Eldon C. Beagle Papers

Collection

Identifier: MS0070

Staff Only

Introduction

This preliminary finding aid provides limited access to the papers of Eldon C. Beagle. The collection’s 56.25 linear feet of materials range from 1939 to 1983, but concentrate in the years between 1960 and 1983. Materials were drawn together by Project Manager Fred Stielow from the notes of Jean Davin, who conducted the initial review and main analysis for the project while a graduate library student at the University of Maryland.

Scope and Contents

This collection reflects Beagle’s professional career as an agricultural businessman and, especially, as consultant to the US Department of Agriculture, the Food and Agricultural Industries Service, Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, UN Industrial Development Organization, USAID, and agribusinesses around the world. It focuses on his areas of expertise centered in rice and rice hulls (also a few references to straw and almonds); post-harvest processing, milling, and utilization; marketing-distribution of agricultural by-products; biomass energy; and conversion technologies, process and equipment.

Although some material dates to 1939, the bulk of the records fall between the 1960s and the early 1980s. They include a mixture of correspondence; government and UN publications; bibliographies on rice hull/furfural research, as well as published articles, studies, research papers and personal journals. Business correspondence includes incoming requests for reports that he authored, outgoing inquiries to national and international companies that worked in the rice hull/biomass industry, and reviews or critiques of industry related reports. In addition, there are commercial pamphlets on machinery and services related to rice hull utilization; a variety of government, United Nations and commercial publications; files on the work of individual countries in the area of rice hull utilization; bibliographies on rice hull/furfural research as well as published articles, studies and research papers.

In addition, Beagle’s papers contain a great deal of international content. The collection features a combination of printed materials from international businesses (catalogs, pamphlets etc.); communications among Mr. Beagle and foreign companies and governments; publications from international conferences; and reports about the condition of the rice hull industry overseas. The bulk of the records relate to international projects in the Philippines, India, Egypt, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia and Japan. In addition, there are also materials relating to Italy, Indonesia, Burma, Korea, Pakistan, Malaysia, Panama, Liberia, Mexico, Singapore, Turkey, Puerto Rico, Germany, England, Romania, Canada, Spain, South Africa, Tanzania, Taiwan, Somalia, and Iran.

Dates

Creation: 1939-1983
Creation: Majority of material found within 1960s - early1980s

Conditions Governing Access

Contact Special Collections for access.

Biographical Sketch

Eldon C. Beagle (b. 1923) was a consultant to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Agricultural Industries Service, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United States/United Nations (U.N.), the U.N. Industrial Development Organization, and the U.S. Agency for International Development from 1970 to 1982. Beagle's agricultural expertise centered on rice and rice hulls (with a few references to straw and almonds); post-harvest processing, milling, and utilization; marketing and distribution of agricultural by-products; biomass energy; and conversion technologies, processes, and equipment.

Biographical / Historical

Eldon Beagle was born on March 22, 1923. He was married and indicated that one son worked with him on rice hull utilization issues.

From 1945 to 1970, Mr. Beagle ran family businesses in feed milling, production of agricultural and industrial products and by-products, rice by-products marketing, trucking, mining, and diversified farming. Beagle companies handled the majority of rice by-products sales in California for approximately 20 years. During these years, he developed processes, technologies, marketing and production of rice husk products on a commercial basis and developed basic patents and processes concerned with the utilization of rice husk. He was involved in all facets of storage, drying, transportation, milling, parboiling and distribution of rice and assisted in the design and development of rice by-product plants throughout the United States.

In addition, Beagle was a pioneer in utilization of almond by-products, operated commercial charcoal production and marketing facilities, ran professional salvage operations, operated nonferrous quarrying, managed a 200 truck/trailer fleet (general transport, dump trucks, logging and lumber trucks), engaged in general farming, designed and built combine harvesters and seed processing plants, and ran an export/import company that handled all Pacific offshore sales of alfalfa products.

Beagle went on to work as an international consultant from 1970-1982. He was engaged by the USDA, the Food and Agricultural Industries Service, Food and Agricultural Organization of the US/UN, UN Asian Development bank, UN Industrial Development Organization, USAID, and agricultural businesses. He was particularly involved with Asia, but also had considerable congress with Western Europe.

Beagle’s consulting expertise centered on rice and rice hulls; post-harvest processing, milling, and utilization; marketing-distribution of agricultural by-products; biomass energy; and conversion technologies, process and equipment. Such work bridged to other materials, especially straw and almond products.

Total Size of Collection

45 records_box

56.25 Linear Feet (45 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Content Description

The Eldon C. Beagle Papers contain correspondence, U.S. government and United Nations publications, bibliographies on rice hull and furfural research, articles, studies, research papers, and personal journals. Some records relate to international projects in the Philippines, India, Egypt, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia, and Japan.