Louis A. Bregger papers

Record Group

Identifier: UA-10.3.93

Staff Only

Scope and Content

This collection includes notes of lectures delivered by Professors L. H. Bailey, R. C. Kedzie and A. J. Cook; speeches and a manuscript prepared by Bregger while he was a student at Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University); commencement programs and programs of meetings he attended; and programs for the M.A.C. Semi Centennial celebration in 1907. The correspondence is arranged into five folders. The first two contain mostly letters written by Bregger to his older brother, John, and provide information concerning the controversy surrounding the career of Samuel Johnson, Professor of Practical Agriculture, 1879-1889; the construction of the Armory; and daily life at M.A.C. during the years 1884-1889. The next two folders contain letters written mainly by his wife, Anna, to her foster parents, and include some information about her alma mater, the University of Michigan. The last folder contains undated letter fragments, and an additional folder contains two letters written by Bregger to newspapers. The collection also includes an 1888 class ring which is maintained separately from the manuscript materials.

Dates

Creation: 1884 - 1909

Creator

Bregger, Louis Albert (-1928) (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Biographical Note

Louis Albert Bregger, Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University) class of 1888, was born in Quincy, Illinois. He entered M.A.C. in 1884 as a student of Horticulture. He was a member of the Natural History Society, and served as president of the Students' Organization and as vice president and historian of the Union Literary Society. He also worked on campus, mainly in the M.A.C. greenhouse. After graduation, Bregger worked as a landscape gardener at the Graceland Cemetery in Chicago. In 1892 he married Anna Henjes, the foster sister of William A. Taylor. Taylor was Bregger's roommate at M.A.C. and also graduated in 1888. In 1900 Bregger moved his family to Bangor, Michigan, where he began to produce fruit in his orchards on Outlook Farm. He lived and worked at Outlook until his death in 1928. According to the April 1928 issue of "Ye U Lit Speculum," Bregger died as the result of an accident involving a falling tree, which occurred near his home farm. Bregger had two sons, John Taylor and Louis B., who graduated from M.A.C. in 1917 and 1926, respectively.

Extent

0.25 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Related Archival Materials

See also John Taylor Bregger papers (UA 10.3.74) which are quite extensive and contain a number of letters from his parents (his father was Louis A. Bregger), as well as much information concerning Michigan Agricultural College in the early 1900's.