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The  National 
Farm  School 

and 

Junior  College 

FARM  SCHOOL,  PENNSYLVANIA 


GOLDEN  JUBILEE 


ANNUAL  REPORT 

1945     -     1946 


The  National  Farm  School 
and  Junior  College 

FARM    SCHOOL,    BUCKS    COUNTY.    PENNSYLVANIA 


GOLDEN  JUBILEE 
EDITION 


ANNUAL  REPORT 
1945      -      1946 


Joseph  Krauskopf 

Founder 


Officers  and   Board  of  Trustees 

|ami;s  \\  our I'rrsidott  and  Treasurer 

LoLis  A.   1  IiKscii Vice-President 

Maurice  Jacobs    Vice-President 

TuECDORE   F.  KuPKR V icc-Prcsideut 

David  Levin   Assistant   Treasurer 

Ei.siE  M.  Belfield    Secretary 

Joseph  H.  Hagedorn 

Honorary  Chairman  Board  of  Trustees 

Leon  AIer/, 
Chairman  Board  of  Trustees 


Sydney  K.  Allman,  Jr. 
Isidore  Baylson 
J.  Griffith  Boardman 
David  Burpee 
Harry  Burstein 
LIorace  Fleisher 
S.  S.  Greenbaum 
Joseph  H.  Hagedorn 
Lester  Hano 


Honorary  Trustees 

Roy  a.  Heymann 
Julian  A.  Hillman 
Joseph  H.  Hinlein 
Stanley-  H.  FIinlein 
Louis  A.  Hirsch 
Maurice  Jacobs 
Charles  Kline 
Mrs.  Joseph  Krauskopf 
AL  R.  Krauskopf 


Al  Paul  Lefton 
Leon  Merz 
Louis  Nusbaum 
Leon  Rosenbaum 
Edwin  H.  Silverman 
Philip  Sterling 
Isaac  Stern 
Emanuel  W.  Wirkman 
James  Work 


William  M.  Adler 
Gusta-\  E  C.  Ballenberg 
Samuel  Cooke 
Gabriel  Da\idson 
Sylvan  D.  Einstein 
Edwin  B.  Elson 
Benjamin  Goldberg 
Lester  M.  Goldsmith 
Albert  M.  Greenfield 
Mrs.  Albert  M. Greenfield 
W.  A.  Haines,  Sr. 


Elected  Trustees 

Rudolph  M.  Hirschwald 
Mrs.  M.  J.  K.A.RPELES 
A.  Spencer  Kaufman 
David  Levin 
Albert  A.  Light 
David  H.  Fleet 
Theodore  G.  Rich 
Lee  I.  Robinson 
Edward  Rosewater 
Matthew  B.  Rudofker 


Max  Semel 
Harry  Shapiro 
Nathan  J.  Snellenburg 
Israel  Stiefel 
Maurice  L.  Strauss 
Max  Trumper 
Fred  H.  Weigle 
Edwin  li.  Weil 
Bernard  Weinberg 
U'illiam  H.  Yerkes,  Jr. 


Alumni  Representatives 

Samuel  S.  Rudley  Solomon  Shapera 


Women's  Auxiliary  Committee 

Chairman,  Mrs.  Jos.  Krauskopf  Mrs.  A.  M.arks,  Trcasiirfr 


Mrs.  .\.  J.  B.\MBERGER 

Mrs.  Hexry  S.  Belber 
Mrs.  D.  T.  Berlizheimer 
Mrs.  Leox  Cohex 
Mrs.  Louis  Fixkel 
Mrs.  Sol  Flock 


Miss  Belle  Floersheim 
Mrs.  Hexrv  G.'^rtm.ax 
Mrs.  Samuel  Colder 
Mrs.  a.  M.  Greexfield 
Mrs.  M.  J.  K.ARPELES 
Mrs.  a.  M.  Klein 


Mrs.  M.  R.  Kr.auskopf 
Mrs.  Sidxey  Lowexstein 
Mrs.  Theo.  Xetter 
Mrs.  Abr.  A.  Neumax 
Mrs.  W'm.  Fleet 


National  Board  of  State  Directors 


ISAAC  STERN,   New  York    City,   Acting   Chairman 


Edmund  H.  Abrahams,   Savannah,   Ga. 

B.  Abrohams.   Green   Bay,   Wis. 

Sam   Albrecht,   Vicksburg,    Miss. 

Henry    A.    Alexander,    Atlanta,    Ga. 

Arthur  A.  Aronson.  Raleigh,  N.   C. 

Marcus   Bachenheimer,  Wheeling,   W.  Va. 

Melvin   Behrends,   Washington,  D.   C. 

Dr.   Henry  J.   Berkowitz,   Portland,   Ore. 

W.  P.  Bloom,  Tuscaloosa,  Ala. 

R.  D.  Blum,  Nashville,  Tenn. 

S.   B.   Brunwasser,   Pittsburgh,   Pa. 

Edgar  M.  Cahn,  New  Orleans,  La. 

Gabriel  M.  Cohen,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

Julius   L.   Cohen,   Superior,    Wis. 

Louis  Cohen,  Ft.  Smith,  Ark. 

Miss  Felice  Cohn,  Reno,  Nev. 

Heiman  Cone,  Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Allen  V.  deFord,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Max  de  Jong,  Evansville,  Ind. 

Samuel  Edelberg,  Saranac  Lake,  N.  Y. 

Herbert    U.   Feibelman,    Miami,    Fla. 

Rabbi   J.   B.   Feibelman,   New   Orleans,    La. 

Rabbi  A.  J.  Feldman,  Hartford,  Conn. 

Stanley  Frank,  San   Antonio,  Tex. 

Ike  L.  Freed,   Houston,  Tex. 

Max  Friedwald,   Billings,   Mont. 

Louis   M.  Fushan,   Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

Judge  Edward  I.  Gleszer,  Bangor,  Me. 

N.  Greengard,  Mandan,  N.  D. 

Mrs.  H.  A.  Guinzburg,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Judge   Samuel   J.   Harris,    Buffalo,   N.   Y. 

Hugo  Heiman,  Little  Rock,  Ark. 

Harry  Hirsch.  Toledo,  O. 

Wm.  L.  Holzman,  Beverly  Hills,  Cal. 

Robt.    W.   Isaacs,   Clayton,   N.   M. 

Carl  H.    Kahn,   Chicago,   111. 

Thos.   Kapner,   Bellaire,  O. 

Edmund  I.  Kaufmann,  Washington.  D.  C. 

Howard  Kayser,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 

Daniel  E.  Koshland,  San  Francisco,  Cal. 

Rabbi   Isaac  Landman.   Brooklyn,  N.   Y. 

G.  Irving  Latz,  Ft.  Wayne,  Ind. 

Isidore   Lehman,  Jackson,   Miss. 

Jos.  G.  Lehman,  Dayton,  O. 

Bernard  Levitt,   Wichita,   Kan. 

Dan  A.  Levy,  Fort  Worth,  Tex. 

Dr.  I.  H.  Levy,  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

M.  Lipinsky,  Asheville,  N.  C. 

Alex.   Lischkoff,   Pensacola,   Fla. 


J.  H.   Loveman.   Birmingham,   Ala. 

A.  L.  Luria,   Reading,   Pa. 

H.  A.   Mackoff,   Dickinson,  N.   D. 

Herbert   Marcus,    Dallas.   Tex. 

Ben.  H.  May,  Oklahoma  City,  Okla. 

Isaac   May,   Rome,   Ga. 

Jewell   Mayes.   Richmond,   Mo. 

Sam   Meyer,   Meridian,   Miss. 

William   Meyer,  Butte,   Mont. 

M.  G.   Michael.   Athens,    Ga. 

Abe  Miller,   Chicago,   111. 

Louis   Mosenfelder,   Rock   Island,   111. 

Herbert  A.  Moses,  Sumter,  S.  C. 

N.  Murov,  Shreveport,  La. 

Chas.   Nussbaum,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

Michael  Panovitz,  Grand  Forks,  N.  D. 

Judge   Max  L.  Pinansky,  Portland,   Me. 

James  A.  Pratt,  Loch  Raven.  Md. 

Chas.  S.  Rauh,   Indianapolis,  Ind. 

Hiram   S.  Rivitz,  Cleveland,  O. 

Alex  Rosen,   Bismarck,  N.  D. 

Bernath  Rosenfeld,  Tucson,  Ariz. 

Arthur  Rosenstein,   Boston,  Mass. 

Emil  Rosentock,  Sioux  City,  la. 

Dr.  Henry  Ross,   Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

Dr.  Leo  S.  Rowe,   Washington,  D.  C. 

Samuel  Rudley,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Oliver  R.  Sabin,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Henry   Sachs.   Colorado   Springs,   Col. 

Judge  S.   B.  Schein,   Madison,   Wis. 

Charles  Schoen,   Cedar  Rapids,  la. 

Dr.   Laurence  Selling,   Portland,   Ore. 

Max  Semel,  New  York.  N.  Y. 

David  Snellenburg,  Wilmington,   Del. 

Samuel   Stern,   Fargo,  N.   D. 

Bertram  A.  Stroock.  Jackson  Heights,  N.Y. 

Milton   Sulzberger,  Providence,   R.   I. 

Louis  Tober,   Portsmouth,  N.  H. 

Louis  Veta,  Cheyenne,  Wyo. 

Jerome  A.   Waterman,  Tampa,   Fla. 

Adolph   Weil,   Paducah,   Ky. 

Isadore  Weil,   Montgomery,   Ala. 

Herschel   Weil,   Lexington,   Ky. 

Lionel  Weil,  Goldsboro,  N.  C. 

Morris   Weil,  Lincoln,  Neb. 

Leo  Weinberg,  Frederick,   Md. 

Henry  Weinberger,  San  Diego.  Cal. 

M.  J.  Weiss,  Alexandria,  La. 

S.  D.   Wise,  Cleveland,  O. 


Administration 

1ami;s  Work President  and  Treasurer 

TuEODORK  F.  Kui'ER  Vice-President 

Elsie  M.  Bei.field   Secretary 

Samuels  B.  Samuels   Business  Manager 

Albert  F.  Carpenter Dean  of  Students 

Daniel  Miller   Assistant  Dean  of  Students 

Selig  J.  Miller Chaplain 

Norman  Finkler Librarian 


Faculty 

Aaron  Appleby.  B.S.  (New  York  University),  D.V.M.  (A.  &  M.  College  of  Texas), 
M.S.   (Virginia  Polytechnic  Institute),  Associate  Protessor  of  Animal  Husbandry 

Isidore  Bavlson,  LL.B.   (University  of  Pennsylvania),  Instructor  in  Farm  Law 

Paul  R.  Bowen,  A.B.   (DePauw  University),  M.Sc,  Ph.D.    (Yale  University),  Pro- 
fessor of  Biology 

Albert  F.  Carpenter,  A.B.   (New  York  University),  A.M.   (Columbia  University), 
Assistant  Professor  of  History 

Bernard  M.  Crigger,  B.Sc.    (University  of  Kentucky),   Instructor  in  Poultry  Hus- 
bandry 

Jesse   Elson,   B.Sc.    (Rutgers  University),    B.Sc.    (Virginia   Polytechnic    Institute), 
M.Sc.  (North  Carolina  State  College),  Associate  Professor  of  Soils 

Herman   G.  Fiesser  (Gartenbauschule.  Geisenheim,  Germany).   Instructor   in  Flori- 
culture 

Norman  Finkler,  B.Sc.  (Temple  University),  Instructor  in  English 

Earl  Frick,  B.Sc.  (West  Chester  State  Teachers  College).  M.Sc.   (Temple  Univer- 
sity). Instructor  in  Music 

Walter  J.  Groman   (The  National  Farm  School),  Associate  Professor  of  Agricultural 
Engineering 

William   A.  Haines,  D.V.M.    (University  of  Pennsylvania),   Professor  of   Animal 
Husbandry 

Hayes  M.  Herschler,  B.Sc.    (Ohio  State  University),  Associate  Professor  of  Agri- 
cultural Economics 


Thomas  Johxstox,  B.Sc.  (Pennsylvania  State  College),  Assistant  Professor  of  Voca- 
tional Agriculture 

NoRMAX  G.  Myers,  Instructor  in  Farm  Carpentry 

Daxiel  Miller   (The  National  Farm  School),  Instructor  in  Vocational  Agriculture 

Selig  J.  Miller,  A.B.   (University  of  Pennsylvania),  A.M.    (Columbia  University), 
A'l.H.L.  (Jewish  Institute  of  Religion),  Assistant  Professor  of  Philosophy 

David  M.  Purmell,  B.Sc.  (Michigan  State  College),  Associate  Professor  of  Pomology 

Reddixg  H.  Rufe,  M.D.   (University  of  Minnesota),  Instructor  in  Applied  Mygiene 

Samuel  B.  Samuels,  B.Sc. (Massachusetts  State  College),  Professor  of  Social  Sciences 

Henry  Schmieder,  B.Sc,  M.Sc.  (University  of  Pennsylvania),  Associate  Professor  of 
Chemistry 

George  M.  Wiiitexack,  A.B.  (Wabash  College),   (Princeton  Theological  Seminary), 
Professor  of  Mathematics 


Staff 

W.ALTER  J.  Gromax  —  Superintendent  of  Farms 

Herman  G.  Fiesser  —  Superintendent  of  Greenhouses  and  Nurseries 

Heister  Reixhart  —  Superintendent  of  Buildings 

Carl  Billmax,  Joshua  Feldsteix — Assistants  in  Horticulture 

Abrah.am  Rellis  —  Assistant  in  Floriculture 

Mervix  L.  Johxsox,  \^'ILLIAM  Gallo  —  Assistants  in  Dairy  Husbandry 

Raymoxd  Rice,  Irwix  Kulp  —  Assistants  in  Poultry  Husbandry 

Charles  Mashtaler,  Aloysius  Happ  —  Assistants  in  General  Agriculture 

Katherixe  Maxtz  —  Dietician  and  Nurse 

Axna  Wodock  —  Assistant  Nurse 


JAMES  WORK  ELECTED  PRESIDENT 

On  Ma}'  23,  1946,  Mr.  James  \\  ork  was  elected  President  of  the 
National  Farm  School  and  Junior  College. 

Mr.  \\'ork  assumes  the  task  of  this  office  eminently  qualified  by 
inclination,  training  and  experience  in  agriculture,  finance,  business 
organization  and  administration.  A  graduate  of  the  School  he  now 
heads  as  its  Fifth  President,  he  is  thoroughly  imbued  with  its  aims. 
ideals  and  traditions. 

Elected  as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  in  1923,  he  has 
rendered  active  service  on  various  committees  of  the  Board  and  more 
recently  was  chairman  of  the  Planning  Committee  whose  study,  in- 
vestigation and  recommendations  resulted  in  the  adoption  of  a  long- 
range  policy  of  expansion,  the  first  phase  of  which  has  already  been 
accomplished  under  his  leadership  in  the  conversion  of  the  School 
into  a  three-year  Junior  College. 

In  1943,  he  was  elected  Treasurer  of  the  Institution,  which  office 
he  still  retains.  He  served  as  Acting  President  for  many  months 
during  the  illness  of  the  retiring  President,  Louis  Nusbaum. 

The  election  of  Mr.  Work  brings  the  assurance  of  unexcelled 
leadership  as  the  Institution  enters  upon  its  second  half-century  of 
notable  service  in  the  field  of  agricultural  and  cultural  education. 


J 


A  TRIBUTE  TO 
DR.  LOUIS   NUSBAUM 

Resolutions  unanimously  adopted  by  the  Board  of  Trustees  at 
a  meeting  held  March  24,  1946,  on  the  retirement  of  Dr.  Nusbaum 
as  President: 

Whereas,  Dr.  Louis  Nusbaum  has  resigned  as  President  of  the 
National  Farm  School  and. 

Whereas,  for  33  years  he  has  been  a  loyal  and  devoted  trustee 
of  the  School  and  he  was  enabled  by  a  long  career,  rich  with  experi- 
ence as  an  Associate  Superintendent  of  the  public  school  system  of 
the  City  of  Philadelphia,  to  counsel  wisely  our  Board  of  Trustees  in 
his  capacity  as  Chairman  of  the  Educational  Committee  and, 

Whereas,  he  has  strengthened  our  Board  by  his  personal  char- 
acter, his  integrity  and  his  distinguished  professional  reputation,  and. 

Whereas,  he  has  been  a  pioneer  and  ardent  advocate  of  the 
School  becoming  a  Junior  College,  now,  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved  that  the  Board  of  Trustees  hereby  express  their  regret 
concerning  his  resignation  and  express  their  sincere  hope  for  his  long 
and  continued  interest  in  our  School. 


"MY  DAY" 

ELEANOR  ROOSEVELT: 

I  was  interested  to  receive  a  notice  of  the  efforts  bemg 
made  to  raise  a  fund  to  improve  The  National  Farm  School, 
which  is  a  Junior  College  located  in  Bucks  County,  near  Doy- 
lestown.  Pa. 

This  school  is  fifty  years  old.  Leo  Tolstoy  inspired  the 
voung  Jewish  Rabbi  Krauskopf  who  founded  it  in  this  coun- 
try. But  it  was  always  "/or  Jewish  lads  and  other  lads."  Thus 
it  not  only  gives  a  great  lesson  in  tolerance  but  the  ability  to 
get  along  with  others  regardless  of  creed,  nationahty  or  racial 
origin. 


THE  WHITE   HOUSE 

WASHINGTON 


January  17,  19^6 


Dear  Mr.  Merz: 

The  origin  of  the  National  Farm  School  is 
as  interesting  as  its  subsequent  history  has  been 
notable, 

I  aa  glad  to  send  my  hearty  congratulations 
and  warmest  perscxial  greetings  as  you  celebrate  the 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  an  institution  founded  v/ith 
the  blessing  of  one  of  my  illustrious  predecessors 
and  in  a  measure  inspired  by  the  great  Russian  reformer^ 
Count  Tolstoy. 

Both  President  Cleveland  and  Count  Tolstoy, 
ivith  clear  vision  and  unerring  insight,  sair  that  nations 
like  individuals  draw  their  strength  from  the  soil.  Now, 
as  always,  agriculture  is  the  nation's  bulv/ark.  A  sode^ 
with  its  roots  deeply  imbedded  in  mother  earth  is  a  stable 
society. 

The  celebration  of  your  Golden  Jubilee  will 
afford  a  splendid  opportiinity  to  appraise  the  achieve- 
ments of  the  school's  first  half  century  amd  to  glimpse 
its  possibilities  for  f\irther  service  in  the  decades 
that  lie  ahead. 


Very  sincerely  yoyj^j" 


Mr,  Leon  Uerz,  /I     *^ 

Chairman,  Board  of  Trustees,       / 
National  Farm  School,  ' 

Faim  School,  Pennsylvania, 


THE   PRECURSOR  OF  A  NEW  WAY  OF  LIFE 

An  Address  by 
Albert  M.  Greenfield 

October  14,  1945 

It  is  characteristic  of  most  of  us  to  take  the  accomplished  fact 
for  granted.  We  see  magnificent  buildings,  learn  of  great  discoveries, 
and  come  face  to  face  with  many  inspired  works  of  man,  but  we 
accept  them  as  a  matter  of  course.  We  assume  that,  like  Topsy,  they 
"Just  growed  up."  We  never  ask,  "How  was  this  thing  created? 
How  was  it  nurtured?  How  did  it  grow?"  And  so,  we  miss  its 
romance,  that  mystic  human  equation  which  in  many  instances  is 
the  most  appealing  element  in  man's  work.  Thus,  it  is  that  many, 
admiring  this  institution  with  its  broad  and  beautiful  fields,  not 
knowing  how  it  was  conceived,  not  knowing  of  its  trials  and  tribula- 
tions, have  missed  a  story  as  romantic  and  as  beautiful  as  the  fields 
themselves. 

Fifty  years  ago  two  great  and  inspired  men  met.  They  came 
from  opposite  corners  of  the  world.  In  the  days  when  travel  was 
both  difficult  and  dangerous.  Dr.  Joseph  Krauskopf,  imbued  with 
the  love  of  his  fellowman,  travelled  half  'way  round  the  world  and, 
on  the  fields  of  distant  Russia,  he  met  Count  Leo  Tolstoi.  Two  great 
humanitarians,  one  a  Christian,  the  other  a  Jew,  both  noblemen  In 
the  brotherhood  of  man,  pondered  the  problem  of  their  fellow-beings. 
Count  Tolstoi  loved  the  soil.  The  "Back  to  the  Soil"  Movement  was 
his  creed — it  was  part  of  his  very  being.  Dr.  Krauskopf  loved  his 
fellowman — that  was  his  very  being. 

It  was  in  the  days  when  our  co-religionists,  seeking  to  escape 
the  pogrom  and  the  cruelties  of  the  Old  World,  came  to  this  blessed 
land  by  the  thousands  and  the  tens  of  thousands.  Here,  strangers  in 
a  strange  land,  they  clung  together  in  the  ports  of  disembarkation. 
They  had  landed  in  America.  That  had  been  their  goal.  Having 
arrived,  they  knew  not  where  to  go  and  so  they  huddled  together, 
sharing  a  common  insecurity  —  not  understanding  and  being  them- 
selves misunderstood.  These  victims  of  European  cruelty  and  intoler- 
ance, seeking  freedom  for  themselves  and  their  families,  soon  became 
victims  of  the  sweatshop  and  economic  miseries  of  over-crowded  cities. 
The  Jew,  seeking  to  escape  the  European  ghetto,  soon  found  himself 
in  one  of  his  own  making  —  unhappy  and  disillusioned  from  within, 
and  viewed  with  suspicion  and  distrust  from  without. 

Dr.  Krauskopf  was  inspired  by  a  desire,  nay,  a  passion  to  rescue 
the  Jewish  youth  from  this  ghetto  and  to  return  him  to  the  farm,  to 
the  ancient  calling  of  his  fathers.  It  was  in  this  meeting  with  the 
great  Tolstoi   that  the   seed  of  this   Institution  took   root.    It   was 

11 


planted  in  the  soil  of  human  service  and  sacrifice  and.  because  of  this, 
it  grew. 

To  you  who  have  lived  with  the  School,  to  you  who  have  been 
its  support  and  its  pillars,  I  need  not  repeat  the  story  of  its  struggles 
and  its  successes,  of  its  joys,  and  its  sorrows,  for  you  were  a  part  of  its 
life.  Xor  need  I  remind  you  of  the  opportunities  and  advantages  it 
has  given  to  its  individual  students.  Many  members  of  its  Alumni 
are  here  today,  as  proud  of  the  School  as  the  School  is  of  them. 
Rather  would  I  address  myself  to  the  School,  not  as  an  individual 
institution  but  as  a  representative  of  scientific  agriculture,  because 
that  science  of  which  this  Institution  is  a  living  part,  in  its  contribu- 
tion to  mankind,  went  far  beyond  the  School's  original  concept  of 
transferring  the  Jewish  youth  from  the  ghetto  to  the  farm.  I  prefer 
to  think  of  this  School  as  a  disciple  of  a  "Xew  Way  of  Life" — as 
the  exponent  of  a  science  that  has  lifted  age-old  burdens  from  the 
shoulders  of  man.  We  are  teaching  a  new  way  of  life,  a  way  blessed 
in  the  sight  of  man. 

Since  childhood,  the  thought  of  the  harvest  and  harvest-time 
fills  me  with  a  feeling  of  deepest  reverence.  Having  been  reared  in 
the  Faith  of  our  Fathers,  I  came  to  know  at  an  early  age  of  the 
Festival  of  the  Harvest,  Shabuoth,  "The  Feast  of  Weeks.'"  It 
was  "The  Day  of  the  First  Fruit  OfTering" — the  day  on  which  the 
first  fruit  was  brought  to  the  temple  with  prayers  of  gratitude  for 
the  blessings  of  the  harvest.  I  learned  of  Succoth.  The  Feast  of 
Tabernacles,  when  we  are  commanded  to  dwell  in  booths  to  com- 
memorate the  wanderings  of  our  ancestors,  and  the  divine  protection 
given  them  in  those  days.  The  Succa  itself,  in  my  juvenile  imagin- 
ation, became  a  magic  carpet  which  transplanted  me  from  the  city 
street  to  the  fertile  fields  and  lands  of  our  ancestors.  In  the  rooms  of 
our  Hebrew  Sunday  School  Society  and  from  the  Rov  in  the  Chedar, 
I  learned  and  gloried  in  those  pages  of  our  history  when  we  were 
land  owners,  tillers  of  the  soil  and  harvesters. 

In  the  prayers  of  our  elders,  I  could  feel  their  reverent  gratitude 
to  the  Giver  of  all  things  for  the  bountiful  harvests  which  came  from 
the  soil.  Even  those  of  our  people  who  tolled  In  the  sweatshops  which 
abounded  in  our  city — those  who  rarely  saw  the  sun  and  seldom,  if 
ever,  saw  the  green  fields  —  went  to  the  Synagogue  to  thank  the 
Almighty  for  the  blessings  of  the  harvest. 

And  so  I  came  to  think  of  the  harvest  as  a  phenomenon  which 
came  to  man  only  by  virtue  of  God's  fiat — otherwise,  why  would  the 
city  dweller,  the  slave  of  the  sweatshop  so  far  removed  from  the 
beauty  and  the  comfort  of  the  soil  itself — be  so  reverently  grateful. 
Surely,  I  thought,  God  is  sowing  and  man  is  reaping.  Man  had  but 
to  wait.  That  man  had  to  toil  to  reap  the  harvest  was  nowhere 
indicated  in  our  prayers  or  ceremonies.  Agriculture  was  indeed  a 
gracious  miracle — man  but  stretched  forth  his  hand  and  there  was 
the  harvest. 

But  enlightenment  and  disillusionment  often  come  together.    I 

12 


came  one  dav  before  a  reproduction  of  Francois  Millet's  remarkable 
painting  "Tlie  Man  with  the  Hoe"  and  Edwin  Markham's  stirring 
poem  of  the  same  name  which  the  picture  inspired  him  to_  write. 
These  two  great  artists,  one  with  the  brush  and  the  other  with  the 
word,  using  with  full  measure  the  license  which  their  great  art  per- 
mits, created  in  color  and  word  a  soul-stirring  symphony  protesting 
against  the  old  "Way  of  Life,"  a  way  filled  with  toil  and  sorrow  and 
drudgery.  It  was  not  a  protest  against  farm  labor,  for  labor  is  both 
ennobling  and  inspiring.  Labor  is  not  the  sorrow,  but  the  joy  of 
man.  Labor  is  a  benediction.  Drudgery  is  a  curse.  It  was_  against 
man's  serfdom,  against  drudgery,  that  these  crusaders  cried  out. 
Markham,  in  his  great  poem,  as  if  calling  upon  civilization  for  an 
accounting,  thus  pictures  the  hoe  man — 

"Bowed  by  the  weight  of  centuries,  he  leans 
Upon  his  hoe  and  gazes  upon  the  ground. 
The  emptiness  of  ages  in  his  face 
And  on  his  back  the  burden  of  the  world. 
Who  made  him  dead  to  rapture  and  despair 
A  thing  that  grieves  not  and  that  never  hopes. 
Stolid  and  stunned,  a  brother  to  the  ox?" 

I  knew  of  course,  that  neither  the  picture  nor  the  poem  was 
trulv  representative  of  the  typical  farmer,  but  nevertheless  my 
childish  dream  that  the  harvest  came  without  toil  and  struggle  van- 
ished and  I  came  to  realize  that  both  symbolized  man's  unending 
struggle  for  existence.  Many  before  had  cried  out  against  the  evils 
of  tlie  sweatshop  and  the  factory  systems  with  their  oppressive 
economic  inhumanities,  but  few  voices  were  ever  raised  m  protest 
against  the  unhappy  plight  of  the  tiller  of  the  soil.  With  compassion 
for  his  fellowman,  Markham  cries  out, 

"This  monstrous  thing  distorted  and  soul  quenched 
How  will  you  straighten  up  this  shape:" 

How  indeed  will  you  "straighten  up  this  shape":  And  who  will 
straighten  it  up — and  when?  The  answer  is  that  you,  Dr.  Krauskopf, 
by  vour  heart  and  vision,  hand  in  hand  with  science  are  "straightening 
up''  the  bent  and  weary  body!  Knowledge  and  science— planning 
instead  of  guessing,  principles  instead  of  superstitions,  learning 
instead  of  ignorance — are  creating  a  blessed  new  way  of  life.  Science 
in  agriculture,  with  a  mission  and  a  purpose  just  as  potent,  just  as 
important  as  science  in  medicine.  Science  in  the  field  and  in  the  lab- 
oratorv.  Science  to  tell  the  farmer  when  to  plant  and  where  to  plarit 
and  how  to  plant — to  tell  the  farmer  of  crop  rotation,  of  artificial  irri- 
gation and  drainage,  of  incubation,  of  crop  control  and  pest  control — 
to  tell  him  of  the  enemies  to  be  fought  and  how  to  fight  the  fight. 
The  farmer  can  now  become  the  master  and  not  the  victim  of  his  fate. 

13 


In  this  science,  with  its  new  horizons  in  dairying,  animal  hus- 
bandry, poultrying  and  agricultural  engineering,  the  soil  itself,  the 
source  from  which  so  many  blessings  flow,  becomes  a  major  study. 
Who,  in  the  days  of  pre-scientific  agriculture,  dreamed  that  the  soil, 
like  the  human  being,  could  become  tired  and  overworked:  Who 
would  have  dared  suggest  that  the  soil  was  exhaustible?  To  question 
the  unlimited  fruitfulness  of  the  soil,  to  question  the  methods,  the 
judgment  and  practices  of  their  ancestors,  that  was  sacrilege  I  And 
so  man  struggled  in  ancient  ways,  bowed  indeed  by  "the  weight  of 
centuries."  But  finally  science  awakened,  and  its  research  and  dis- 
coveries, when  applied  to  the  task  of  the  farmer,  react  like  trans- 
fusions to  the  wounded.  Both  the  farm  and  the  farmer  take  on  new 
life.  Studying  the  weather  and  its  cycles  has  done  away  with  the 
belief  that  harvest  losses  are  unavoidable  or  even  pre  -  ordained. 
Planting  the  right  seed  in  the  right  place  is  no  longer  a  matter  of 
guessing  and  hoping.  All  is  now  planned  and  science's  planning  is 
good.  And  thus  science,  whose  voice  is  heard  thru  this  School,  is 
creating  a  happier  way  of  life.  It  is  erasing  the  "brother  to  the  ox" 
and  re-establishing  him  in  his  natural  birthright — as  "brother  to 
man." 

Science  in  agriculture  came  late.  The  tiller  of  the  soil  living  in 
the  world  of  nature,  being  on  Intimate  terms  with  the  everchanging 
sky  by  day,  and  the  starry  heavens  by  night,  feeling  the  warm  earth 
as  it  turned  under  his  plow,  accepted  his  lot  and  dared  not  challenge 
his  fate.  He  felt  himself  a  part  of  Nature,  and,  as  he  dared  not  chal- 
lenge the  ways  of  his  fathers,  so  would  he  not  blaspheme  by  challeng- 
ing the  ways  of  Nature.  Thus,  progress  came  slowly.  In  other  fields 
of  endeavor,  the  inventive  and  scientific  genius  of  our  Nation  trav- 
elled far  and  quickly.  Each  year,  each  day — oil,  gold,  silver,  copper 
and  even  the  elusive  radium — were  all  taken  from  Mother  Earth  by 
new  methods.  Each  scientific  discovery  lessened  man's  labors.  Our 
industrial  system  was  put  on  the  assembly  line.  Working  hours  and 
even  working  days  were  reduced.  Man  had  more  leisure,  more  tune 
to  live,  more  time  to  be  with  his  family. 

Life  was  more  than  sweat,  labor  and  hardships.  Science,  which 
has  for  years  been  working  for  the  worker  in  industry,  awakened 
late  and  perhaps  conscience-stricken.  It  turned  to  the  task  of  liber- 
ating the  farmer.  Carrying  out  that  purpose  is  the  mission  of  this 
Institution.  That  is  your  contribution,  not  only  to  your  individual 
students,  but  to  the  farmer,  to  the  Nation,  and  to  mankind.  Science 
has  geared  itself  to  the  oldest  of  all  of  man's  labors — Agriculture.  Man 
is  no  longer  harnessed  to  the  plow.  Brain  power  and  science  now  pull 
the  plow  together.  Your  learning  and  your  teachings,  your  scientific 
research,  have  put  agriculture  on  the  assembly  line  so  that  the 
farmer  may  be  unharnessed  from  a  pitiless  life  of  hardship.  Now  he 
can  lift  his  head  and  gaze  upon  the  sun. 

By  this  I  do  not  mean  that  the  farmer  is  not  the  hard  and  faith- 
ful worker  which  I  know  him  to  be.  His  work  is  both  dignified  and 
honorable.    Nor  am  I  unmindful  of  the  fact  that,  during  the  dark 

14 


days  thru  which  we  have  jiisi  passed,  the  farmer  imposed  upon  him- 
self superhuman  burdens  that  our  men  and  our  Nation  might  survive. 
His  efforts  and  his  labors  seemed  beyond  human  endurance.  But 
without  scientific  agriculture  —  patriotism  and  labor  itself  could  not 
have  accomplished  that  which  was  essential  to  achieve  Victory.  With- 
out the  farmer,  our  Army  and  Navy  could  not  have  ''carried  on." 
Without  the  farmer  and  the  miracle  which  science  helped  him  to  per- 
form, the  War,  and  perhaps  civilization  itself,  might  have  been  lost. 
For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  civilization,  one  country  was  at  the 
same  time  the  world's  arsenal  and  the  world's  granary — and  this 
without  plunder  or  aggression.  It  was  the  work  of  free  men  fighting 
for  justice.  Even  the  prophets  did  not  seem  to  foresee  that  the  sword 
and  the  plowshare  could,  at  the  same  time  and  in  the  same  hands,  be 
instruments  of  those  seeking  Peace  and  Justice. 

I  wish  that  I  had  the  ability  of  an  Edwin  Markham  so  that  I 
might  describe  the  modern  farmer  and  his  achievement.  I  would  that 
I  could  pay  my  tribute  to  scientific  agriculture  which  causes  the 
garden  to  flourish  where  once  was  a  desert  —  that  I  might,  as  a 
pseudo-farmer,  your  neighbor,  tell  you  what  a  boon  to  mankind  has 
been  your  research  and  your  discoveries.  What  medicine  is  to  the 
human  body,  so  has  been  your  science  to  the  soil  and  its  harvests. 
\^'hat  technology  has  done  for  industry,  you  have  done  for  agricul- 
ture. Alan  is  born  with  a  passion  for  the  land.  What  child  does  not 
enjoy  playing  with  mud  pies?  Nor  is  this  pleasure  confined  only  to 
childhood.  Many  men,  having  achieved  success  beyond  their  dreams, 
as  they  sit  in  their  industrial  or  financial  houses,  would  give  much  to 
again  feel  the  soft,  warm  earth  in  the  wake  of  the  plow  as  it  curled 
itself  around  their  bare  feet.  And  who  can  capture  the  fragrance  of 
the  field  or  meadow,  or  that  of  the  new-mown  hay.'  Man  is  born  of 
the  soil.  He  is  of  the  soil.  He  is  part  of  the  soil  and  neither  time  nor 
environment  can  quench  his  love  for  it. 

But  beyond  all  this  there  was  another  ideal — it  was  the  "Ideal 
Supreme"  that  guided  Dr.  Krauskopf  in  his  labors.  One  crop  was 
dearer  to  him  than  all  the  others — that  crop  was  the  student  body. 
Teaching  good  citizenship  —  manhood  —  tolerance  —  love  of  fellow 
beings  and  of  his  country.  This  was  his  Holy  of  Holies.  To  save  men 
from  a  life  of  hardship,  yes !  to  prove  that  our  people  could  again,  if 
given  the  opportunity,  create  lands  of  "milk  and  honey."  Yes!  But 
first  —  to  create  men!    "Happy  men!" 

To  help  students  grow  mentally,  morally,  intellectually,  to 
teach  tolerance  and  understanding,  to  show  that  non-sectarianism 
in  the  School,  if  carried  into  later  life,  will  be  a  benediction  to  the 
individual  and  to  the  Nation,  here  indeed  was  Dr.  Krauskopf's 
crowning  hope  and  vision. 

\\  ho  can  tell  what  contribution  our  1300  graduates  have  made 
in  their  various  activities — what  part  they  played  yesterday  or  will 
play  tomorrow?  Dr.  Krauskopf  planted  an  acorn  from  which  a 
might}-  oak  has  grown  —  an  oak  whose  branches   reach  throughout 

15 


the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land.  Our  graduates  are  teaching  a 
new  and  better  way  of  life.  "The  bread  which  has  been  cast  upon 
the  waters"  is  returning  after  many  days  and  in  many  ways. 

I  could  not,  in  the  very  nature  of  things,  conclude  my  remarks 
without  expressing  both  my  recognition  and  appreciation  for  the  very 
great  contribution  made  to  this  Institution  by  a  fellow-Trustee  for 
whom  I  have  the  deepest  respect  and  affection,  my  fellow-Trustee, 
Mrs.  Joseph  Krauskopf.  Without  her  encouragement  in  the  face  of 
others'  skepticism,  without  her  enthusiasm  when  others  predicted 
failure,  without  her  unending  sympathy  and  understanding,  it  is  not 
possible  that  our  Founder,  with  all  his  faith  and  courage,  could  have 
continued  his  struggle.  Without  her,  who  can  say  that  this  Institu- 
tion could  have  survived?  To  you,  Mrs.  Krauskopf,  for  your  own 
labors  and  contributions  and  for  your  loyalty  to  him  and  to  this  great 
Institution,  we  extend  our  heartfelt  thanks. 

Dr.  Krauskopf  himself,  without  Millet's  magic  brush  and  with- 
out Markham's  magic  word,  but  solely  on  the  heart-strings  of  his 
love  for  his  fellowman,  has  created  this  School,  this  monument — a 
monument  which  is  a  living,  vital  part  of  America.  It  is  America! 
And  as  we,  who  are  here  assembled  in  silent  reverence,  think  of 
Dr.  Krauskopf,  let  us  resolve  that  his  work  will  be  carried  forward 
as  a  tribute  to  him,  as  a  duty  to  our  people,  and  as  a  service  to 
our  country. 


16 


ANNUAL  REPORT  OF  THE  PRESIDENT 
LOUIS  NUSBAUM  * 

October  14,  1945 

This  annual  meeting  and  harvest  festival  comniemorates  forty- 
nine  years  of  the  schooFs  existence,  and  carries  us  into  the  fiftieth 
our  Golden  Jubilee  year.  The- history  of  the  School  through  this  half 
century  has 'been  marked  by  varying  tides  of  fortune.  Our  pupilage 
has  risen  and  fallen  at  various  times.  The  low  ebb  of_  pupilage  has 
occurred  during  these  last  few  years  of  war  time.  This  follows  the 
pattern  of  all  educational  institutions.  Many  colleges  and  secondary 
schools  found  it  necessary  to  close  their  doors.  Others  survived  only 
through  virtual  government  subsidy  of  courses  for  the  armed  service. 
Attendance  at  public  high  schools  of  the  country  fell  off  more  than 
one  million  during  the  war.  It  is  commonly  known  that  periods  of 
industrial  and  economic  prosperity  adversely  affect  school  enroll- 
ments, not  only  of  regular  pupils,  but  also  of  adults  in  evening  schools 
and  extension  classes. 

The  National  Farm  School  continued  to  operate,  at  great  sacri- 
fices, to  be  sure;  but  it  maintained  the  integrity  of  its  functioning,  and 
the  continuity  of  its  service.  Our  Board  of  Trustees,  looking  forward 
to  the  values  of  our  school's  community  service  in  the  post-war  period, 
deliberately  assumed  the  obligation  of  keeping  the  school  intact 
through  this  period  of  stress. 

The  experiences  we  have  gained  have  not  been  without  their 
values  to  us.  We  lowered  the  age  limit  of  admission  to  fifteen  years 
because  of  the  impact  of  enlistments  and  selective  service  on  boys 
seventeen  and  eighteen  years  old,  and  we  have  found  a  degree  of 
immaturity  and  irresponsibility  of  vocational  purpose  that  are  not 
suited  to  the  aims  of  a  school  like  ours.  Correspondingly  we  had  to 
relax  on  academic  standards  for  admission,  and  we  have  founda  lack 
of  the  background  and  of  the  preparation  necessary  for  the  scientific 
study  required  of  students  aiming  to  accomplish  the  purposes  of  our 
curriculum. 

Tzvo  Progressive  Steps 

With  a  realization  of  these  situations,  our  Board  of  Trustees 
decided  on  two  significant  moves  to  rehabilitate  the  school,  and  to 
expand  its  functions  into  fields  of  greater  usefulness,  without  sacri- 
ficing any  of  the  magnificent  ideals  and  purposes  of  the  founder.  With 
a  view  to  this  expansion  the  board  decided  to  inaugurate  a  fund  rais- 
ing campaign  to  mark  its  Golden  Jubilee  anniversary,  and  it  appointed 
a  Planning  Committee  to  recommend  such  reorganization  of  cur- 
riculum and  procedure  as  would  accomplish  the  purposes  outlined. 

The  fund  raising  campaign  has  just  within  a  few  weeks  gotten 
underway  with  the  appointment  of  a  Public  Relations  Director_  in 
charge  of  the  movement.  The  Planning  Committee  has  been  working 

*  Retired  ~as  of  May  1,  1946. 

17 


continuously  for  the  past  four  months,  and,  with  the  help  of  a  group 
of  eminent  experts,  has  about  completed  its  recommendations  for 
early  action  by  our  board. 

Detailed  announcements  of  these  moves  will   soon  be   ready.* 

Their  accomplishments  will  depend  on  the  public's  re- 
action. Without  the  enthusiastic  support  of  the  community  no  such 
movement  can  succeed.  This  community  support  must  include  not  only 
the  public  at  large  but  also  members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  faculty 
and  staff,  alumni,  student  body,  welfare  agencies,  and  all  other  friends 
of  the  school.  A  movement  of  this  kind  must  be  a  co-operative  enter- 
prise. Planned  publicity  will  keep  all  interested  parties  informed 
of  the  parts  they  are  expected  to  play  and  of  the  progress  of  the 
movement.  The  fund  so  raised  will  be  used  primarily  for  the  purpose 
of  expanding  and  improving  our  educational  facilities,  for  wiping  out 
operational  deficits,  and  for  the  replenishment  of  the  school's  endow- 
ment fund  which  in  these  late  years  has  been  seriously  depleted. 
Expansion  of  the  new  program  will  require  new  housing  facilities  and 
other  essential  buildings,  as  well  as  expanded  and  rehabilitated  equip- 
ment. It  is  confidently  expected  that  all  of  these  objectives  will  be 
attained. 

It  is  too  early  to  give  definite  details  of  the  contemplated  school 
reorganization,  but  if  the  plans  under  consideration  are  substantially 
adopted  the  level  of  pupil  admission  to  the  school,  and  the  advanced 
curriculum  should  make  it  possible  for  the  school's  future  graduates 
to  be  far  better  prepared  to  assume  positions  in  farm  management 
and  administration,  and  to  become  more  efficient  leaders  of  farm 
movements  in  their  respective  fields  or  communities.  For  those  who 
desire  to  pursue  still  further  their  collegiate  training  in  order  to  be- 
come agricultural  specialists  or  research  workers,  there  should  be  no 
difficulty  for  them  to  enter  the  junior  year  of  any  agricultural  college. 

This  entire  picture  opens  new  horizons  for  The  National  Farm 
School  and  it  should  arouse  a  new  enthusiasm  in  all  persons  interested 
in  the  school's  development  and  progress.  Reconversion  is  in  the  air, 
and  this  forward  outlook  for  the  school  takes  its  place  with  other  new 
things  promised  for  the  post-war  era,  as  in  industrial  and  economic 
fields. 

The  Past  Year 

It  seems  almost  prosaic  to  turn  from  these  considerations  to  an 
accounting  of  the  school's  affairs  in  the  past  year.  However,  these 
matters  should  be  recorded. 

Mention  has  been  made  above  of  the  reasons  for  our  small 
student  body.  This  has  not  been  without  its  compensations.  The 
administration  and  the  students  have  been  able  to  establish  closer 
personal  relations,  and  better  understanding  of  the  purposes  and 
problems  of  each.  In  consequence,  the  morale  of  the  student  body  has 

*The  Board  of  Trustees  on  Deceviber  13,  1945,  adopted  the  report  of 
the  Planning  Committee  to  expand  the  currindum.  of  the  School  to 
that  of  a  Junior  College.  On  May  8,  194-6,  The  National  Farm  School 
was  approved  by  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania  as  a  junior 
College. 

18 


been  tine,  and  we  feel  that  the  school  has  become  a  vital  factor  in  the 
making  of  a  body  of  fine  young  citizens. 

During  the  year  the  school  has  been  ofTicIally  designated  b\-  the 
Veterans'  Administration  as  an  approved  institution  for  the  training 
and  retraining  of  veterans  under  the  G.  I.  Bill  of  Rights,  and  the 
Disabled  Veterans'  Act. 

During  the  past  school  year  The  National  Farm  School,  in  co- 
operation with  the  State  Department  of  Public  Instruction,  again 
provided  evening  extension  courses  for  farmers  living  within  reason- 
able radius  of  the  school.  These  courses  were  designed  primarily  to 
promote  War  Food  Production  and  to  help  farmers  to  conserve  their 
machinery  and  equipment.  Seventy-eight  students  were  enrolled  last 
year. 

The  Farm  School's  services  to  the  community  include  many  items 
not  specifically  advertised.  Our  near  neighbors  and  others  frequently 
appeal  to  us  to  analyze  soil  samples,  to  examine  blighted  plants  of 
various  kinds,  to  diagnose  and  advise  regarding  many  difficulties 
which  beset  agriculturists.  More  and  more  the  school  is  coming  to  be 
looked  upon  as  a  centre  for  giving  advice  and  assistance  with  regard 
to  many  types  of  farm  problems.  All  such  inquiries  are  answered  to 
the  best  of  our  ability. 

Pla7it  and  Equipment 

The  maintenance  of  the  physical  plant  of  an  institution  like  ours 
is  a  matter  of  major  importance.  Our  property  has  been  appraised  at 
over  one  million  dollars.  Our  buildings  alone,  nearly  fifty  in  number, 
and  scattered  over  one  thousand  acres,  are  valued  at  well  over  one- 
half  million  dollars.  Keeping  this  vast  property  inusableand up-to-date 
condition  requires  constant  oversight  and  spending  of  money.  Such 
items  as  roofing,  plumbing,  painting,  heating,  and  water  supply  need 
continued  care  and  attention,  to  say  nothing  of  contingencies  which 
require  major  operations  to  important  parts  of  the  plan.  New  wells 
need  to  be  sunk  from  time  to  time,  new  pumps  provided,  roads  rebuilt, 
retreated,  and  maintained;  provision  for  livestock  of  all  kinds  renewed 
and  rehabilitated;  machinery  and  equipment  modernized  or  replaced 
—  these  and  similar  Items  require  constant  vigilance,  and  large 
sums  of  money.  Without  attempting  to  specify  the  major  Improve- 
ments made  In  the  past  year  I  want  merely  to  point  out  that  as  much 
is  being  done  constantly  alone  those  lines  as  our  funds  will  permit. 

Memorial  and  Festive  Groves 

The  school  has  under  way  plans  for  modifying  the  past  procedure 
regarding  the  planting  of  memorial  and  festive  trees.  As  we  grow  in 
age  so  do  the  trees  thus  planted,  and  the  time  comes  when  such  trees 
die  or  must  be  removed,  and  the  memorial  intended  to  be  more  or 
less  permanent  disappears.  Our  new  plans  provide  for  setting  aside 
two  appropriate  groves,  one  for  festive  and  one  for  memorial  pur- 
poses, and  to  perpetuate  the  names  of  those  to  be  honored  by  Inscrip- 
tion on  an  appropriate  tablet  set  up  In  each  grove  respectively.  It  will 
then  be  the  purpose  of  the  school  to  maintain  these  groves  In  suitable 
condition,  taking  out  trees  as  becomes  necessary,  and  planting  others 

19 


from  time  to  time.  Thus  each  of  these  groves  will  be  kept  always  in  a 
condition  which  will  suitably  commemorate  the  names  and  events 
concerning  those  to  be  honored.  Provision  will  be  made  to  continue 
the  planting  of  individual  trees  under  certain  conditions  which  will 
be  prescribed. 

Our  Department  Activities 

The  only  way  to  tell  of  progress  in  the  production  department  is 
to  give  statistical  figures.  I  doubt  that  more  than  a  few  persons  in 
this  audience  are  interested  in  masses  of  figures,  so  these  will  be 
omitted.  Excerpts  from  reports  by  department  heads  will  be  included 
with  this  report  when  printed.  Meanwhile  we  should  say  that  the 
varying  fortunes  of  the  farmer's  lot  have  also  beset  the  work  of  the 
school.  Warm  weather  in  early  spring  sent  our  fruit  trees  into  a 
gorgeous  riot  of  blossoming.  Heavy  frosts  a  month  later  dashed  our 
hopes  of  a  bumper  crop.  Late  in  summer  while  in  the  midst  of  our 
peach  harvesting,  and  looking  forward  to  a  reasonable  remaining 
apple  crop,  we  were  visited  with  a  heavy  hail  storm,  which  put  an 
end  to  the  peach  crop,  and  badly  damaged  what  was  left  of  the  apples 
and  the  small  fruit. 

Heavy  rains  through  the  summer  did  much  damage  to  our  vege- 
table crop,  but  we  had  a  good  harvest  of  grains,  particularly  of  fine 
wheat  which  sold  at  a  premium  price  as  seed  wheat,  and  of  corn  for 
feed  and  silage. 

Our  dairy  herd  has  been  improved  and  built  up  to  the  point 
where  with  about  one  half  the  number  of  cattle  in  the  herd  about  two 
years  ago,  we  are  producing  about  the  same  quantity  of  milk.  Our 
small  herd  of  Ayrshire  cows  has  been  officially  rated  as  the  fifth  best 
herd  in  the  United  States,  and  our  entire  herd,  including  Holsteins 
and  Guernseys,  is  making  excellent  production  records.  The  school's 
poultry  flock  has  had  unusual  difficulties  with  epidemics  of  diseases, 
but  it  seems  now  to  have  been  rehabilitated  and  is  functioning  very 
satisfactorily.  The  greenhouses  and  nurseries  have  been  making  a 
very  creditable  record.  This  department  of  the  school  will  be  greatly 
expanded  thus  increasing  our  instructional  facilities  as  well  as  our 
production. 

Student  Activities 

We  are  glad  to  be  able  to  report,  as  we  did  last  year,  that  not- 
withstanding our  small  pupilage,  student  activities  have  in  general 
continued  with  no  loss  of  enthusiasm  or  co-operation.  The  various 
classes  have  gone  ahead  with  publication  of  their  year  books,  and  of 
the  school  magazine,  "The  Gleaner";  the  band  has  continued  to  play 
and  our  major  athletic  activities  have  proceeded  unbroken,  not 
without  some  extra  burdens  put  on  the  various  production  depart- 
rhents,  but  certainly  with  a  fine  boost  to  school  morale.  It  is  remark- 
able that  at  this  writing,  our  school  football  team  has  not  lost  a  game 
in  the  past  three  years.  Other  interscholastic  activities  have  proceeded 
with  like  satisfaction. 

During  the  past  year  the  school  has  instituted  a   program   of 

20 


intra-nuiral  athletics  as  a  regular  part  of  its  curriculum,  anJ  every 
student  of  the  school  participates  for  a  two-hour  period  once  each 
week.  This,  we  believe,  is  a  distinctly  forward  move  for  an  institution 
like  ours,  and  is  evidently  appreciated  by  the  students. 

Recreational  activities  have  proceeded  In  our  normal  fashion. 
Periodic  school  dances  are  held;  the  students  are  provided  with 
swimming  opportunities  in  summer;  volley  ball,  hand  ball,  and  tennis 
courts  have  been  made  available,  and,  of  course,  the  annual  school 
picnic  at  the  end  of  summer.  The  several  alumni  gatherings,  football 
rallies,  and  conventions  of  various  kinds  provide  opportunities  for 
added  student  contacts. 

Residence  throughout  the  year  in  a  remote  rural  situation  is 
necessarily  trying  on  the  endurance  of  students  accustomed  to  city 
life;  therefore,  the  school  loses  no  opportunity  of  promoting  suitable 
variations  from  the  routine  and  monotony  of  full  time  country 
isolation. 

Friends  of  the  School 

This  report  would  not  be  complete  without  mention  of  the  fine 
support  we  have  had  from  our  many  friends.  The  Commonwealth  of 
Pennsylvania  has  increased  its  appropriation  to  the  school  by  ten  per 
cent.  Our  individual  contributors,  Jewish  congregations,  and  Welfare 
Organizations  throughout  the  country  have  continued  in  their  gen- 
erous support  of  the  school.  Our  alumni,  too,  are  invaluable,  not  only 
because  of  their  financial  aid,  but  also  because  of  their  enthusiastic 
participation  in  many  extra-curricular  activities  of  the  school.  They 
give  an  inspiration  and  an  example  for  the  students,  and  they  often 
help  where  help  is  most  needed.  It  has  been  said  that  a  school  is  as 
good  as  its  alumni  support.  Judged  by  this  standard  The  National 
Farm  School  should  rank  high. 

The  members  of  our  Board  of  Trustees  have  shown  an  increasing 
interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  school  and  have  been  more  active  in  its 
behalf  than  at  any  previous  time  of  the  school's  history.  It  is  almost 
unnecessary  to  say  that  without  this  kind  of  support  no  institution 
could  long  endure.  I  should  like  to  make  individual  mention  of  some 
of  our  hard  working  trustees,  but  to  do  so  would  take  more  time  than 
we  should  give  to  this  subject,  and  it  might  be  embarrassing  to  some 
who  might  be  named.  My  personal  appreciation  goes  to  those  mem- 
bers and  to  our  Board  as  a  whole  for  their  loyal  devotion  to  our  school. 

And  finally,  I  want  to  make  brief  mention  of  our  hard  working, 
loyal  faculty  and  staff,  and  of  the  fine  co-operative  young  men 
that  make  up  our  student  body.  After  all,  it  is  the  spirit  of  these 
groups  that  makes  The  National  Farm  School  what  it  actually  is 
in  the  training  of  skilled  agriculturists  and  of  fine  American  citizens. 


21 


APPENDIX 

Excerpts  from  Department  Reports 

Stident  Activities 

"During  the  past  year  the  school  concluded  a  contract  with  the 
Philadelphia  office  of  the  Veterans  Administration  to  admit  discharged 
veterans  for  courses  in  agriculture.  Our  first  veteran  students  ent- 
ered in  February,  1945,  with  others  following  intermittently.  Some 
enrolled  for  the  regular  three-year  period  while  others  are  registered 
for  a  one  to  two  year  course. 

"Although  the  number  of  our  regular  students  is  less  than  in 
former  years,  insistence  on  a  more  rigid  academic  standard  and  a 
closer  scrutiny  of  the  candidates  at  the  time  of  their  admission  have 
resulted  in  a  high  caliber  of  student  personnel. 

"The  extra  curricular  activities  were  maintained  during  this 
period  of  small  pupilage.  Two  hours  each  Saturday  were  devoted  to 
intramural  athletics,  which  helped  greatly  in  encouraging  school  spirit, 
good  fellowship,  and  co-operative  interest.  The  social  function  of  the 
students  included  several  dances,  and  recreational  room  activities. 
The  Canteen  served  as  a  meeting  place  and  a  source  of  refreshments. 
The  band,  although  small  in  number,  continued  to  be  an  inspiration 
and  a  source  of  student  enjoyment." 

General  x\griculture 

"The  greatest  single  factor  that  retarded  most  farmers  during  the 
past  spring  and  summer  was  the  weather.  There  was  considerable  loss 
from  continued  rains,  but  some  gain.  Listed  below  are  the  highlights 
of  the  past  year: 

1.  We  did  a  great  deal  of  cleaning  work  such  as  removing  old 
trees,  cleaning  fence  lines,  picking  stones,  relocating  roads  and  re- 
arranging fields.  A  great  deal  remains  to  be  finished  but  this  type  of 
work  can  only  be  done  during  periods  when  the  farm  work  is 
completed. 

2.  The  acreage  that  we  planted  to  different  crops  was  as  follows: 

Wheat — 120  acres 

Oats  with  alfalfa — 42  acres 

Potatoes — 15  acres 

Corn — 110  acres 

Hay — 210  acres 

3.  Harvesting  these  crops  presented  one  of  the  most  difficult 
problems,  due  to  wet  conditions.  We  have  in  the  barns  the  following 
materials : 

Hay — 13,000  bales,  approximately 
Straw — 5,000  bales,  approximatelv 
Wheat— 3.000  bushels 
Oats— 1,200  bushels 
"Grain  harvest  was  the  source  of  most  of  the  trouble  in  this  sec- 
tion.   From  July  15  until  August  7  we  could  do  nothing  but  wait  for 

22 


clear  weather.  Deterioralion  of  ^landing  grain  was  considerable.  Cm-n 
made  excellent  growth  with  a  bumper  crop  assured.  Potatoes  are  un- 
certain. We  have  to  dig  before  we  can  give  an  estimate. 

"Soybeans  will  go  well  over  our  estimated  returns.  From  one  half 
of  the  acreage  planted  we  have  already  exceeded  that  goal. 

"To  complete  this  outline,  several  matters  should  get  future  at- 
tention. One  of  these  is  a  survey  of  our  fields  with  a  view  to  applying 
conservation  practices.  We  have  done  some  work  along  these  lines 
but  the  whole  acreage  should  be  surveyed  and  recommendations  made 
and  followed  where  practicable.  This  work  would  take  several  years 
to  complete  and  should  not  be  too  expensive." 

Ornajniental  Horticulture 

"During  the  year  1944  to  1945,  we  had  an  exceptional  chrysan- 
themum crop  in  addition  to  other  cut  flowers  and  pot  plants. 

"We  also  have  increased  propagation  in  azaleas,  which  will  ap- 
pear soon  in  our  major  production  program.  A  substantial  number  of 
conifers  have  been  propagated  and  should  in  the  near  future  become 
an  addition  to  our  expanding  nursery. 

"The  grounds  around  Segal  Hall,  as  well  as  the  grounds  around 
the  Alumni  house,  have  been  remodeled  and  improved.  The  general 
appearance  of  our  campus  has  been  kept  up  in  accordance  with  the 
tradition  and  expectations  of  an  agricultural  educational  institution. 

Horticulture 

A  cold  and  late  spring  retarded  the  early  vegetable  crops. 
Spring  frosts  killed  the  grape,  strawberry,  cherry,  plum  blossoms 
and  a  good  many  apple  and  peach  buds. 

A  very  wet  summer  increased  the  scab  on  apples  and  made  culti- 
vation and  weeding  of  vegetable  crops  an  impossibility. 
A  severe  hail  storm  struck  on  August  25,  and  seriously  injured  our 
late  peaches. 

On  the  brighter  side  of  the  picture  we  can  report  the  following: 
The  removal  of  one  half  of  the  old  peach  orchard  and  the  planting 
of  300  peach  trees  consisting  of  the  new  New  Jersey  varieties, 
such  as :  White  Hale,  Red  Rose,  Newday,  Triogen  and  Afterglow. 
The  harvesting  of  2,000  baskets  of  early  peaches.  These  w^ere  larger 
in  size  and  remarkably  free  from  oriental  worm  injury. 
A  bigger  and  better  sweet  corn,  tomato,  onion  and  early  cabbage 
crop. 

The  apple  crop,  while  smaller  this  year  because  of  frost  injury,  will 
bring  in  a  commensurate  return. 

Domestic  Department 

"The  dining  room  at  The  National  Farm  School  is  considered  a 
very  important  phase  of  this  institution's  organization.  In  many  as- 
pects, it  may  be  compared  to  the  hub  of  a  wheel  around  which 
revolves  all  activity.    Good  educational  facilities  and  a  fine  staff  of 

23 


e 


< 


24 


faculty  members  would  all  be  in  vain  if  the  students  were  not  nor- 
mally content  with  food  which  is  served  for  their  consumption. 

'"Almost  all  the  food,  especially  the  milk  and  vegetables,  are  the 
result  of  the  boys'  educational  efforts.  The  menu  served  takes  mto 
consideration  that  the  student  body  represents  adolescent  boys  m  the 
growing  stage  and  the  fact  that  they  are  working  as  part  of  their 
training.  Therefore,  the  food  served  is  more  than  the  normal  amount 
of  substantial  and  wholesome  foods  that  would  be  required  on  the 
average  well-balanced  menu  for  students  in  purely  academic  studies. 

"The  kitchen  staff  is  headed  by  two  competent  chefs  and  the  kit- 
chen and  the  student  dining  room  are  always  kept  within  the  standard 
of  immaculate  cleanliness.  The  students  all  take  regular  assignments 
in  waiting  on  student  tables. 

"Through  the  continuous  surge  of  increasing  prices  of  com- 
modities we  were  not  caught  unprepared.  We  have  kept  abreast  with 
the  many  economic  problems  and  the  conditions  which  have  been 
rapidly  affecting  increased  prices  and  scarcity  of  various  esseritial 
foods.  As  a  result  at  no  time  were  we  handicapped  for  the  need  of 
food  items  nor  have  we  found  it  necessary  to  pay  exorbitant  prices 
Fortunately,  the  purchase  of  most  commodities,  such  as  coal,  canned 
goods  and  other  important  items  has  been  well  effected  to  the  extent 
of  maximum  possibilities." 

Dairy  Department 

"The  dairy  has  been  culled  and  animals  removed  untilwe  will  be 
able  to  house  the  entire  herd  in  the  dairy  barns  this  coming  winter. 
This  will  enable  their  being  cared  for  with  the  greatest  economy  in 
labor  and  permit  observation  of  the  younger  members  of  the  herd 
continuously,  rather  than  at  twice  a  day  intervals. 

"The  average  production  per  milking  cow  has  materially  in- 
creased so  that  even  with  the  reduction  in  milking  cow  population, 
we  still  meet  the  sales  requirements  in  Philadelphia,  as  well  as  that  of 
the  kitchen  at  Farm  School.  _         r     tt  i      • 

"Among  specific  cases  to  be  noted  is  the  production  of  a  Holstein 
cow,  Farm  School  Lassie  DeKol,  who  at  fifteen  years  of  age  had 
recently  completed  an  official  lactation  record  of  17,640  pounds  of 
milk  and  606  pounds  of  fat.  This  wonderful  old  cow  is  soon  to  freshen 
again  and  is  being  made  comfortable  in  a  roomy,  well  bedded,  box 
stall.  She  is  being  carefully  supplied  with  the  most  tempting  and 
nourishing  feeds  obtainable  with  the  hope  that  she  may  duplicate  her 
last  production  record,  which  would  be  considered  outstanding  for 
two  times  a  day  milking  for  an  animal  years  younger  than  she. 

"We  have  another  Holstein  cow.  Farm  School  Pearl  Cassie,  that 
has  recently  completed  a  lactation  record  on  two  times  a  day  milking 
of  over  18,000  pounds  milk  and  more  than  700  pounds  of  fat.  This 
record  would  be  a  credit  to  a  cow  in  any  herd,  but  this  animal  is  in 
the  prime  of  her  life  and  production  ability  and  not  in  the  age  class 
as  the  animal  above  referred  to. 

"The  General  Agriculture  Department  has  furnished  us  silage  of 
excellent  quality,  the  mows  with  hay,  and  the  cribs  with  corn,  so  that 

25 


the  dairy  will  be  supplied  with  roughage  and  cornmeal  of  the  best 
nutritive  value." 

Poultry  Department 

''This  department,  after  a  prolonged  struggle  for  disease  control, 
apparently  has  mastered  the  problem  and  we  hope  will  soon  again  be 
a  profitable  enterprise  at  Farm  School.  The  trouble  has  not  been 
without  its  educational  value  to  those  students  and  others  who  are 
familiar  with  the  circumstances. 

"We  are  marketing  the  first  of  the  winter  crop  of  broilers,  a  nice 
thrifty  appearing  lot  that  averaged  over  three  pounds  in  weight  at 
twelve  weeks  of  age.  There  will  be  several  shipments  of  these  to 
market  at  intervals  of  about  two  weeks. 

"The  well  cleaned  and  disinfected  buildings  are  filled  with  pullets 
of  egg  producing  age.  We  are  planning  a  yearly  change  of  poultry 
range  which  will  assist  in  disease  control. 

"The  senior  class  in  Poultry  Husbandry  are  especially  interested 
in  a  capon  breeding  project.  This  consists  in  the  mating  of  females  of 
several  of  the  heavy  breeds,  with  a  Cornish  Indian  Game  male.  The 
resulting  male  chicks  of  the  several  breed  crossings  to  be  caponized, 
grown  and  finished  for  the  market.  The  comparative  study  of  the 
several  breed  crosses  in  capon  quality  should  provide  an  interesting 
and  valuable  study. 

"The  turkey  raising  project  has  been  successful.  Those  slaught- 
ered for  the  Thanksgiving  market  wxre  well  breasted  and  the  flesh  of 
excellent  quality.  For  the  Christmas  market  they  will  be  larger  in  size 
but  the  quality  cannot  be  better. 

Athletic  and  Recreational  Activities 

"Three  major  sport  teams  are  represented  in  the  school.  They 
are  football,  basketball,  and  baseball.  In  football,  the  varsity  team, 
composed  of  the  best  players  among  the  students,  represents  the 
group,  and  they  compete  with  other  preparatory  school,  vocational 
school,  and  college  organizations.  Consideration  is  also  given  to  the 
need  of  active  participation  of  the  students  who  do  not  have  the  ability 
to  represent  the  varsity  teams.  In  order  successfully  to  achieve  this 
purpose,  class  teams  are  formed  which  compete  in  their  annual  games. 

"The  basketball  team  is  also  represented  by  a  similar  varsity 
group  of  boys,  and  then  the  entire  student  body  is  divided  into  a 
basketball  league  of  six  teams  which  play  a  schedule  of  games  against 
each  other,  thereby  developing  considerable  interest  among  the  entire 
student  body.  There  is  also  freshman-junior  competition  in  this  sport. 

"A  varsity  baseball  team  and  the  class  and  club  representative 
teams  have  organized  in  the  school  in  a  similar  manner.  This  system 
gives  every  student  in  the  school  an  opportunity  to  participate  in  the 
major  athletic  actvities  which  are  supported  by  the  institution.  Very 
often  a  boy  who  had  very  little  confidence  in  his  athletic  ability  is 
encouraged  to  play  on  a  club  or  class  team  with  students  of  the  same 
comparative  caliber,  and  he  develops  rapidly  enough  to  become  even- 
tually a  good  representative  on  the  school  varsity  team. 

26 


''The  matter  of  financing  an  athletic  program  which  makes  it 
possible  for  all  the  students  to  participate  in  these  activities  is  a 
problem.  In  the  interest  and  the  welfare  of  the  students,  it  is 
important  that  we  have  the  proper  equipment,  which  entails  con- 
siderable expenditure  when  realizing  that  three  major  activities  are 
supported.  It  is  also  our  policy  to  schedule  as  many  varsity  games  as 
possible  to  be  played  at  home.  This  involves  expenditure  for 
traveling  expenses  for  other  schools  to  play  here,  but  we  consider 
it  worthwhile  because  it  serves  to  give  our  student  body  entertain- 
ment in  watching  these  games  and  to  keep  them  on  the  campus  in- 
stead of  taking  time  and  money  to  follow  their  boys,  when  they  play 
away  from  home. 

"The  efforts  and  expenditures  in  the  entire  athletic  program,  as 
explained,  have  not  been  in  vain,  and  one  who  observes  these  teams 
in  action  for  the  first  time  will  soon  be  inoculated  with  the  students' 
spirit  of  enthusiasm  and  will  be  sure  to  become  an  ardent  supporter 
of  the  boys  and  The  Natonal  Farm  School  w^hich  they  represent. 

"As  a  result  of  this  fine  spirit  among  the  student  body  and  the 
team  members,  the  past  competitive  athletic  season  has  been  one  of 
the  best  in  the  annals  of  Farm  School  athletic  teams.  The  football 
team  has  been  undefeated  for  the  past  three  years.  The  basketball 
team  lost  three  out  of  eleven  games  and  the  baseball  team  also  did 
very  well. 

"It  is  interesting  to  note,  and  we  mention  with  great  pride,  that 
our  more  than  three  hundred  men  In  military  service,  in  correspond- 
ing, express  keen  interest  in  the  athletic  activites  and  progress  of  the 
teams  representing  their  Alma  Mater." 

Campus  and  Farm  Building  Maintenance 

"During  the  past  few  months  considerable  progress  has  been 
made  with  the  problem  of  maintenance.  This  is  especially  significant 
considering  that  help  and  material  are  nearly  impossible  to  obtain. 
At  the  Dairy  Department,  the  entire  electric  wiring  and  power  system 
has  been  replaced.  This  was  of  vital  importance  due  to  the  fact  that 
the  old  system  was  obsolete  and  constanly  in  need  of  repair.  We  have 
also  constructed  a  new  water  well  and  pump  and  this  should  prevent 
any  possibility  of  water  shortage  due  to  breakdowns.  The  old  well  at 
present  is  showing  signs  of  losing  its  usefulness.  The  painting  program 
and  all  other  repairs  of  importance  have  been  completed. 

"During  the  year  all  the  roofs  of  campus  buildings  including 
farm  barns  have  been  inspected  and  repaired.  Most  of  the  general 
repair  maintenance  is  in  progress  or  on  schedule." 

Sales  Department 

''We  have  been  fortunate  in  obtaining  the  best  prevailing  market 
prices  for  most  of  our  produce  includmg  peaches,  other  fruits,  vege- 
tables, and  seed  wheat.  This  has  been  due  largely  to  the  splendid 
group  of  customers  who  represent  large  organizations  and  are  willing 
to  pay  good  prices  for  high  quality  merchandise.  It  is  gratifying  to 
notice  in  records  of  the  present  year  that  the  income  for  farm  prod- 
ucts has  been  considerably  in  excess  of  previous  years." 

27 


HARVEST  FESTIVAL  AND 
FORTY-EIGHTH  ANNUAL  MEETING 

October  14,  1S45 

The  Forty-Eighth  Annual  Meeting  and  Harvest  Festival  of  The 
National  Farm  School  took  place  in  the  Louchheim  Auditorium  on 
the  campus  on  Sunday,  October  14,  1945. 

The  speakers'  platform  was  artistically  decorated  with  the  fruits 
of  the  harvest  and  farm  products  exhibits  lined  the  side  walls  of 
the  Auditorium. 

Albert  M.  Greenfield,  of  Philadelphia,  was  the  guest  of  honor 
and  principal  speaker.  His  address,  entitled  "The  Precursor  of  a  New 
Way  of  Life"  is  reprinted  on  pages  11  to  16  of  this  report.  The 
report  of  the  President,  also  reprinted  on  pages  17  to  27,  was 
submitted  by  Louis  Nusbaum.  Gilbert  Katz,  President  of  the  senior 
class,  made  a  brief  address  on  behalf  of  the  student  body. 

Announcement  of  exhibit  awards  to  students  for  the  various  dis- 
plays and  exhibits  of  competitive  and  educational  entries  of  farm 
products,  farm  animals  and  scientific  displays,  was  made  by  David 
M.  Purmell,  chairman  of  the  faculty  committee  on  awards. 

The  Nominating  Committee  Report  was  submitted  by  Edwin  H. 
Silverman,  Chairman.  The  following  trustees  whose  terms  of  office 
had  expired  were  unanimously  re-elected  for  three-year  terms:  Gus- 
tave  C.  Ballenberg,  Edwin  B.  Elson,  Benjamin  Goldberg,  Albert  M. 
Greenfield,  Dr.  A.  Spencer  Kaufman,  Sydney  J.  Markovitz,  Theo- 
dore G.  Rich,  Max  Semel,  Nathan  J.  Snellenburg,  Edwin  H.  Weil  and 
William  H.  Yerkes,  Jr.  Fred  H.  Weigle  was  elected  to  fill  an  un- 
expired term  ending  September,  1946. 

The  student  band,  led  by  Earl  Frick,  Director,  furnished  music 
before  and  during  the  exercises. 

Reverend  Charles  E.  Freeman,  Pastor  of  the  Salem  Evangelical 
and  Reformed  Church,  Doylestown,  Pa.,  offered  the  opening  prayer, 
and  benediction  was  given  by  Reverend  Joseph  Klein,  Rabbi  of 
Reform  Congregation  Keneseth  Israel,  Philadelphia.  Leon  Merz, 
Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  presided. 


The  National  Farm   School 
AND  Junior  College 
hereby    expresses    sincere    appreciation    to 
generous  friends  whose  contributions  made 
possible    the     publication    of    this    Annual 
Report  without  cost  to  the  College. 


28 


IN   MEMORIAM 

The  Board  of  Trustees  of  The  National  Farm  School  and 
Junior  College  held  on  Thursday,  May  23,  1946  noted  the 
death  of 

MORRIS  R.   BLACKMAN 

one  of  its  members  who  was  originally  elected  by  the  Alumni 
Association  of  the  School  as  its  representative  to  the  Board 
and  who  later  was  re-elected  by  the  choice  of  his  fellow 
trustees.  He  faithfully  fulfilled  his  duties  as  trustee,  and  he 
was  a  loyal  supporter  of  the  Alumni  Association  and  of  the 
School.  Now,  therefore,  be  it 

RESOLVED,  that  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  The  National 
Farm  School  and  Junior  College  express  their  sincere  regret 
at  the  death  of  Morris  R.  Blackman,  and  further  be  it, 

RESOLVED,  that  an  engrossed  copy  of  these  resolutions 
be  presented  to  his  beloved  wife  and  family. 

COMMITTEE: 

Sylvan  Einstein 
Benjamin  Goldberg 

A^ANFRED  R.   KrAUSKOPF 

James  Work 

IsADORE  Baylson,  Chairman 


29 


FORTY-SIXTH 

ANNUAL  GRADUATION   EXERCISES 

March  24,  1946 

The  Forty-Sixth  Annual  Graduation  Exercises  of  The  National 
Farm  School  Vv^ere  held  in  Segal  Hall  Auditorium,  Sunday  afternoon, 
March  24,  1946.  The  low  ebb  of  pupilage  due  to  wartime  conditions 
made  the  1946  graduating  class  again  one  of  the  smallest  in  the 
school's  history.  Six  seniors  remained  to  receive  diplomas. 

Charles  H.  Boehm,  Superintendent  of  Puplic  Schools  of  Bucks 
County,  Pennsylvania,  gave  the  graduation  address,  congratulated 
the  students  on  their  choice  of  a  vocation  and  pointed  out  the  oppor- 
tunities open  to  those  trained  for  agricultural  leadership. 

The  complete  program  of  exercises  follows: 

America  Mrs.  Walter  J.  Groman,  Accompcmist 

Invocation  Seymour  Baumrind,  Rabbi  Beth  Israel 

Congregation,  Lansdale,  Pa. 

Welcome Louis  Nusbaum,  President 

Salutatory  Philip  Hoffman 

Address  Charles  H.  Boehm,  Superintendent 

Public  Schools  of  Bucks  County,  Pa. 

Valedictory  Daniel  Tannenbaum 

Passing  of  the  Hoe Gilbert  Katz,  President  Senior  Class 

Farewell  Message     ...  .David  M.  Purmell,  Representing  the  Faculty 
Awarding  of  Prizes     Daniel  Miller,  Acting  Director  Student  Relations 

Presentation  of  Diplomas  President  Nusbaum 

Star  Spangled  Banner 

THE  GRADUATES 
Department  of  Animal  Science 

Animal  Husbandry  and  Dairying 

PHILIP   HOFFMAN    Philadelphia,   Pa. 

HERBERT    SHERMAN     Philadelphia,    Pa. 

Poultry  Husbandry 

MACY   BRENNER Brooklyn.   N.   Y. 

gilbert   katz    Bronx.   N.    Y. 

Department  of  Pomology  and  Vegetable  Gardening 

NATHAN   KUSNITZ    Brooklyn,    N.   Y. 

DANIEL   TANNENBAUM     Mamaroneck,   N.   Y. 

PRIZES 

Best  General  Record  Through  Three-Year  Course Gilbert  Katz 

Pomology  and  Vegetable  Gardening  Prizes 

Best  Practical  Work    Nathan  Kusnitz 

Highest  Scholastic  Record   Daniel  Tannenbaum 

Dairy  Husbandry  Prizes 

Best  Practical  Work   Philip  Hoffman 

Highest  Scholastic  Record   Herbert  Sherman 

Poultry  Husbandry  Prize    Gilbert  Katz 

A  number  of  other  prizes  are  distributed  more  informally  in  student 
assembly. 

30 


HISTORY  OF  THE  COLLEGE 

The  National  Farm  School  was  founded  in  1896  by  the  late 
Rabbi  Joseph  Krauskopf,  D.D.,  for  the  purpose  of  training  young 
men  to  become  scientific  and  practical  agriculturists.  In  fifty  years 
the  School  has  grown  from  a  small  institution  consisting  of  only  one 
farm,  to  an  institution  covering  twelve  hundred  acres  of  land,  with 
a  beautiful  campus  and  buildings,  classrooms,  laboratories,  and  shops, 
sufficient  to  properly  house  and  educate  a  student  body  of  two  hun- 
dred. The  National  Farm  School  is,  and  has  been  since  its  inception, 
conducted  on  a  non-sectarian  basis.  Its  splendid  equipment  and 
opportunities  are  open  to  any  deserving  young  man  who  may  meet 
the  entrance  requirements. 

On  May  8,  1946,  The  National  Farm  School  was  approved  by 
the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania  as  a  Junior  College. 


LOCATION 

The  National  Farm  School  and  Junior  College  is  located  in 
Bucks  County,  Pennsylvania,  in  one  of  the  richest  agricultural  sec- 
tions in  the  United  States.  It  is  thirty  miles  north  of  Philadelphia 
and  seventy  miles  south  of  New  York  City,  on  U.  S.  Route  202.  The 
nearest  town  is  Doylestown,  which  is  only  one  mile  from  the  campus. 
Doylestown  is  the  County  Seat  and  is  rich  in  historical  tradition. 
Doylestown  has  a  population  of  approximately  five  thousand  and  has 
a  number  of  churches,  high  class  hotels,  and  a  fine  shopping  district. 
The  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  runs  through  the  College 
grounds  with  a  station  known  as  Farm  School.  The  Post  Office, 
also  known  as  Farm  School,  is  located  in  the  Administration  Buildins. 


CAMPUS 

The  College  campus  consists  of  twenty-seven  acres  of  landscaped 
lawns  with  two  football  fields,  a  baseball  diamond  and  tennis  courts. 
On  the  east  side  of  the  campus  are  Allman  Hall,  used  for  adminis- 
trative purposes;  Lasker  Hall  which  houses  the  reception  rooms, 
dining  rooms,  kitchen,  infirmary,  and  other  domestic  facilities;  the 
Chapel  and  Eisner  Hall.  South  of  the  campus  is  the  beautiful 
Krauskopf  Library.  West  of  the  campus  are  Penn  Hall,  Segal  Hall, 
and  LHman  Hall.    These  buildings  contain   dormitories,   classrooms, 

31 


AIMS  AND  PURPOSES  OF  THE  COLLEGE 

The  objective  of  the  College  is  twofold: 

First:      To  prepare  young  men  to  become  successful  farmers 

or  workers  in  agriculture  or  allied  industries. 
Second:   To  provide  young  men  with  an  academic  and  cultural 
education  which  will  lead  to  well-rounded  citizenship 
and  leadership  in  their  community. 
A  three-year  course,  both  terminal  and  preparatory,   has   been 
established.    The  College  provides  instruction  in  both  practical  and 
scientific  agriculture  as  well  as  in  the  cultural  subjects.  The  establish- 
ment of  a  three-year  course  provides  the  opportunity  to  teach  all  of 
the  students  the  practical  operations  required  as  a  fundamental  for 
the  occupations  of  Floriculture,  Horticulture,  Landscape  Gardening, 
Poultry  Husbandry,  Dairy  Husbandry  and  General  Agriculture.  This 
practical  instruction  is  considered  an  essential  part  of  the  curriculum 
and  is  mandatory  for  all  students. 

GENERAL  COURSES  OF  STUDY 

The  general  education  covered  is  aimed  to  provide  the  back- 
ground of  information,  skills,  and  attitudes  necessary  for  proper  living 
in  a  democratic  society.  So  far  as  the  course  of  study  is  concerned, 
this  material  is  frequently  classified  under  four  major  heads.  These 
are  the  Physical  Sciences,  the  Biological  Sciences,  the  Social  Sciences, 
and  the  Humanities.  Often  these  are  presented  in  four  survey  courses 
which  ofi"er  a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  fields.  The  National  Farm  School 
and  Junior  College  course  of  study  adapts  and  improves  upon  this 
approach.  Since  this  is  an  agricultural  college,  major  emphasis  must 
be  placed  upon  basic  sciences,  in  order  to  graduate  students  who  are 
prepared  to  put  into  practice  the  best  modern  methods. 

In  order  to  meet  academic  requirements  of  colleges  to  which 
students  may  transfer  after  graduation,  and  to  provide  a  well-rounded 
and  thorough  education  for  terminal  students,  the  above  courses  have 
been  established.  The  courses  outlined  present  a  more  thorough  pro- 
gram of  studies  than  is  found  in  many  junior  colleges,  both  in  number 
of  credits  earned  and  in  breadth  of  fields  covered.  This  is  possible 
because  three,  rather  than  two,  years  are  devoted  to  the  curriculum. 

The  outline  of  courses  for  the  first  year  is  prescribed  for  all  stud- 
ents. In  the  second  and  third  year  a  choice  of  specialization  is  offered 
in  one  of  the  six  major  courses  as  shown  in  this  catalogue,  with  a 

32 


curriculum  of  studies  prescribed  for  each.  Provision  is  made  for  guid- 
ance and  encouragement  of  students  to  bring  out  the  best  which  each 
has  to  ofTer.  Those  students  having  proper  ability  will  be  encouraged 
to  seek  further  education,  through  contacts  with  universities  and 
senior  colleges.  All  students  are  assisted  in  securing  positions  after 
graduation  and  are  encouraged  to  maintain,  as  alumni,  their  contact 
with  the  College. 

During  the  third  year  a  place  is  left  for  electives.  These  will  be 
foreign  language,  specialized  agricultural  courses,  and  other  subjects 
depending  upon  student  interest. 

The  fundamental  aim  of  The  National  Farm  School  and  Junior 
College  is  the  educational  growth  of  students.  All  experiences  on  farm, 
in  classroom,  in  social  contacts,  are  planned  to  produce  better  farmers, 
better  citizens,  and  potential  leaders  of  rural  communities. 

The  various  courses  directly  related  to  the  business  and  agri- 
cultural facilities  of  the  College  are  so  arranged  and  outlined  that  the 
whole  college  is  the  living  example  of  the  principles  and  truths  being 
taught.  Farm  Accounting  is  taught  not  wholly  from  the  textbook,  but 
also  from  actual  accounts  kept  on  the  farm,  the  dairy,  and  the  other 
departments.  The  same  is  true  of  testing  of  soils,  testing  of  milk, 
farm  surveying,  merchandising,  and  numerous  other  subjects. 


Slpervised  Practice 

Every  student,  regardless  of  the  amount  of  fees  paid  or  scholar- 
ships received,  is  required  to  engage  in  supervised  agricultural  prac- 
tice, or  vocational  experience,  forty-two  hours  per  week  during  the 
three  summer  terms  and  twelve  hours  per  week  during  the  first  and 
second  semester  of  each  college  year.  Students  are  required  to  enter 
the  college  at  the  beginning  of  the  summer  term  in  order  that  they 
may  receive  the  benefit  of  three  full  summer  terms  of  supervised 
practice.  The  farms,  the  greenhouses,  the  dairy  and  poultry  plants, 
and  the  orchards  are  regarded  as  a  huge  laboratory  in  which  the 
science  and  practice  of  agriculture  may  be  taught  to  a  higher  degree 
and  with  a  better  understanding  than  is  possible  in  the  classroom  or 
the  conventional  school  laboratory.  The  course  in  supervised  practice 
is  so  established  that  the  first  summer  term  is  spent  on  the  instruction 
fields,  and  the  second  and  the  third  summer  terms  in  the  department 
covering  the  course  in  which  the  student  has  elected  to  specialize. 
Agriculture  consists  of  many  skills,  and  one  of  the  major  objectives  is 
to  teach  the  student  these  skills,  not  merely  expose  him  to  them.  Xo 

33 


student  shall  be  graduated  who  has  not  passed  the  necessary  grades 
in  practical  work.  The  farms  and  other  production  activities  are  man- 
aged and  operated  at  the  highest  efficiency  as  a  means  of  educating 
the  student  in  successful  agricultural  procedures. 

Physical  Education 

Every  student  is  given  the  opportunity  for  complete  physical  de- 
velopment. This  includes  lectures  on  health,  nutrition,  and  hygiene, 
as  well  as  competition  in  intra-mural  and  inter-collegiate  athletics.  All 
students  are  required  to  engage  in  physical  education  activities. 

VETERANS 

The  College  has  established  a  counseling  service  for  veterans  who 
may  desire  to  obtain  an  agricultural  education  under  the  G.  I.  Bill  of 
Rights. 

Credit  is  allowed  for  military  experience  and  training  by  a 
standard  of  measurement  set  up  by  colleges  throughout  the  country. 
All  veterans  must  meet  the  standard  entrance  requirements  of  the 
College. 


Ulmax  Dormitories 
34 


THE  NATIONAL  FARM  SCHOOL  and 
JUNIOR  COLLEGE  program  of  tree  dedica- 
tions makes  it  possible  for  those  who  wish  to 
commemorate  a  joyous  occasion  or  to  pay  last- 
ing tribute  to  a  departed  one,  to  do  so  through 
the  dedication  of  living,  growing  trees.  Trees 
can  symbolize  as  no  other  memorial,  expressions 
of  joys  and  sorrows  and  keep  fresh  the  memory 
of  those  persons  and  occasions  we  wish  to  re- 
member. 

The  National  Farm  School  and  Junior  College  has  established  for 
such  purposes: 

A  Patriots  Grove     —  to  honor  those  who  have  made  the  supreme 
sacrifice   or   have   otherwise    served   or   are 
serving  in  the  armed  forces  of  our  country. 
A  Festive  Grove       — to   commemorate   births,   birthdays,    confir- 
mations, graduations,   betrothals,  weddings 
and  other  occasions  and  aniversaries. 
A  Memorial  Grove  —  to  memorialize  the  departed. 
The  names  of  those  persons  for  whom  dedications  are  made  will  be 
inscribed  on  a  suitable  plaque  at  the  entrance  to  the  groves. 

Contributors  will  appreciate  this  fine  means  of  sharing  festive  occa- 
sions or  of  expressing  sympathy  while  at  the  same  time,  enjoying  the 
satisfaction  of  helping  a  worthy  institution.  Contributions  ranging  from 
$10  to  $100  and  over  are  acceptable  for  this  purpose. 
The  form  below  may  be  used  in  sending  in  requests. 


THE  NATIONAL  FARM  SCHOOL  AND  JUNIOR  COLLEGE 

FARM  SCHOOL,  BUCKS  COUNTY 


PENNSYLVANIA 


_194. 


Enclosed  is  contribution  of  $ ,  for  which  inscribe 

The  Name  of  

City  and   State 

Event Date  of  Event  

In  the 

Patriots  Grove     □ 
Festive  Grove       n 
Memorial  Grove    □ 
Please  send  acknowledgment  to: 

Name     

Address 

Name  of  Contributor  

Address   


35 


THE  NATIONAL  FARM  SCHOOL  AND  JUNIOR  COLLEGE 

FARM   SCHOOL,  BUCKS   COUNTY 
PENNSYLVANIA 

Membership  of  The  National  Farm  School 
and  Junior  College 

Date 


1,  the  undersigned,  being  in  sympathy  with  the  object  of  The  National 
Farm  School  and  Junior  College — the  training  of  youth  in  the  science  and 
practice  of  agriculture — do  hereby  agree  to  subscribe  as  one  of  the  main- 

tainers  of  the  institution  the  sum  of dollars  annually. 

Name     


Benefactor    . 

.    $100 

Friend 

50 

Patron 

25 

Member     .  .  . 

10 

Supporter    .  . 

.  .         5 

Address   

Make  checks  payable  to  The  National  Farm  School 
and  Junior  College 


Form  of  Legacy  to  The  National  Farm  School 
and  Junior  College 

"7  give  and  bequeath  unto  The  National  Farm  School  and  Junior  College, 

Bucks  County,  Pa.,  near  Doylestown,  the  sum  of  dollars 

free  from  all  taxes  to  be  paid  to  the  Treasurer,  for  the  time  being,  for  the 
use  of  the  institution." 


Form  of  Devise 

ON  REAL  ESTATE  OR  GROUND  RENT 

"/  give  and  devise  unto  The  National  Farm  School  and  Junior  College, 
Bucks  County,  Pa.,  near  Doylestown  (here  describe  the  property  or  ground 
rent),  together  with  the  appurtenances,  in  fee  simple,  and  all  policies  of 
insurance  covering  said  premises,  ivhether  fire,  title  or  otherivise,  free  from 
all  taxes." 


A  donation  or  bequest  of  $10,000.00  will  found  a  perpetual  scholarship, 
the  income  from  which  will  go  toward  maintaining  one  student  each  year; 
such  scholarship  may  bear  the  name  of  the  donor  or  such  names  as  the  donor 
may  designate.  A  donation  of  $900.00  will  provide  instruction,  board  and 
room  of  a  student  for  one  year  (a  twelve-month  term)  ;  $2,700.00,  for  three 
years  (thirty-six  months)  to  graduation. 


Gifts  to  The  National  Farm  School  and  Junior  College 

IN  Cash,  War  Bonds  and  War  Savings  Stamps 

Are  Allowable  Iivtcome  Tax  Deductions 


36