As I Remember: James F. Merson

George P. Cooper's interview with James F. Merson, a former faculty member agricultural engineering department at Cal Poly from 1936 to 1966. [00:00:29] As I Remember Opening [00:00:43] Merson teaching agriculture mechanics at a high school level before coming to Cal Poly in 1936 [00:01:02] Merson recalls the lack of facilities and faculty when he first arrived [00:01:36] Merson describes the objectives of the ag mechanics program [00:02:02] Merson contends that they had a "different kind of agriculture" and describes the ag mechanics program [00:02:36] Merson describes some faculty members who taught in the ag mechanics program [00:03:30] Merson describes some courses that were part of curriculum [00:04:19] Merson describes some of the facilities that were present when he first arrived at Cal Poly [00:05:19] Merson expands on the absence of an ag mechanics course when he first arrived [00:06:33] Merson discusses lack of development and decrease in enrollment when the war broke out [00:06:59] Merson discusses his responsibilities during the war period, including odd jobs at the auto shop and directing all farm operations [00:08:50] Merson recalls having faculty members help pitch hay [00:09:45] Merson describes the increase in enrollment after the war period and the start of the four year agriculture engineering program [00:10:43] Merson recalls acquiring more highly-specialized, permanent staff [00:11:15] Merson discusses the start of the horse-shoeing program in 1948 [00:12:51] Merson describes the degree program and the first student to graduate from it [00:14:14] Merson discusses the increase in enrollment of international students in the agriculture program [00:16:16] Merson discusses the expansion of the ag mechanics program and the addition of new facilities [00:17:36] Merson describes some differences between the agricultural engineering program and the agricultural mechanics program [00:18:24] Merson recalls the addition of the Peace Corps program in 1960 and ag mechanics students' involvement in it [00:20:00] Merson estimates the amount of time faculty devotes to service courses in the agriculture department [00:20:58] Merson describes his hobbies and how he went about carrying them out [00:23:33] Merson and Cooper reflect on their careers [00:25:53] As I Remember Closing