Purdue and Indiana

With a sense of urgency, Dr. Tyler has collected and transcribed some 750 folk remedies still alive in the memories of more than 175 Hoosier-area correspondents. The pharmacologist, who has thirty years experience with natural-product remedies, fears these cures will soon be forgotten, since modern medicine usually writes them off as hoax, and those who practice them are becoming fewer and fewer. By suggesting further investigation of some remedies, warning readers against downright dangerous "cures," and noting the constitutive ingredients of those proven effective, Tyler invites further illumination of this shady region between superstition and science while entertaining his reader with much fascinating medical tore. Hoosiers, folklore followers, physicians, and pharmacologists will appreciate the meticulous clarity of Tyler's scientific commentary on folk medicines.

Native Trees of the Midwest is a definitive guide to identifying trees in Indiana and surrounding states, written by three leading forestry experts. Descriptive text explains how to identify every species in any season and color photographs show all important characteristics. Not only does the book allow the user to identify trees and learn of their ecological and distributional attributes, but it also presents an evaluation of each species relative to its potential ornamental value for those interested in landscaping. Since tree species have diverse values to wildlife, an evaluation of wildlife uses is presented with a degree of detail available nowhere else. The revised and expanded second edition contains a chapter on introduced species that have become naturalized and invasive throughout the region. All accounts have been reviewed and modifications made when necessary to reflect changes in taxonomy, status, or wildlife uses. Keys have been modified to incorporate introduced species.   An interview with the authors is available on YouTube.

A Call to Leadership examines commonly accepted condemnations of public education and highlights the key role played by the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents (IAPSS) in supporting its members' tireless struggle for educational improvement and in correcting public misconceptions. While the book describes specific circumstances in Indiana, efforts at the state level reflect educational challenges throughout the United States, and this volume will be a valuable reference source for educational policy makers throughout North America. Since the IAPSS's foundation, graduation rates have risen over twenty percent, and more rigorous coursework has been introduced to an increasingly diverse pool of students. The landscape of education has changed, as 1,100 Indiana school districts have been consolidated into 293 corporations under the direction of licensed superintendents. Throughout the whole period, school leaders have struggled to implement increasingly complex programs that have often been mandated but left underfunded.

Of the 226 round barns that are known to have existed in Indiana, more than 100 have vanished from the landscape, thus depriving the state of beautiful landmarks and testimonials to the ingenuity of turn-of-the-century agriculture and architecture. The author's admiration for the round barn's grace and his concern for its survival is evident on every page as he traces its history from George Washington's 1793 sixteen-sided barn to the development of the "Ideal Circular Barn" and associated patents to the demise of the structures in the second half of the twentieth century. By combing through family letters, agricultural journals of the time, advertisements, and other often-forgotten documents, Hanou offers fascinating glimpses of the individual farmers, builders, and architects who championed the innovative construction techniques. Through imagination and hard work, these men created their own market for round barns; in the year of peak construction, fifteen barns were built.   "Round barns are a symbol of pride in the farm and the soil that sustains it. They are monuments to the reverence of the builders and to the profession of the owners. Precious few of these barns remain to remind us that we are not the first, nor the last, to love and respect the land. Those people and things that have gone before us are essential—all of them—to an understanding of the present. Round barns, and all that they stand for, must be remembered and preserved.”—From the Foreword by Maurice L. Williamson

A University of Tradition is a fascinating compilation of history, customs, pictures, and facts about Purdue University from its founding in 1869 to the present day. Covering all aspects of Purdue, from the origin of the nickname of its students and alumni—Boilermakers—to a chronological list of all buildings ever constructed on the campus of West Lafayette, Indiana, this book presents the ultimate insider’s guide to one of the world’s great universities. It contains a wealth of facts about student, academic, sporting, and campus traditions, as well as biographical information on all the University presidents and other members of Purdue's family, including David Ross, Neil Armstrong, Eliza Fowler, Jack Mollenkopf, Helen Schleman, and Amelia Earhart. A University of Tradition spotlights many items that will spark the memories of any Purdue alumnus or fan. No matter if you were in the “All-American” Marching Band, lived in the Quad, participated in Grand Prix, wrote for the Purdue Exponent, or were on campus when the Boilermakers won the 1967 Rose Bowl, you will appreciate and enjoy this book. The second edition is fully updated for 2012 and includes information about new landmarks, new traditions, and the incoming twelfth president of the University. Key points: The ultimate guide to Purdue traditions and history, written by insiders. Highly illustrated, with many new illustrations. The ideal gift for any Purdue student, alum, or anyone who cares about Indiana’s premier University. “This book, compiled by the students of the Purdue Reamer Club, is a magnificent collection of many things that make Purdue both a great academic institution and a beloved alma mater. It is a celebration of our past and present and prelude to our future.” Martin C. Jischke, tenth President of Purdue University  

R. Douglas Hurt's brief history of American agriculture, from the prehistoric period through the twentieth century, is written for anyone coming to this subject for the first time. It also provides a ready reference to the economic, social, political, scientific, and technological changes that have most affected farming in America. American Agriculture is a story of considerable achievement and success, but it is also a story of greed, racism, and violence. Hurt offers a provocative look at a history that has been shaped by the best and worst of human nature. Here is the background essential for understanding the complexity of American agricultural history, from the transition to commercial agriculture during the colonial period to the failure of government policy following World War II. Hurt includes the contributions of African Americans, Native Americans, and women. This revised edition closes with an examination of the troubled landscape at the turn of the twenty-first century. This survey will serve as a text for courses in the history of American agriculture and rural studies as well as a supplementary text for economic history and rural sociology courses. It is illustrated with maps, drawings, and over seventy splendid photographs.

When the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine was founded fifty years ago, it would have been hard for the instructors and administrators who taught in makeshift classrooms and laboratories to imagine all of the accomplishments that would be born from their pioneering spirit. Learn when: the first women graduated from the school; the Veterinary Technology Program was established; the Purdue Comparative Oncology Program was founded by the Veterinary Medicine faculty; the School offered DVM students choices for specialization, including small animal, large animal, and equine medicine. This book gives an insider's view into the birth and growth of the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine. From those early days-when veterinary care was primarily for draft and coach horses- to today's comparative medicine programs that benefit both humans and animals. This book details how the school has continuously provided excellent education and care.

In the early 1900s, Mary Matthews and Lella Gaddis forged trails for women at Purdue University and throughout Indiana. Mary was the first dean of the School of Home Economics. Lella was Indiana’s first state leader of Home Demonstration. In 1914, Mary hired Lella to organize Purdue’s new Home Economics Extension Service. According to those who knew them, Lella was a “sparkler” who traveled the state instructing rural women about nutrition, hygiene, safe water, childcare, and more. “Reserved” Mary established Purdue’s School of Home Economics, created Indiana’s first nursery school, and authored a popular textbook. Both women used their natural talents and connections to achieve their goals in spite of a male-dominated society. As a land grant institution, Purdue University has always been very connected to the American countryside. Based on extensive oral history and archival research, this book sheds new light on the important role female staff and faculty played in improving the quality of life for rural women during the first half of the twentieth century. It is also a fascinating story, engagingly told, of two very different personalities united in a common goal.

Indiana's pioneers came to southern Indiana to turn the dream of an America based on family farming into a reality. The golden age prior to the Civil War led to a post-War preserving of the independent family farmer. Salstrom examines this "independence" and finds the label to be less than adequate. Hoosier farming was an inter-dependent activity leading to a society of borrowing and loaning. When people talk about supporting family farming, as Salstrom notes, the issue is a societal one with a greater population involved than just the farmers themselves.

From the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to its annual appearance at the Indianapolis 500 auto race, Purdue University’s “All-American” Marching Band has been at the heart of celebrations across the United States (and the wider world) since 1886, less than twenty years after the University itself was founded in central Indiana. While the marching band is the musical flagship of the University, the Department of Bands also includes jazz and concert ensembles as well as a symphony orchestra. Every year, hundreds of young men and women are welcomed into this community of music, and alumni range from astronaut Neil Armstrong to popcorn legend Orville Redenbacher.   Celebrating 125 years of Purdue Bands, this beautifully-illustrated book traces the history of Purdue University’s Department of Bands from its humble origins as a drum unit for the student army training corps to the 2010 appearance of the “All-American” Marching Band as leader of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, seen by over fifty million television viewers. It follows the lives of the organization’s members and legendary directors, such as Paul Spotts Emrick and Al G. Wright, and highlights some of the band’s iconic features, such as the “World’s Largest Drum” and its legendary twirlers; the Golden Girl; the Girl in Black; the Silver Twins; and the Goldusters.   Beyond the glitz, the story includes tragedy, such as the Halloween day train collision that claimed the lives of seventeen people in 1903, as well as groundbreaking success. But, through it all, the beat of one of the Midwest’s great treasures goes on, bringing fulfillment to its members as well as inspiration to its myriad fans.

Over the last ten years, Purdue University has undertaken a culture-change initiative. With leadership changes imminent at Purdue University in spring 2007, it seemed wise to document this effort to increase the awareness, knowledge, and skills of faculty and staff in the many areas of diversity. This work focuses on the faculty and staff in the colleges and schools of the University. The data for this report were gathered by the researcher and author of this document, who interviewed key informants and examined documents, archives, and websites during spring 2007. What is reported here does not represent the history of diversity at Purdue: There is a long history of recruiting and retaining underrepresented minority students and women (in the more technical fields) that is not covered here. There is also ongoing training and intervention work in the administrative side of the University and in the support units. This report describes work with faculty and staff in the colleges and schools to change the academic culture so that students, whatever their diversity and gender, will feel welcomed, supported, and included. It begins with the narrative of the ten-year development of this diversity initiative, which includes data on changes that have occurred in the academic culture at Purdue. A section on change in universities and the concepts that underlie the change process concludes the discussion.

George Ade, one of the most beloved writers of his day, carried on a lively correspondence with the most colorful of great and near-great. George M. Cohan, William Howard Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, John T. McCutcheon, James Whitcomb Riley, Finley Peter Dunne, Hamlin Garland all received letters from the Hoosier humorist. Ade’s keen observation, compact and straight-forward style, and understated humor mark his correspondence as well as his immensely popular newspaper columns, books, and plays. As Paul Fatout writes in his foreword: “The charm of George Ade lies in his good-natured contemplation of our species, which delineates, not with malice or with condescension, but with the gusty enjoyment of a spectator entertained by a continuous variety show.” Ade traveled the world over many times, but always returned to the home he never really left—Indiana. His companions and correspondents included presidents, senators, Hollywood moguls, and Broadway stars, but his first allegiance was to the farmlands and small towns of mid-America. From Hazelden Farm, near Brook, he kept in close touch with politicians from the precincts to the governor’s mansion. He wrote to educators, editors, and executives, and took an active part in the life and growth of his alma mater, Purdue University. Characteristically, the man who succeeded as a writer by setting down familiar situations sent some of his most interesting letters to ordinary citizens all over the state. Ade’s friendships were so diversified that his correspondence forms a patchwork of popular history, literature, politics, and entertainment. His interchange of ideas about people and events shaping the twentieth century as well as his own life will provide insights for students of varied aspects of American culture. This volume presents 182 of the most interesting and informative letters from the thousands of extant pieces of his correspondence in scores of collections scattered throughout the United States. The letters are arranged chronologically annotated with explanatory material and with sources. A foreword, introduction and Ade’s biography are included. Photographs, sketches, handwriting samples, and other illustrations which evoke the man and his times are interspersed with the text.