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Ronald Jensen collection

 Collection
Identifier: UUS_COLL MSS 512

Scope and Contents

This collection contains mostly documents of Ronald Jensen’s personal life. It is divided into two sections.

The first section contains files directly related to Jensen’s donation of the Grant Hill Farm to Utah State University. Among these materials are letters between Jensen and USU officials, newspaper articles about the donation, pamphlets, and other papers related to the Ronald V. Jensen Living Historical Farm, its establishment, and management.

The second section contains documents less related to the Living Historical Farm and more focused on Jensen’s personal history. This includes certificates awarded to him, one of his scrapbooks, newspaper articles about him, and a couple of yearbooks from the schools he attended.

Dates

  • Creation: 1915-1987

Language of Materials

Material in English

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Ronald Jensen Collection must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.

Biographical Note

Ronald V. Jensen was born on March 18, 1895 in Huntsville, Utah. In 1915 he enrolled in Utah Agricultural College, now Utah State University; however, he only remained there for a year before enlisting in the Marine Corps. Following the end of World War I, Jensen was employed by a series of agricultural companies and the Bank of Italy before Anderson, Clayton, and Company, a California cotton company, hired him in 1929. There, he became the head of the banking department, working in agricultural processing and finance until his retirement in 1970. Following retirement, Jensen bought the Grant Hill Farm and donated it to Utah State University in order that it could become the Ronald V. Jensen Historical Living Farm and the Man and His Bread Museum. The Historical Living Farm was later renamed the American West Heritage Center.

Extent

3 boxes (2 linear feet)

Abstract

Ronald Jensen was born in Huntsville, Utah, and briefly attended Utah State Agricultural College (now Utah State University). He worked in the banking department of a California cotton company for much of his life. Soon after his retirement in 1970, he bought the Grant Hill Farm in Cache Valley and donated it to Utah State University in order that it become the Ronald V. Jensen Historical Living Farm and the Man and His Bread Museum. The Historical Living Farm was later renamed the American West Heritage Center. This collection contains numerous materials about the Living Historical Farm as well as some of Jensen's more personal documents and files.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into two sections: materials related to the Ronald V. Jensen Living Historical Farm and Jensen's personal files.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This material was donated to USU Special Collections and Archives by Lee Caron in 2005.

Related Materials

For more information about the Jensen Historical Farm see the Jensen Historical Farm Research Collection, COLL MSS 236, and the Ronald V. Jensen Living Historical Farm photographs, P0356.

For photographs related to Ronald Jensen’s life, see the Ronald Jensen Photograph Collection, P0572.

Separated Materials

The photographs from this collection have been separated and placed in P0572

Bibliography

Processing Information

Processed in July of 2014

Title
Guide to the Ronald Jensen collection 1915-1987
Author
Finding aid/Register created by Joanna Dobrowolska and Clint Pumphrey
Date
©2014
Description rules
Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid encoded in English.

Revision Statements

  • 2009: Template information was updated to reflect Archives West best practice guidelines.

Repository Details

Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository

Contact:
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)