Edwin F. Ladd Collection

Collection

Identifier: Mss 90

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Edwin F. Ladd Collection is a combination of original and artificially assembled manuscripts and papers documenting the life of Professor Ladd and some members of his family with the greater majority of material artificially assembled. The collection has been organized into five series: Correspondence, Speeches, Newspaper clippings and articles, and Subject files. The Correspondence Series is of course very scattered with the most important item the letterpress book covering the period 1890 to 1895 and including letters to James B. Power and J.H. Bosard concerning the organization of a North Dakota dairymen association. The later correspondence is from family members and others with biographical material on Professor Ladd. The Speeches Series, which is by no means complete, consists almost exclusively of speeches made by Senator Ladd in the United States Senate. The Newspaper Clippings and Articles Series have been organized by subject and all contain valuable material. The Biographical Series contains copies of thesis, and other typed material documenting various aspects of Senator Ladd's life. The most extensive are Alfred Melby's thesis, and H.C. Walster's 114-page work which includes a comprehensive bibliography of the publications of Prof. Ladd. The Subject Files Series contain various materials including "Abstract of Bulletins Prepared by Members of the Staff of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry from 1892-1893", a short bibliography of biographical material, a campaign brochure from his 1920 Senate race, and miscellaneous department inventories and requisition sheets. Other items include a copy of The Ladd Family and some other genealogical material, some lecture and speech notes possibly of Prof. Ladd, his copy of Procedure in the Senate of the United States, and two historical articles on the Experimental Mill built by Professor Ladd at the N.D.A.C. to find the quality of flour from North Dakota wheat.

Dates

1890-1966

Creator

Ladd, Edwin Fremont, 1859-1925. (Person)

Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Institute.

Copyrights

The Institute does not own the copyrights.

Biography

Edwin Freemont Ladd was born at Starks, Maine on December 13, 1859, the son of John and Rosilla (Locke) Ladd. He graduated from Somerset Academy, Athens Maine, and the University of Maine in 1884 where he studied chemistry. From 1884-1890 he served as assistant chemist and chief chemist of the New York Experiment Station at Geneva. In 1890 Professor Ladd was asked by H.E. Stockbridge of the newly established North Dakota Agricultural College and Experiment Station in Fargo to become Professor of Chemistry at the college and chemist of the Agricultural Experiment Station. With his arrival began a long and distinguished career in North Dakota. During his tenure at the Agricultural College Professor Ladd served as chemist, Dean of the School of Chemistry and Pharmacy, and became president of the institution in 1916 where he served until being elected to the United States Senate in 1921 with the support of the Nonpartisan League. Professor Ladd became most noted for his work in the area of food adulteration and the pure food laws. In 1902 he was appointed State Food Commissioner which he held until 1921. Through his efforts the North Dakota legislature passed several bills aimed at eliminating adulteration in various products which gained Professor Ladd a state and national reputation. Ladd married Rizpah Sprogle of Annapolis, Maryland on August 16, 1893. They had eight children. Professor Ladd was editor of the North Dakota Farmer from 1899 to 1904, a member of American Chemical Society, Society of Chemical Industries, and the Society for the Promotion of Agricultural Science, and an author of numerous publications. Suddenly on June 22, 1925 he died at Baltimore, Maryland. Mrs. Ladd continued to living in the East, dying August 1, 1958. They were buried at Glenwood, Maryland, cemetery.