Biographical Note
George L. Crookham (1907-1999) studied botany and plant breeding at
Oregon State College intermittently during the years 1927-1931. In 1929, he and
a friend, Don Baldridge, purchased Crookham Seed Company in Caldwell, Idaho
(now known as Crookham Company) from Crookham's father; his college studies
were interspersed with business and crop responsibilities.
Founded in 1911, Crookham Company was the first company to produce
hybrid sweet corn seed on a commercial scale in the 1930s.
In addition to his business activities, Crookham served as mayor of
Caldwell, Idaho; an Idaho state legislator (1955-1961); and first Chairman of
the Idaho Water Resources Board in 1968. Crookham was a candidate for Idaho
governor in 1962 and was instrumental in the adoption of a sales tax in
Idaho.
The George L. Crookham Memorial Scholarship was established in 2001 by
Crookham's daughter, Judith C. Krueger, as an award for a student in
horticulture at Oregon State University with an interest in plant breeding.
Content Description
The George L. Crookham Papers consist of class notes and student
ephemera from Oregon Agricultural College; transcripts of testimony, speeches,
and publications pertaining to water resources in Idaho; publications and
documents pertaining to the Crookham Company; newspaper clippings documenting
Crookham's business and political activities; several photographs; and
materials pertaining to the George L. Crookham Memorial Scholarship at Oregon
State University.
Crookham's class notes include a dairying laboratory; a farm crops
course on crop efficiency; and a botany course (including plant speciments).
The ephemera consists of a pennant, rook caps, and a belt buckle.
The photographs include portraits of Crookham, a 1958 snapshot of
Crookham and his wife Bernice underneath the Trysting Tree, and photocopies
from an album depicting Crookham's student years at Oregon State.