Harry R. Wellman
Encyclopedia
Harrison Richard Wellman (March 4, 1899 – August 18, 1997) was professor
of agricultural economics
at the University of California, Berkeley
, and became acting president of the University of California
in 1967.
brother were the youngest of eight children of Richard Harrison Wellman and his second wife, Jennie (Woods) Wellman. Richard was a great-great-great-great-great-grandson of Puritan
Thomas Wellman
, who immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
about 1640. Harry's family was living just north of the Canada – United States border when he was born. His mother died less than a year after he was born. Harry and his siblings initially moved to his maternal grandparents' ranch
in Montana
, and then to a family wheat
farm in Umapine, Oregon
. Two sisters and his twin brother died during the winter of 1902/3.
Wellman served in the United States Navy
through World War I
after his father died in 1917.
Wellman became a naturalized citizen of the United States
and graduated from Oregon Agricultural College in 1921. He married Ruth L. Gay following graduation, and was the 4-H Club agent of Malheur County, Oregon
. Wellman then studied at the University of California, Berkeley, where he received a Master of Science
degree in 1924 and, in 1926, the first Doctor of Philosophy
degree in agricultural economics awarded by the University.
from 1925 until 1934. In 1929, he became an associate in the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics
. He returned to Berkeley in 1935 after serving a year in Washington, D.C.
as chief of the General Crops Section of the United States Agricultural Adjustment Administration. He was an associate professor of agricultural economics in the College of Agriculture and an associate agricultural economist in the Agriculture Experiment Station. He became a full professor in 1939 and was appointed director of the Giannini Foundation in 1942. He served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
from 1943 to 1954. Wellman became the first vice president of the University of California in 1958 after serving since 1952 as vice president-agricultural sciences. He served as acting president of the University in 1967.
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Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of agricultural economics
Agricultural economics
Agricultural economics originally applied the principles of economics to the production of crops and livestock — a discipline known as agronomics. Agronomics was a branch of economics that specifically dealt with land usage. It focused on maximizing the crop yield while maintaining a good soil...
at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, and became acting president of the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
in 1967.
Early years
Harry and a twinTwin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
brother were the youngest of eight children of Richard Harrison Wellman and his second wife, Jennie (Woods) Wellman. Richard was a great-great-great-great-great-grandson of Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
Thomas Wellman
Thomas Wellman
Thomas Wellman was born in about 1615 in England and died at Lynn, Massachusetts on 10 October 1672. He was among the early settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and progenitor of the Wellman family of New England...
, who immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
about 1640. Harry's family was living just north of the Canada – United States border when he was born. His mother died less than a year after he was born. Harry and his siblings initially moved to his maternal grandparents' ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, and then to a family wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
farm in Umapine, Oregon
Umapine, Oregon
Umapine is an unincorporated community in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States, two miles from the Oregon-Washington border. It has a population of approximately 300 people. The community is part of the Pendleton–Hermiston Micropolitan Statistical Area...
. Two sisters and his twin brother died during the winter of 1902/3.
Wellman served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
through World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
after his father died in 1917.
Wellman became a naturalized citizen of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and graduated from Oregon Agricultural College in 1921. He married Ruth L. Gay following graduation, and was the 4-H Club agent of Malheur County, Oregon
Malheur County, Oregon
Malheur County is a county located in the southeast corner of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the eight-county definition of Eastern Oregon. Most of the county observes the Mountain Time Zone, although the southern quarter of the county observes the Pacific Time Zone along with the...
. Wellman then studied at the University of California, Berkeley, where he received a Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree in 1924 and, in 1926, the first Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degree in agricultural economics awarded by the University.
Career
Wellman was an agricultural economics specialist in the College of Agriculture cooperative extension serviceCooperative extension service
The Cooperative Extension Service, also known as the Extension Service of the USDA, is a non-formal educational program implemented in the United States designed to help people use research-based knowledge to improve their lives. The service is provided by the state's designated land-grant...
from 1925 until 1934. In 1929, he became an associate in the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics
Amadeo Giannini
Amadeo Pietro Giannini, also known as Amadeo Peter Giannini or A.P. Giannini , born in San Jose, California, was the American founder of Bank of America.-Biography:...
. He returned to Berkeley in 1935 after serving a year in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
as chief of the General Crops Section of the United States Agricultural Adjustment Administration. He was an associate professor of agricultural economics in the College of Agriculture and an associate agricultural economist in the Agriculture Experiment Station. He became a full professor in 1939 and was appointed director of the Giannini Foundation in 1942. He served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco is the federal bank for the twelfth district in the United States. The twelfth district is made up of nine western states-—Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington--plus the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa,...
from 1943 to 1954. Wellman became the first vice president of the University of California in 1958 after serving since 1952 as vice president-agricultural sciences. He served as acting president of the University in 1967.