Waldemar G. Klee, the indispensable man at the University of California, Berkeley, Department of Agriculture, 1884
This
summary was prepared by Grandson Gerald D. Klee.
Professor
Hilgard*, (1833-1916) the Chairman of the Agriculture Department of U. C.
Berkeley, was the immediate superior, "boss", of my grandfather,
Waldemar G. Klee, who was in charge of the Agriculture Experimental Station
under Professor Hilgard. Judging from his praise of Waldemar in his annual
reports to the University President and Board of Regents, Professor Hilgard
clearly felt that the Agriculture Department couldn't do without Klee. (See
below for relevant quotes from the report.) We also learn from the report that
as of 1884, the date of the report, W. G. Klee had been with the University for
eight years. That would go back to 1876, when W. G. Klee was 23 years of age).
In addition, we learn that W. G. Klee had command of five languages. Those
languages probably would have included Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, German and
French or Spanish. Since
These
are some of the things Professor Hilgard said in his Annual Report.
“During
the past session, the services of Mr. Greene not being obtainable, the second
term's course, economic botany, has been given in a somewhat modified form by
Mr. W. G. Klee, in addition to his duties as gardener in charge of the
agricultural ground-, and without extra compensation. This course was quite
satisfactory, and unless a permanent arrangement should be made for filling the
chair of botany, I should recommend that the same course be given by Mr. Klee
during the coming term of this session. But of course this could not he expected
of him without some additional compensation, should he return to his former
position after the close of his present engagement. I cannot, however,
too strongly urge, the need of a permanent arrangement for instruction in
botany, a subject which not only is of great intrinsic interest and importance,
but which is constantly sought for especially by those students looking toward
the position of teachers in the public schools, or elsewhere…”
"...Notes on the work
in this department during the past two seasons are given in Appendix No 3,
which, however, falls seriously short of a proper showing in consequence of the
resignation of Mr. W. G. Klee which was required by the Board of Regents
upon his acceptance of an appointment by the State Horticultural society to go
to the New Orleans International Exposition in charge of the native and
cultivated plants of California. The loss of Mr. Klee's services is
greatly to be regretted, as it is extremely difficult to find persons properly
qualified for a position requiring not merely the qualifications of a practical
gardener, but also those of a botanist, and trained observer capable of
observing correctly, and reporting in proper form and language, the results of
experimental work. Since to these qualifications Mr. Klee adds that of
the command of five languages, and of eight years' experience here on the spot,
together with an extended knowledge of the various portions of the State, the
void left by his resignation is a serious one, and, I trust, will be but
temporary, since the labor thrown upon me by the necessity of training a
new incumbent would form a most discouraging overburden, and is incompatible
with the proper discharge of the numerous other duties already devolved upon me.
During the present “slack season" in our work, Mr. Klee's
ordinary duties have been divided out between the foreman, Mr. McLennan, Mr.
Dwinelle, and myself."
* Professor Eugene Woldemar Hilgard (1833
- 1916) was an expert on pedology
(the study of soil
resources). An authority on soil chemistry and reclamation
of alkali
soils, he is considered the father of modern soil
science in the