Guide to the Leon Russell Kneebone Papers, 1941-1987

Manuscript Group number: MGN 58


University Libraries
The Pennsylvania State University
Special Collections Library
Penn State University Archives


Contact Information:

Pennsylvania State University
University Libraries
Special Collections Library
104 Paterno Library
University Park, PA 16802
814/865-7931
FAX 814/863-5318
E-mail: jxe2@psulias.psu.edu

Date Completed: 2004
Encoded by: Susan Hamburger

©2004 Pennsylvania State University. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Leon Russell Kneebone Papers, 1941-1987
Manuscript Group number: MGN 58
Extent: 14 cubic ft.
Repository: Pennsylvania State University, University Libraries, Special Collections Library

Administrative Information

Access

Unrestricted access.

Preferred Citation

Leon Russell Kneebone Papers, 1941-1987, MGN 58, Penn State University Archives, Special Collections Library, University Libraries, Pennsylvania State University.

Biographical Note

Mushroom research at Penn State began in 1925. Since the days of Drs. Illo Hein and Walter S. Beach, the University's researchers have initiated a number of innovations that have affected virtually every mushroom grower in the United States. For 22 years Dr. James Sinden headed Penn State's program, pioneering in research on grain spawn and synthetic compost formulations. Succeeding Dr. Sinden in 1951, Dr. Leon Russell Kneebone brought the University continuing renown in this field. His particular emphases on improving mushroom strains and in the study of certain mushroom diseases have been critical to the maintenance of the economic health of the Commonwealth's mushroom industry--Pennsylvania's largest cash crop.

Dr. Kneebone was born in Bangor, Pennsylvania on May 28, 1920, to Russell Joseph and Dorothy Tucker Kneebone. After graduation from Bangor High School in 1938, he entered The Pennsylvania State College as a biological science major in the College of Education. After completing his B.S. in 1942, he saw active duty as a paratrooper in the South Pacific and was honorably discharged as a Captain in 1946. Kneebone returned to Penn State for graduate work in botany, serving as Dr. Sinden's graduate assistant from 1947 to 1950. He completed his doctorate in botany with minors in Plant Pathology and Bacteriology in 1950 and was appointed Assistant Professor of Botany at the University. Dr. Kneebone was in charge of the mushroom research program from 1953 until his retirement in 1978, when he was designated Professor Emeritus of Botany and Plant Pathology.

The Mushroom Research Center is not only unique for its early beginning but also for its team approach to all the facets of mushroom growing--biology and nutrition, insect and disease control, engineering, processing, and merchandising. Another special feature of Penn State's program, developed by Dr. Kneebone, is the annual Mushroom Industry Short Course which trains newcomers and brings the fruits of research to the experienced grower. Spawn research, another important area of emphasis, has been carried on since 1930. An important facet of this research is the maintenance of an unrivaled collection of more than 300 mushroom cultures which provide hundreds of transfers to propagators in more than twenty countries.

Dr. Kneebone received a number of honors, including Honorary Life Membership in the American Mushroom Institute, and the Mushroom Growers Associations of Canada, New Zealand, and Great Britain and Northern Ireland. He was the first American elected to chair the International Society for Mushroom Science (1962) and served on the National Organizing Committees for the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth International Mushroom Congresses. In addition, Dr. Kneebone has been active in service on committees for the department, college, and university, holds membership in a number of professional and honorary societies and has served other national and community organizations in various capacities.

He lives in State College, Pennsylvania with his wife, Elizabeth. They are the parents of three children.

Scope and Content

The Leon Russell Kneebone Papers, 1941-1987, document Dr. Kneebone's academic development through the doctorate and his service to the Pennsylvania State University, the mushroom industry of Pennsylvania and afar, and the scientific investigation of the growth and development of mushrooms. Dr. Kneebone's extensive work as a consultant and informal advisor to hundreds of mushroom growers all over the world makes this an outstanding collection for the study of the modern mushroom industry.

Arrangement

Arranged into six series: I. Correspondence; II. Committees; III. Course Work; IV. Biographical; V. Publications; VI. Photographs and Films.

Index Terms

These materials are indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Pennsylvania State University. Researchers wishing to find related materials should search the catalog under these index terms.

Personal Subjects

Kneebone, Leon Russell, 1920- --Archives

Corporate Subjects

International Society for Mushroom Science

Mushroom Research Center

Pennsylvania State University--Faculty

Topical Subjects

Botanists--Biography

Mushroom culture

Mushroom industry--History

Mushrooms--Diseases and pests

Mushrooms--Study and teaching

Form/Genre Terms

Correspondence

Curricula

Instructional materials

Memoranda

Reports

Container List

Correspondence Series

Correspondence, 1952-1987.

The correspondence, which forms the bulk of the collection, dates from 1952 and is arranged in subseries covering: A. International Society for Mushroom Science Congresses; B. Testimony before courts and hearings; C. Individuals; D. Corporations and associations; and E. International. Dr. Kneebone's correspondents include virtually all American and foreign growers of prominence, as well as academic researchers, industry association officials and many laymen interested in various uses of mushrooms.

International Society for Mushroom Science Congresses Subseries

International Society for Mushroom Science Congresses, 1959-1978.

Box 1

Folder 01

4th, Copenhagen, 1959

Box 1

Folder 02

5th, Philadelphia, budget, 1962

Box 1

Folder 03

5th, Philadelphia, exhibits and interpretation, 1962

Box 1

Folder 04

5th, Philadelphia, 1962

Box 1

Folder 05

5th, Philadelphia, participants, 1962

Box 1

Folder 06

5th, Philadelphia, proceedings, 1962

Box 1

Folder 07

5th, Philadelphia, program, 1962

Box 1

Folder 08

6th, Amsterdam and pre-conference: Scientific Seminar on Cultivated Mushrooms, 1965

Box 1

Folder 09

7th, Hamburg, 1968

Box 1

Folder 10

8th, London, 1971

Box 1

Folder 11

9th, Tokyo, 1974

Box 1

Folder 12

10th, Bordeaux, 1978

Box 1

Folder 13

International Commission for Mushroom Science, 1962-1976

Box 1

Folder 14

2nd, 1977

Box 1

Folder 15

Society for Industrial Microbiology, State College, 1959

Box 11

Folder 01

Mushroom Research Conference -- Research Papers, 1971

Box 14

Folder 01

U.S. International Trade Commission--Reports,

Testimony in Court Cases and Hearings Subseries

Testimony in Court Cases and Hearings, 1955-1982.

Box 11

Folder 07

Court Cases, 1964-1982

Box 1

Folder 16

Odor and Fly Hearings, complaints against mushroom composting operation, 1955-1978

Box 1

Folder 17

Respiratory Disease, possible cases of occupational diseases of mushroom workers, 1955-1978

Box 1

Folder 18

Sanitary Landfill Case, PEMS application for Chester County, 1955-1978

Box 1

Folder 19

Wise Potato Chips, 1955-1978

Box 1

Folder 20

California Hearing, proposed hearing on importing fresh mushrooms into California, 1955-1978

Box 14

Folder 21

Deposition in Castle and Cooke, Inc. Transcript,

Correspondence with Individuals Subseries

Correspondence with Individuals, 1953-1978.

Box 1

Folder 21

Agriculture, Secretary of (PA), 1953-1978

Box 1

Folder 22

Agriculture, College of (PSU), 1953-1978

Box 2

Folder 01

A, 1953-1978

Box 2

Folder 02

AM

Box 2

Folder 03

Annabelli, Ron Jon (Ron Jon Kitchens)

Box 2

Folder 04

Arrau-Unzueta, Fernando (Chile)

Box 2

Folder 05

Atkins, Fred C. (England)

Box 2

Folder 06

B

Box 2

Folder 07

Bels, Pieter (Netherlands)

Box 2

Folder 08

BEN

Box 2

Folder 09

BO

Box 2

Folder 10

Block, S.S. (University. of Florida)

Box 2

Folder 11

Brookhaven National Lab.

Box 2

Folder 12

C

Box 2

Folder 13

Carrier Corporation

Box 2

Folder 14

Central States Mushroom Co-op

Box 2

Folder 15

CIBA

Box 2

Folder 16

CO

Box 2

Folder 17

Concord Foods

Box 2

Folder 18

D

Box 2

Folder 19

Deisseroth, R.H. (Hawaii)

Box 2

Folder 20

Delaware, University of

Box 2

Folder 21

Departmental

Box 2

Folder 22

DO

Box 2

Folder 23

E

Box 2

Folder 24

Experiment Station (M.A. Farrell, Alex Black)

Box 2

Folder 25

F

Box 2

Folder 26

FO

Box 3

Folder 01

Forest Oil Corporation, 1953-1978

Box 3

Folder 02

G

Box 3

Folder 03

Gaspari Memorial Scholarship Fund

Box 3

Folder 04

Gaspari, Gino (Gaspari Brothers)

Box 3

Folder 05

Glasshouse Crops Research Institute

Box 3

Folder 06

GO

Box 3

Folder 07

H

Box 3

Folder 08

Haldeman, James F. (Bucks County Agent)

Box 3

Folder 09

HO

Box 3

Folder 10

Hughes, Donald H. (Proctor and Gamble)

Box 3

Folder 11

I

Box 3

Folder 12

J

Box 3

Folder 13

K

Box 3

Folder 14

Kelsey, Alberto E. (Argentina)

Box 3

Folder 15

Kleppinger, Elmer (Monroe Co)

Box 3

Folder 16

Kornfield Associates, Inc.

Box 3

Folder 17

Knaust Brothers

Box 3

Folder 18

L

Box 3

Folder 19

Lambert, E.B., Ayers, T.T. (USDA)

Box 3

Folder 20

Lehigh Materials Co.

Box 3

Folder 21

LO

Box 3

Folder 22

Lescarboura, Louis (Louis Mushroom Co.)

Box 3

Folder 23

M

Box 3

Folder 24

MC

Box 3

Folder 25

Merek, Ed (Ph.D.)

Box 3

Folder 26

MI

Box 4

Folder 01

Miami Mushroom Co. (Florida), 1953-1978

Box 4

Folder 02

Michigan Mushroom Co.

Box 4

Folder 03

MO

Box 4

Folder 04

Mount Mushroom Spawn, Ltd. (England)

Box 4

Folder 05

Mycological Society of San Francisco

Box 4

Folder 06

N

Box 4

Folder 07

National Institute of Health (Hallucinogenic mushrooms)

Box 4

Folder 08

O

Box 4

Folder 09

P

Box 4

Folder 10

Pennsylvania Canners Association, Mushroom Canners League

Box 4

Folder 11

PO

Box 4

Folder 12

Powers, Robert Jr. (Chester County, Pa. Agent)

Box 4

Folder 13

Q

Box 4

Folder 14

R

Box 4

Folder 15

Rasmussen, C. Riper (Denmark)

Box 4

Folder 16

RO

Box 4

Folder 17

Reynolds, Donald (University of California)

Box 4

Folder 18

S

Box 4

Folder 19

SI

Box 4

Folder 20

Sinden, J.W. (Switzerland)

Box 5

Folder 01

ST

Box 5

Folder 02

STE

Box 5

Folder 03

Stein, Smith and Singer (Stein Neuropsychiatric Research Program evaluating panaelous venensous and psilocybe mexicana for therapeutic values)

Box 5

Folder 04

Stroller Research Co.

Box 5

Folder 05

T

Box 5

Folder 06

Thomas, C.A. (PSU Mushroom Research Center, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania)

Box 5

Folder 07

TI

Box 5

Folder 08

U

Box 5

Folder 09

V

Box 5

Folder 10

Vegetable Grower, Market Growers Journal

Box 5

Folder 11

W

Box 5

Folder 12

Wuest, Paul (on leave at University of Guelph)

Box 5

Folder 13

XYZ

Box 14

Folder 02

Correspondence

Corporate and Association Correspondence Subseries

Corporate and Association Correspondence, 1952-1987.

Box 5

Folder 15

American Mushroom Institute, 1955-1959

Box 5

Folder 16

American Mushroom Institute grant, 1955-1969

Box 5

Folder 17-19

American Mushroom Institute, 1960-1972

Box 6

Folder 01

American Mushroom Institute, 1972-1978

Box 14

Folder 03

American Mushroom Institute

Box 5

Folder 14

American Type Culture Collection, research on frozen spawn, 1952-1978

Box 6

Folder 02

Associated Mushroom Industries of Berks County, meetings

Box 6

Folder 03

Brandywine Mushroom Corp., advising on problems, personnel

Box 13

Folder 16

Brighton Farm -- Visitation Reports, 1984/05/16-18

Box 6

Folder 04

Butler Mushroom Farms, consulting and research information

Box 6

Folder 05

Campbell Soup Co., research and plant visits

Box 13

Folder 17

Campbell Soup Company, 1981-1985

Box 6

Folder 06

Canadian Mushroom Growers, meetings and membership lists

Box 13

Folder 15

Castle and Cook, 1973-1985

Box 6

Folder 07

Chef Boy Ar Dee, cooperation on growth research, etc.

Box 6

Folder 08

Corwin S. Fred, plant visits

Box 12

Folder 03

Country Kitchen Foods Limited, 1969-1978

Box 6

Folder 09

Darlington, W. & Son (England), culture tranfers, publications

Box 6

Folder 14

Dawn Fresh Co. (Green Giant)

Box 14

Folder 04

Dominion Mushroom Company Proposal New Farm, 1979/08/20

Box 14

Folder 05

Dominion Mushroom Company

Box 13

Folder 14

Dryden -- Visitation Reports, 1979/01/04

Box 13

Folder 13

East Windsor -- Visitation Reports, 1979/03/08

Box 13

Folder 12

Evansville Farms -- Visitation Reports, 1984/03/19-22

Box 6

Folder 10

Eastern Mushroom Farm, Inc. (Massachusetts), plant visits, personnel

Box 13

Folder 11

Fillmore -- Visitation Reports, 1984/08/06-10

Box 11

Folder 06

Frangella Brothers, 1962-1975

Box 11

Folder 05

Giorgio Foods -- Visitation Reports, 1961-1980

Box 13

Folder 10

Glenn Farm -- Visitation Reports, 1984/05/14-16

Box 11

Folder 08

Grocery Store Products Company -- Visitation Reports, 1953-1979

Box 11

Folder 04

INF Inc. -- Visitation Reports, 1970-1979

Box 13

Folder 08

Jackson Farm -- Visitation Reports, 1984/01/09-11

Box 6

Folder 15

Kennett Canning Co., consulting, industry associations

Box 6

Folder 16

Keystone Mushroom Corp., culture transfers, advising

Box 6

Folder 17

Knaust Mushrooms, plant visits, culture transfers

Box 6

Folder 18

Leaver, Llyod H. (Canada), Canadian MGA, plant visits

Box 6

Folder 19

Maple Leaf (Canada), plant visits, compost odor case

Box 6

Folder 20

MGA of England, publications, meetings

Box 6

Folder 21

Mushroom Growers Association of PA spawn-making facilities, visits

Box 6

Folder 11

Mushroom recipes

Box 7

Folder 01

Mushroom Supply Co., equipment

Box 7

Folder 02

Ostrom's, culture transfers, spawn

Box 11

Folder 03

Oxford Royal Correspondence, 1955-1977

Box 11

Folder 09

Oxford Royal Fortugno Hudson Farms, Inc., 1979

Box 13

Folder 19

Pacific Farm -- Visitation Reports, 1984/10/18-21

Box 13

Folder 18

Pilot Plant -- Research Reports, 1974-1981

Box 13

Folder 02

Portage Farm -- Visitation Reports, 1986/11/07-11

Box 13

Folder 03

Prince Crossing Farm -- Visitation Reports, 1984/01/19-20

Box 11

Folder 02

Quaker State Mushroom, 1952-1972

Box 12

Folder 02

Reports -- Visitation Reports, 1975-1976

Box 13

Folder 05

Salem -- Visitation Reports, 1979/09

Box 13

Folder 04

Soguel -- Visitation Reports, 1981/03/13

Box 6

Folder 12

Soil Analysis

Box 13

Folder 06

Spawn Plant -- Visitation Reports, 1984-1985

Box 13

Folder 09

Valmeyer -- Visitation Reports, 1976/03

Box 13

Folder 07

Ventura -- Visitation Reports, 1985/03/12-14

Box 13

Folder 01

Wellington Farm -- Visitation Reports, 1987/04/23

Box 12

Folder 04

West Foods, 1954-1973

Box 6

Folder 13

White Queen Ltd. (England), plant visits and consulting

Box 12

Folder 01

Wrington Vale, 1965-1971

International Correspondence Subseries

International Correspondence, 1970-1979.

Box 7

Folder 03

North, South, East Africa

Box 7

Folder 04

Central America

Box 7

Folder 05

Argentina

Box 7

Folder 06

Australia (and AMGA)

Box 7

Folder 07

England, Ireland

Box 7

Folder 08

France

Box 7

Folder 09

Germany

Box 7

Folder 10

India

Box 7

Folder 11

Israel

Box 7

Folder 12

Jamaica

Box 7

Folder 13

Japan

Box 7

Folder 14

Korea

Box 7

Folder 15

Malaysia

Box 7

Folder 16

Mexico

Box 7

Folder 17

New Zealand

Box 7

Folder 18

Philippines (Virata's)

Box 7

Folder 19

Philippines Development (University and Government)

Box 7

Folder 20

Philippines

Box 7

Folder 21

South America

Box 7

Folder 22

Spain

Box 7

Folder 23

Taiwan

Box 7

Folder 24

Thailand

Box 7

Folder 25

Turkey

Committees Series

Committees, 1953-1978.

The Committees Series includes minutes, memoranda, and reports from department, college, university and professional committees.

Box 7

Folder 26

Chairman, Graduate Student Committees, records of students, 1953-1978

Box 7

Folder 27

Membership on Graduate Student Committees, records of students, 1953-1978

Box 7

Folder 28

Commission on Undergraduate Education in Biological Sciences, reports

Box 7

Folder 29

High School Functions, science fairs, visitations

Box 7

Folder 30

American Asosciation of University Professors

Box 7

Folder 31

National Science Foundation Summer Institute programs and fellowships

Box 7

Folder 32

Science Undergraduate Program Review

Box 7

Folder 33

University Committee on Systematics Collections, reports

Box 8

Folder 01

Graduate School Committee on Centennial, meeting minutes, memoranda and reports, 1953-1978

Course Work Series

Course Work, 1941-1978.

The Course Work Series includes files on botany, bacteriology and other courses taught by Dr. Kneebone as well as notes, exams and handouts from his student days. Reports, curriculum, papers, program documents and lists of participants for Credit Courses and the annual Penn State Mushroom Short Courses.

Credit Courses Subseries

Credit Courses, 1941-1978.

Box 8

Folder 24

Handouts: single staining procedures, PDY, gram and spore stain formulas, motility bibliography, 1941-1978

Box 8

Folder 25

Botany 3, 1941-1978

Box 8

Folder 26-27

Botany 3 Quizzes, Grades, 1941-1978

Box 8

Folder 28

Botany 27 - Dr. Hill's Outline, 1941-1978

Box 8

Folder 29

Botany 27 Lab (old), 1941-1978

Box 8

Folder 30-32

Botany 27 - Grades, Lecture, Quizzes, 1941-1978

Box 8

Folder 33

Botany 509, 1941-1978

Box 8

Folder 34

Botany 414, 1941-1978

Box 8

Folder 35

Botany 419 - Couch, Abstracts, 1941-1978

Box 8

Folder 36

Botany 511, 1941-1978

Box 8

Folder 37

Botany 515, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 01

Botany 520, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 02

Botany 520 Grades, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 03

Bacteriology 412, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 03a

Bacteriology 413, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 04

Genetics - Algae cytology, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 05

Seminars, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 06

Robert C. Dalzell, papers by, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 07

Botany 420, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 08

Botany 406, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 09

Botany 10, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 10

Botany 403, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 11

Botany 11, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 12

Overholt's Lab Manual of Forest Pathology, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 13

Botany 509 - Physiology and Parasitism and Disease Relationship, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 14

Agricultural Biochemistry 2, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 15

Agricultural Biochemistry 501, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 16

Botany 1 and 2, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 17

Botany 2, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 18

Botany 407, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 19

Botany Lab Work, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 20

Bacteriology 1, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 21

Geology 30, 60, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 22

Aspergilli Genicillis - Course notecards, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 23

Chycomycetes - work under Couch, Course notebooks, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 24

Momliales Yeasts - Course notecards, 1941-1978

Box 9

Folder 25

Botany 501 - Physiology of fungi - Course and dissertation notecards, 1941-1978

Short Courses Subseries

Short Courses, 1956-1977.

Box 8

Folder 02-09

Mushroom Industry Short Course, 1956-1961

Box 8

Folder 10-23

Mushroom Industry Short Course, 1964-1977

Biographical Series

Biographical, 1941-1978.

Biographical includes vitae, "green sheets," clippings, and notes and drafts for his Ph.D. dissertation.

Box 10

Folder 01

Dissertation notecards and bibliography, 1941-1978

Box 10

Folder 02

Dissertation notes, 1941-1978

Box 10

Folder 03

Dissertation Research Abstracts, 1941-1978

Box 10

Folder 04

Dissertation Research, spore germination, 1941-1978

Box 10

Folder 05

Dissertation, draft, 1941-1978

Box 10

Folder 06

Biographical - vita, "green sheets," list of tables, trips, etc.

Box 10

Folder 07

Biographical, Clippings, 1957-1969

Box 10

Folder 08

Extension Work, Task Summaries and outlines, information on Mushroom Liaison Committee, 1950-1978

Box 14

Folder 19

Research

Publications Series

Publications, 1952-1978.

Includes extension project reports and other publications.

Box 10

Folder 09

Reviews of Technical Proposals, referee for journals, peer reviews of Department research, 1953-1978

Box 10

Folder 10

Bibliographies - Kneebone publication list

Box10

Folder 12

Publications 2, includes typescripts of talks

Box 10

Folder 13

Information on history of mushroom research at Penn State

Box 10

Folder 17

Research Project Reports, annual reports to USDA and additional materials, 1952-1978

Box 10

Folder 18

Specifications for Mushroom Research Center

Box 10

Folder 19

Crop Schedules - daily schedules for mushroom research at Center

Box 14

Folder 01

Fertilizers for Mushrooms

Box 14

Folder 06

Journal Articles, 1955-1962

Box 14

Folder 07

Mushroom Industries -- Pamphlets

Box 14

Folder 08

General Literature on Mushrooms

Box 14

Folder 09

Mushroom Machinery

Box 14

Folder 10

Mushroom Growers Association, 1958/11

Box 14

Folder 11

Mushrooms, Technical Material on

Box 14

Folder 12

Mushroom Culture, Handbook of

Box 14

Folder 13

Mushroom Culture, Manual of

Box 14

Folder 14

Mushroom Culture by Robinson

Box 14

Folder 15

American Mushroom Institute, 1961/04

Box 14

Folder 16

Bed vs. Tray Farms for Ontario Produce Company, Study of

Box 14

Folder 17

Mushroom News

Box 14

Folder 18

Mushroom Machinery Book

Box 14

Folder 20

Progress Reports -- Research Projects

Photographs and Films Series

Photographs and films, 1945-1958.

Photographs and two films.

Box 10

Folder 11

Early, partially a scrapbook with some clippings and photographs

Box 10

Folder 14

Photographs

Box 10

Folder 15

Photographs - Short Course, 1958

Box 10

Folder 16

Photographs, 1945/10