Entity | Wallace L. Kadderly

After he received his degree in agriculture from Oregon Agricultural College in 1916, Kadderly began working for the Cooperative Extension Service as a county agent in Multnomah County, Oregon. In 1922 Kadderly was transferred to the central office at Corvallis, where he was in charge of information and exhibits. In 1926 he was appointed program director of KOAC, the college-owned radio station, advancing to manager in 1932. In 1933 Kadderly left KOAC to develop the Western Farm and Home Hour for the United States Department of Agriculture, serving as Radio Program Manager of the West Coast Division, headquartered at San Francisco. From 1937 until 1945 he was chief of radio service for the United States Department of Agriculture's office of information in Washington D.C. Kadderly returned to Oregon in 1945 and became the first farm director for radio station KGW in Portland. In 1947 Kadderly began his foreign work. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation requested his services as an expert on radio farm broadcasting. In 1950-1955, he served as agricultural information specialist with the Economic Cooperation Administration (ECA) in Paris. This post-war period took him to European countries to observe the progress in recovery under the Marshall Plan. In 1955-1958, Kadderly did special contract work under the auspices of the International Cooperation Administration (ICA), in agricultural information methods in Japan, Taiwan, and numerous Latin American countries, where he was based in Costa Rica.

From the description of Wallace L. Kadderly papers, 1931-1963. (Eugene Public Library). WorldCat record id: 53927845

Wallace Kadderly was born in Portland, Oregon, on July 7, 1892. After he received his degree in agriculture from Oregon Agricultural College in 1916, he began working for the Cooperative Extension Service as a county agent in Multnomah County, Oregon. In 1922 Kadderly was transferred to the central office at Corvallis, where he was in charge of information and exhibits. In 1926 he was appointed program director of KOAC, the college-owned radio station, advancing to manager in 1932. In 1933 Kadderly left KOAC to develop the Western Farm and Home Hour for the United States Department of Agriculture, serving as Radio Program Manager of the West Coast Division, headquartered at San Francisco. From 1937 until 1945 he was chief of radio service for the United States Department of Agriculture's office of information in Washington D.C. Kadderly returned to Oregon in 1945 and became the first farm director for radio station KGW in Portland.

In 1947 Kadderly began his foreign work. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation requested his services as an expert on radio farm broadcasting, and he spent several fact-finding months in Australia and New Zealand, on leave from KGW. From 1950 to 1955 he served as agricultural information specialist with the Economic Cooperation Administration (ECA) in Paris. This post-war period took him to European countries to observe the progress in recovery under the Marshall Plan. From 1955 to 1958, Kadderly did special contract work under the auspices of the International Cooperation Administration (ICA, successor to the ECA), in agricultural information methods in Japan, Taiwan, and numerous Latin American countries, where he was based in Costa Rica.

In 1958 Kadderly returned to Portland, Oregon and was employed by KUIK Radio in Hillsboro. In 1949, he served as President of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB), an association affiliated with radio broadcasting. In July of 1963 Kadderly received the highest honor given by the American Association of Agricultural Editors, the Rueben Brigham Award, for outstanding contributions to agricultural communications. Kadderly was the first Northwest recipient of this honor.

Kadderly retired in 1969. He was married to the former Alice Cornwall, a 1919 Home Economics graduate of OAC. He later married Ada Jeanette Reed, OAC class of 1918 in Home Economics, who survived him, along with his stepson, Donald Mayne. Kadderly died in Bend on 9 October 1983.

From the guide to the Wallace L. Kadderly Papers, 1931-1963, (Oregon State University University Archives)