Harold P. Gaston collection

Record Group

Identifier: UA-17.19

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of a taped interview with Harold P. Gaston, former professor of Horticulture at Michigan State University. The interview was conducted by professor Frank G. Dennis at Gaston's home in South Haven, Michigan in 1974. In the interview, Gaston discusses his early years at MSU in the 1920s. His comments include descriptions of the personalities of professors Victor Gardner, Roy Marshall, Frederick Bradford, Robert Loree, John Crist, N. L. Partridge, W. C. Dutton, Hugh Hootman, Horace Cardinell, G. S. Ricks, and Harold Tukey.

Dates

Creation: 1974

Creator

Gaston, H. P. (Harold Paul), 1898-1988 (Donor, 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

Harold Gaston was born on August 22, 1898 in Altoona, Kansas. He and his wife, Lola, had four children: Paul, Donna, Richard, and Robert. He served in the Navy during World War I. He received his B.S. from Kansas State in 1923 and his M.S. from Michigan State College (now Michigan State University) in 1926. In July 1926 he began working at MSC as a research assistant in Horticulture and in 1946 he was promoted to assistant professor. Much of his research was based at the state experimental fruit farm in South Haven, Michigan. He published many articles and invented the idea of moving cherries in water when transporting them from the field to factory. He died on June 21, 1988.