years earlier, would have made his name known to the world. Involved in experiments to hybridize wheat
adapted to the growing conditions of the Palouse country
, Spillman independently rediscovered Mendel's Law of Heredity
. He has been credited with a major role in the acceptance of Mendel's Law by scientists and agriculturalists. His discovery was published in a paper titled "Quantitative Studies on the Transmission of Parental Characters to Hybrid Offspring."
In 1902 he accepted a position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture
following the reception of his paper on his wheat-breeding experiments presented at the meeting of the Association of American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations in Washington, D.C. in November, 1901. Here he, and a select crew which followed him from Pullman (as an earlier group had followed him from Monmouth), laid the groundwork for the scientific management of farms. Although hired as an agrostologist (or expert on grasses) Spillman's overwhelming interest in farm management coupled with the nearly free hand given to him by the department produced several bulletins, speeches and other communications directed to the farmer's needs.
In 1905 the Office of Farm Management was organized with Spillman as the head, a position he retained until 1918 when a disagreement with the Secretary of Agriculture
elicited his resignation. Subsequently he obtained a position as editor of the influential Farm Journal. This provided a forum for his many and diverse approaches to agriculture. He retained this position until the farm slump and a subsequent loss of advertising revenue in 1921 forced the Journal to cut back its staff.
Almost immediately, Spillman was asked to rejoin the Department of Agriculture and was again given a free hand. Among his many other activities, Spillman was asked to participate in the efforts of the 1927-1928 Survey of Indian Affairs. Spillman's role required visiting reservations across the country and reporting on their economic use and potential, particularly in relation to agriculture. The final report of the Survey was published as The Problem of Indian Administration (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1928). He also served as part-time professor of commercial geography at the Foreign Service School of Georgetown University from 1922 until 1931. Spillman remained with the U.S.D.A. until his death in 1931.
In 1910, Spillman’s associates elected him as the first president of the American Farm Economic Association to recognize his contributions to farm management and agricultural economics.
Also in 1910, Spillman received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, the University of Missouri.
The Agronomy Farm at Washington State University was established in 1955 and in 1961 was named for William Jasper Spillman, WSU's first wheat breeder. The 382 acres (1.5 km²) farm five miles (8 km) southeast of Pullman continues to play an active role in WSU research. The farm's 50th anniversary was celebrated July 7, 2005, with a review at 100 years of crop breeding at WSU that started with Spillman.
His own wife, Mattie Lorena Ramsey was born April 22, 1865. They married May 20, 1889. Their only child was son Ramsey Spillman, who was born September 21, 1891, and died in 1932. William Jasper Spillman was working at the U.S.D.A. until his death on July 11, 1931, following an unsuccessful operation.
Agricultural economics
Agricultural economics originally applied the principles of economics to the production of crops and livestock — a discipline known as agronomics. Agronomics was a branch of economics that specifically dealt with land usage. It focused on maximizing the crop yield while maintaining a good soil...
, In addition, he is famous for being the only American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to independently rediscover Mendel
Gregor Mendel
Gregor Johann Mendel was an Austrian scientist and Augustinian friar who gained posthumous fame as the founder of the new science of genetics. Mendel demonstrated that the inheritance of certain traits in pea plants follows particular patterns, now referred to as the laws of Mendelian inheritance...
's laws of genetics
Mendelian inheritance
Mendelian inheritance is a scientific description of how hereditary characteristics are passed from parent organisms to their offspring; it underlies much of genetics...
.
Early life and education
William Jasper Spillman was born October 23, 1863 in Lawrence County, MissouriMissouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, the eleventh of fifteen children of Nathan Cosby Spilman (b. 1823) and Emily Paralee Pruit (b. 1830). His childhood was spent on their 200 acre (0.809372 km²) southwest Missouri farm among a large family burdened by the accidental death of his father on July 21, 1871.
In his mid-teens, he began teaching at a rural school near home. Then in 1881, young Willie Spilman (he changed the spelling while in college) enrolled at the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
. He subsequently received his B.S. in 1886. Following three years as a teacher at Missouri State Normal School, Cape Giradeau
Southeast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University, is a public, accredited university located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States, near the banks of the Mississippi River. The institution, having started as a normal school, has a traditional strength in teacher education...
, where he married Miss Mattie Ramsay (1865–1935) in 1889, he received his M.S. in 1890 from the University of Missouri in absentia.
Career
At this time, Spillman was teaching botany and physics at Vincennes UniversityVincennes University
Vincennes University is a public university in Vincennes, Indiana, in the United States. Founded in 1801 as Jefferson Academy, VU is the oldest public institution of higher learning in Indiana. Since 1889, VU has been a two-year university, although baccalaureate degrees in seven select areas are...
in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
where he was fortunate in making the acquaintance of Dr. Enoch A. Bryan
Enoch Albert Bryan
Enoch Albert Bryan was president of Vincennes University in Indiana from 1883-1893 and of Washington's land-grant institution, today called Washington State University, from 1893-1915. At the latter institution he was the third president but the first with a long tenure, following George Lilly,...
who later, as president of Washington Agricultural College and School of Science
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
, invited Spillman to join the faculty.
In 1889 the Spillmans moved to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
where he was appointed teacher of science at the Oregon State Normal School, today Western Oregon University
Western Oregon University
Western Oregon University is a public liberal arts college located in Monmouth, Oregon, United States. It was originally established in 1856 by Oregon pioneers as Monmouth University. Subsequent names include Oregon Normal School, Oregon College of Education, and Western Oregon State College...
, at Monmouth
Monmouth, Oregon
- History :Monmouth was settled in 1853 by a group of pioneers who made a point of allocating to build both a city and a "college under the auspices of the Christian Church" and proceeds from the sale of these lands were used to found Monmouth University. By the early 1880s the college fell on...
. One of the Spillman sisters and her husband were living in near-by McMinnville
McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby , an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee...
. Another older sister was living at The Dalles with her family. It was in Monmouth that Ramsay Spillman was born September 21, 1891.
The Spillmans remained in Monmouth until 1894, the year after E.A. Bryan
Enoch Albert Bryan
Enoch Albert Bryan was president of Vincennes University in Indiana from 1883-1893 and of Washington's land-grant institution, today called Washington State University, from 1893-1915. At the latter institution he was the third president but the first with a long tenure, following George Lilly,...
became the third president of the newly opened Washington Agricultural College and School of Science, now Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
, in Pullman
Pullman, Washington
Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...
. Bryan invited his former colleague to teach agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. His preparation for this new assignment consisted of his farm childhood, his scientific training and several weeks of observation at the University of Wisconsin.
During his brief tenure at Washington's land-grant college, Spillman established the economically important 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...
breeding program that continues to this day. He asked the farmers of the fertile Palouse
Palouse
The Palouse is a region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of southeastern Washington, north central Idaho and, in some definitions, extending south into northeast Oregon. It is a major agricultural area, primarily producing wheat and legumes...
region what they grew and what they needed, the latter being a winter wheat
Winter wheat
Winter wheat is a type of wheat that is planted from September to December in the Northern Hemisphere. Winter wheat sprouts before freezing occurs, then becomes dormant until the soil warms in the spring. Winter wheat needs a few weeks of cold before being able to flower, however persistent snow...
. He used genetics as well as research trials to develop the varieties of wheat necessary for growers to continue to farm. In addition, he began to concentrate on the economics and methodology of practical agriculture for the farmer. He became known as the man with the knowledge to assist the farmer, not just a laboratory theorist.
It was at Pullman that Spillman made a momentous scientific discovery which, if he had not been preceded by an obscure Austrian monk forty-five years earlier, would have made his name known to the world. Involved in experiments to hybridize 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...
adapted to the growing conditions of the Palouse country
Palouse
The Palouse is a region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of southeastern Washington, north central Idaho and, in some definitions, extending south into northeast Oregon. It is a major agricultural area, primarily producing wheat and legumes...
, Spillman independently rediscovered Mendel's Law of Heredity
Mendelian inheritance
Mendelian inheritance is a scientific description of how hereditary characteristics are passed from parent organisms to their offspring; it underlies much of genetics...
. He has been credited with a major role in the acceptance of Mendel's Law by scientists and agriculturalists. His discovery was published in a paper titled "Quantitative Studies on the Transmission of Parental Characters to Hybrid Offspring."
In 1902 he accepted a position with 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...
following the reception of his paper on his wheat-breeding experiments presented at the meeting of the Association of American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations in Washington, D.C. in November, 1901. Here he, and a select crew which followed him from Pullman (as an earlier group had followed him from Monmouth), laid the groundwork for the scientific management of farms. Although hired as an agrostologist (or expert on grasses) Spillman's overwhelming interest in farm management coupled with the nearly free hand given to him by the department produced several bulletins, speeches and other communications directed to the farmer's needs.
In 1905 the Office of Farm Management was organized with Spillman as the head, a position he retained until 1918 when a disagreement with the Secretary of Agriculture
United States Secretary of Agriculture
The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The current secretary is Tom Vilsack, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on 20 January 2009. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other...
elicited his resignation. Subsequently he obtained a position as editor of the influential Farm Journal. This provided a forum for his many and diverse approaches to agriculture. He retained this position until the farm slump and a subsequent loss of advertising revenue in 1921 forced the Journal to cut back its staff.
Almost immediately, Spillman was asked to rejoin the Department of Agriculture and was again given a free hand. Among his many other activities, Spillman was asked to participate in the efforts of the 1927-1928 Survey of Indian Affairs. Spillman's role required visiting reservations across the country and reporting on their economic use and potential, particularly in relation to agriculture. The final report of the Survey was published as The Problem of Indian Administration (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1928). He also served as part-time professor of commercial geography at the Foreign Service School of Georgetown University from 1922 until 1931. Spillman remained with the U.S.D.A. until his death in 1931.
Recognition
At his University of Missouri commencement on June 3, 1886, when he earned a bachelor of science degree, Spillman gave the Valedictory Address of Academic Classes.In 1910, Spillman’s associates elected him as the first president of the American Farm Economic Association to recognize his contributions to farm management and agricultural economics.
Also in 1910, Spillman received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, the University of Missouri.
The Agronomy Farm at Washington State University was established in 1955 and in 1961 was named for William Jasper Spillman, WSU's first wheat breeder. The 382 acres (1.5 km²) farm five miles (8 km) southeast of Pullman continues to play an active role in WSU research. The farm's 50th anniversary was celebrated July 7, 2005, with a review at 100 years of crop breeding at WSU that started with Spillman.
Personal
William Jasper Spillman's father Nathan Cosby Spilman was born on February 3, 1823, in Allen County, Kentucky, and came to Lawrence County, Missouri, in 1847. He died in 1871. W. J.'s mother, Emily Paralee Pruit Spilman, died in 1913. Both parents are buried in Boucher Cemetery, Lawrence County, Missouri.His own wife, Mattie Lorena Ramsey was born April 22, 1865. They married May 20, 1889. Their only child was son Ramsey Spillman, who was born September 21, 1891, and died in 1932. William Jasper Spillman was working at the U.S.D.A. until his death on July 11, 1931, following an unsuccessful operation.
Impact
As teacher and an educator, Spillman drew devoted crowds of students to his classes. As an agriculturalist he was in the front rank of those applying scientific methodology to the problems of agriculture. He rediscovered Mendel's Law while engaged in wheat hybridization experiments. He formulated theories for the application of commercial fertilizer on farms. He founded, practically single-handedly, the study of agricultural economics or farm management. To the farmers he was not the government's expert, but a practical man who knew what he was talking about and, as well, knew when to listen. They said: "Don't send me no experts; send Spillman."External links
- The Legacy of William Jasper Spillman
- William J. Spillman and the birth of agricultural economics by Laurie M. Carlson
- William Jasper Spillman Papers, 1891-1940, WSU Libraries
- Application of some of the principles of heredity to plant breeding by W. J. Spillman, 1909
- Farm Grasses of the United States by William Jasper Spillman