Guide to the Utah Cooperative Association, 1936-1983

Creator:	Utah Cooperative Association
Title:	Utah Cooperative Association
Dates:	1936-1983 ( inclusive )
Quantity:	40 boxes (19.25 linear ft)
Collection Number:	USU_Coll Mss 129
Summary:	Records from the board of directors meetings, data from local outlet stores, and details on the U.C.A. merger with CENEX and the Intermountain Farmers Association.
Repository:	Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives Manuscript Collection Merrill-Cazier Library Utah State University 3000 Old Main Hill Logan, UT 84322-3000 Phone: 435 797-2663 Fax: 435 797-2880 Email: scweb@usu.edu
Languages:	Material in English
Sponsor:	Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008

Biographical Note

The Utah Cooperative Association (UCA) was a wholesale cooperative owned and controlled by local cooperatives throughout the state of Utah. A cooperative is a business owned and controlled by the people who use its agricultural services. The local co-ops organized with the assistance of the State Self-Help Board August 17, 1936 with six employees and six local co-ops. By 1941, UCA became independent of the Self-Help Board and began operating as a wholesale supply co-op for farmers. By 1945 UCA had become financially strong enough to enable the organization to purchase its own warehouse and bulk plant. Their affiliation with the Cooperative League of the United States of America in the same year increased their buying power. By the early 1950s UCA had expanded its operation through the purchase of an oil refinery in the Uintah Basin and by becoming sole owner of the PAX trademark for agricultural chemicals through its acquisition of Kelly-Western Seed Company. UCA ceased to exist when it merged with the Farmer's Union Central Exchange (CENEX) in 1976. CENEX employed W.B. Robins as Western Area Development Manager at the time of the merger. CENEX is now one of the largest retail/wholesale propane networks in the nation.

Wilmer Burke Robins was born on August 21, 1917, in Scipio, Utah, the son of Clark H. Robins and Mary Marcella Johnson. W.B. as he was called moved as a young man to Salt Lake City, where he began his thirty-five year career in the development of the cooperative movement (1940-1976). At age 23 he became General Manager of the Utah Cooperative Association and served on numerous state and national councils, committees, and advisory groups. Robins is given credit for organizing the PAX Co., a subsidiary of the Utah Cooperative Association, which distributes lawn-care products. As a member of the Utah State University Board of Trustees and later chairman of the Institutional Council, Robins was a key member in the University’s policy making body. In the late 1970’s Robins established the Utah Cooperative Association Educational Trust Fund. The purpose of the fund was to establish an endowment at USU for study and research within a Cooperatives Management Program. Utah State University awarded Robins an honorary degree in Agribusiness 1983. Robins passed away November 28, 2001.

Content Description

This collection contains papers pertaining to the Utah Cooperative Association as well as the personal papers of Robins, dating from 1936 to 1978. The collection reflects Robins time as manager for the UCA and later as Western Area Development Manager for CENEX. Materials donated by Robins include correspondence, minutes, reports, studies, correspondence, financial records of UCA, publications, and conference proceedings. All photographs have been removed to P0385.

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Access :

No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.

Restrictions on Use :

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Utah Cooperative Association must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.

Preferred Citation :

Initial Citation: Utah Cooperative Association USU_Coll Mss 129, Box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.

Following Citations:USU_Coll Mss 129, USUSCA.

Administrative Information

Arrangement :

Materials in this collection have been divided into four separate series. The first series contains Corporate Files that include UCA's history, news articles, corporate papers and business documents covering approximately the years 1936-81. The second series contains information regarding the Corporate Mergers, reflecting from a historical perspective the expansion of the company into different areas. The third series are the UCA Distributors, Suppliers, and Local Co-ops and the fourth series contains the additional materials donated in 2001.

Processing Note :

Processed in September of 2010

Acquisition Information :

This collection was donated to USU Special Collections and Archives by W.B. Robins in 1986 with additional materials donated by Hal Robins in 2001.

Related Materials :

Utah Cooperative Photographs (P0385)

Gary B. Hansen PapersCOLL MSS 319

Joseph A. Geddes PapersCOLL MSS 75

The Co-op Service RecordsCOLL MSS 343

Separated Materials :

All photographs and slides have been removed to PO385.

Detailed Description of the Collection

I: Corporate Files

Boxes 1 through 14 are included in Series I

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box
1		Materials relating to UCA History 10 folders are included in box 1
Box	Folder
1	1	UCA History
1	2	Board Members, Biographies, Political Appointments
1	3	W. B. Robins, Personal Correspondence
1	4	UCA, Press Release, News Articles, Advertising
1	5	UCA, Geddes Lectures, Miscellaneous Photo's and Drawings
1	6	McCarthy Hearings on Un-American Activities, UCA Involvement
1	7	Utah Power and Light Controversy
1	8	Tenure Controversy
1	9	Political Activities
1	10	Farmers for Rampton, 1972 Election
2		Materials relating to UCA History 5 folders are included in box 2
Box	Folder
2	1	Farmers for Rampton, Correspondence	1968
2	2	Farmers for Rampton, Correspondence	1968
2	3	Farmers for Rampton Contributors List	1968
2	4	Farmers for Rampton, Possible Contributors	1968
2	5	Farmers for Rampton, Advertising	1968
3		Materials relating to UCA corporate and business documents 8 folders are included in box 3	1936-1981
Box	Folder
3	1	UCA Corporate Bylaws and Amendments
3	2	UCA Corporate Bylaws	1948-1949
3	3	Foundation Documents and Corporate Bylaw	1947
3	4	Board of Directors Memoranda
3	5	Board of Directors Memoranda
3	6	Board of Directors Memoranda
3	7	Board of Directors Memoranda
3	8	Refined Fuels Information
4		Materials relating to UCA corporate and business documents 9 folders are included in box 4	1936-1981
Box	Folder
4	1	Refined Fuels Information
4	2	Refined Fuels Information
4	3	Oil Suppliers Correspondence
4	4	Mint Production	1969
4	5	Mint Production	1969
4	6	Mint Production	1970-1972
4	7	Mint Production	1973-1974
4	8	Mint Production	1975-1979
4	9	UCA and Wholly Owned Subsidiaries
5		Materials relating to UCA corporate and business documents 7 folders are included in box 5	1936-1981
Box	Folder
5	1	Executive Committee Reports
5	2	Operation Committee Reports
5	3	Financial Records	1975-1979
5	4	Financial Records	1974
5	5	Financial Records	1970-1973
5	6	Financial Records, 1968-1979	1968-1979
5	7	Financial Records	1960-1977
6		Board of Directors Meetings, Reports and Minutes	1969-1981
7		Board of Directors Meetings, Reports and Minutes	1960-1968
8		Board of Directors Meetings, Reports and Minutes	1953-1959
9		Board of Directors Meetings, Reports and Minutes	1949-1953
10		Board of Directors Meetings, Reports and Minutes	1936-1949
11		Corporate Audit Reports	1940-1959
12		Corporate Audit Reports	1960-1976
13		UCA General Information and Correspondence	1950-1975
14		: UCA General Information and Correspondence and Annual Report to Members	1947-1979

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II: CENEX Merger

Boxes 16 through 24 are included in Series II

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box
16		CENEX Merger 12 folders are included in box 16
Box	Folder
16	1	UCA Financial Records
16	2	Financial Records, Refined Fuel Sales	1964-1970
16	3	Financial Records, Refined Fuel Sales	1970-1976
16	4	UCA Files after 30 April 1976 Audit
16	5	Report on Unclaimed Property held by UCA	1980
16	6	Co-op Sales by Customer	1970-1971
16	7	Co-op Sales by Customer	1971
16	8	Co-op Sales by Customer	1971-1972
16	9	Co-op Sales by Customer	1972-1973
16	10	Co-op Sales by Customer	1973-1974
16	11	Co-op Sales by Customer	1974-1975
16	12	Co-op Sales by Customer	1975-1976
17		CENEX Merger 8 folders are included in box 17
Box	Folder
17	1	Statement of Misplaced Stockholders, Assets and Transactions, Walker Bank	1980
17	2	Statement of Misplaced Stockholders, Assets and Transactions, Walker Bank	1979
17	3	CENEX Correspondence
17	4	Statement of Misplaced Stockholders, Assets and Transactions, Walker Bank	1978
17	5	Statement of Misplaced Stockholders, Assets and Transactions, Walker Bank	1977
17	6	Document Exchange at the Closing of CENEX Purchase, pt. 1
17	7	Document Exchange at the Closing of CENEX Purchase, pt. 2
17	8	Document Exchange at the Closing of CENEX Purchase, pt. 3
18		CENEX Merger 9 folders are included in box 18
Box	Folder
18	1	Agricultural Development Council
18	2	Agricultural Development Council
18	3	Agricultural Development Council
18	4	UFA Annual Reports and Directories
18	5	UFA Annual Reports and Directories
18	6	Bob Bess File
18	7	Budgets, Marketing, and P.R
18	8	BYU Energy Workshop
18	9	John Carr File
19		CENEX Files 8 folders are included in box 19
Box	Folder
19	1	CENEX Personnel (Misc., St. Paul), Correspondence	1977-1978
19	2	CENEX Personnel (Misc., St. Paul), Correspondence	1977-1979
19	3	CENEX Personnel (Misc., St. Paul), Correspondence	1977-1979
19	4	CENEX Personnel (Misc., St. Paul), Correspondence	1977-1979
19	5	Co-op Managers Correspondence
19	6	Ed Felton File, Eureka, Nevada
19	7	Ed Felton File, Eureka, Nevada
19	8	Farmers Union
20		CENEX Files 12 folders are included in box 20
Box	Folder
20	1	HMO Advising Council
20	2	Don Holbrook File
20	3	Miscellaneous
20	4	Miscellaneous
20	5	Employee's Benefits
20	6	Pension Matters
20	7	Plant Variety Board
20	8	Plant Variety Board, from Plant Variety Protection Office to W.B. Robins
20	9	Preview Magazine
20	10	PAX Co
20	11	Senator Jake Garn File
20	12	Public Relations, Tom Winn
21		CENEX Files 17 folders are included in box 21
Box	Folder
21	1	P.R. Materials
21	2	Requisitions Pending
21	3	W.B. Robins Incoming Correspondence
21	4	Richard Siderius File
21	5	Richard Siderius File
21	6	Scholarships	1977-1978
21	7	UCA Shareholders Financial Data
21	8	Bob Trottier File
21	9	Tanner, Brunson, Pickett, and Co., Accountants
21	10	UCA Board and Executive Committee
21	11	Young Peoples Conference
21	12	Utah Institutional Council
21	13	Utah Institutional Council
21	14	Utah Institutional Council
21	15	USU Foundation Annual Members Meeting	1978
21	16	USU Thesis by Swarna Raghuur	1962
21	17	Clark Wall Folder
22		IFA Merger 16 folders are included in box 22
Box	Folder
22	1	Coordination of Farm Supply Operations of the Utah Poultry and Farmers Co-op and UCA
22	2	Merger Feasibility Report
22	3	IFA Merger
22	4	Merger Correspondence	1960-1961
22	5	Merger Correspondence	1962-1963
22	6	Merger Correspondence	1964-1965
22	7	Merger Correspondence, undated
22	8	Merger Correspondence	1968
22	9	IFA during the Merger, Pete Marick
22	10	Report on Merger	1964
22	11	Feasibility Report	1968
22	12	Feasibility of Merger Documents
22	13	Feasibility Study of Merger	1968
22	14	IFA Discussion and Merger
22	15	IFA, General
22	16	IFA, Legal
23		Uintah Oil Refining Company, Board Minutes and Reports	1945-1964
24		Uintah Oil Refining Company, Board Minutes and Reports	1965-1976

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III: UCA Distributors, Suppliers, and Local Co-op's

Boxes 25 through 35 are included in Series III

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box
25		UCA Distributors, Suppliers, and Local Co-op's 9 folders are included in box 25
Box	Folder
25	1	Anderson	1963-1967
25	2	Anderson	1968-1975
25	3	Anderson, Blue Prints for Factory, Advertising, Newspaper Articles
25	4	Ashley Farmers Union
25	5	Ashley Farmers Union
25	6	Ashley Farmers Union
25	7	Bear River Valley Co-op
25	8	Bear River Valley Co-op
25	9	Bear River Valley Co-op
26		UCA Distributors, Suppliers, and Local Co-op's 8 folders are included in box 26
Box	Folder
26	1	Bunker-Grobest, Correspondence	1974-1976
26	2	Bunker-Grobest	1971-1974
26	3	Bunker Feed Company Profile and Consolidation Feasibility Report	1964 & 1971 April. 21
26	4	Bunker Feed, Contracts, Press Releases, Undated Notes, News Clippings, Magazines
26	5	Bunker Feed, Financial Data	1971-1976
26	6	Bunker Feed	1970
26	7	Center Farm Service
26	8	C.L. Young Inc
28		UCA Distributors, Suppliers, and Local Co-op's 9 folders are included in box 28
Box	Folder
28	1	Cache Valley Dairy Association
28	2	Castle Valley Co-op
28	3	Castle Valley Co-op
28	4	Castle Valley Co-op
28	5	Co-op Service
28	6	Co-op Service
28	7	Co-op Service
28	8	Co-op Service
28	9	Davis Farm Co-op
29		UCA Distributors, Suppliers, and Local Co-op's 8 folders are included in box 29
Box	Folder
29	1	Dallas Green
29	2	Ence, St. George
29	3	Enterprise
29	4	Enterprise
29	5	Enterprise
29	6	Enterprise
29	7	Ephraim Co-op
29	8	Ephraim Co-op
30		UCA Distributors, Suppliers, and Local Co-op's 10 folders are included in box 30
Box	Folder
30	1	Farmland Ind.	1975 July - 1976 December
30	2	Farmland Ind.	1975 January-June
30	3	Farmland Ind.	1974
30	4	Grouse Creek Co-op
30	5	Hansen's Farm Supply, Gunnison
30	6	Hansen's Farm Supply, Gunnison
30	7	Honeyville Feed and Elevator
30	8	Jackson Farm Supply
30	9	Jenkins, Nephi
30	10	Kamas Valley Feed Co-op
31		UCA Distributors, Suppliers, and Local Co-op's 7 folders are included in box 31
Box	Folder
31	1	Larsen's Farm Supply, Wellington
31	2	Moroni Feed Co-op
31	3	Mount-A-Lake Association, Geneva
31	4	Mount Pleasant Co-op
31	5	Nevada Accounts and Other Independents
31	6	Nevada Accounts and Other Independents
31	7	Nevada Accounts and Other Independents
32		UCA Distributors, Suppliers, and Local Co-op's 12 folders are included in box 32
Box	Folder
32	1	Oasis Seed Co-op
32	2	Overson's Feed and Seed
32	3	Panguitch Co-op
32	4	Ralph Pace
32	5	Rich Co-op
32	6	Rich Co-op
32	7	Rich Co-op
32	8	Sevier Valley Co-op
32	9	Southern Utah Dairy
32	10	Trenton Feed Co-op
32	11	Trenton Feed Co-op
32	12	Trenton Feed Co-op
33		UCA Distributors, Suppliers, and Local Co-op's 5 folders are included in box 33
Box	Folder
33	1	Uintah Farmers Union
33	2	Uintah Farmers Union
33	3	Uintah Farmers Union
33	4	Uintah Farmers Union
33	5	West Millard Co-op
34		UCA Distributors, Suppliers, and Local Co-op's 20 folders are included in box 34
Box	Folder
34	1	Meeting Minutes	1949
34	2	Meeting Minutes	1950
34	3	Meeting Minutes	1951
34	4	Meeting Minutes	1952
34	5	Meeting Minutes	1953
34	6	Meeting Minutes	1954
34	7	Meeting Minutes	1955
34	8	Meeting Minutes	1956
34	9	Meeting Minutes	1957
34	10	Meeting Minutes	>1958
34	11	Meeting Minutes	1959
34	12	Meeting Minutes	1960
34	13	Meeting Minutes	1962
34	14	Meeting Minutes	1963
34	15	Meeting Minutes	1964
34	16	Meeting Minutes	1965
34	17	Meeting Minutes	1966
34	18	Meeting Minutes	1967
34	19	Meeting Minutes	1968
34	20	Meeting Minutes	1969
35		UCA Distributors, Suppliers, and Local Co-op's 8 folders are included in box 35
Box	Folder
35	1	Meeting Minutes	1970
35	2	Meeting Minutes	1971
35	3	Meeting Minutes	1971
35	4	Meeting Minutes	1972
35	5	Meeting Minutes	1973
35	6	Meeting Minutes	1974
35	7	Meeting Minutes	1975
35	8	Meeting Minutes	1976

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Series IV: UCA Distributors, Suppliers, and Local Co-op's

Boxes 36 through 40 are included in Series IV

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box
36		Miscellaneous Materials relating to CENEX merger and Utah Cooperative Education Trust Fund 8 folders are included in box 36
Box	Folder
36	1	Agricultural Development Council
36	2	CENEX merger, Papers and Correspondence
36	3	"Correspondence and Data on the liquidation of Utah Cooperative Association for members"
36	4	"Correspondence and Data on the liquidation of Utah Cooperative Association for members"
36	5	Correspondence, W.B. Robins, Miscellaneous
36	6	Correspondence, W.B. Robins, Miscellaneous
36	7	Cooperator Newspapers
36	8	Honorary Diploma and Photograph, Utah State University	June 4, 1983
37		Miscellaneous Materials relating to CENEX merger and Utah Cooperative Education Trust Fund, (cont'd) 6 folders are included in box 37
Box	Folder
37	1	"Memorandum of Law: A Student Publication, Utah State University	1974 November 12
37	2	Newspaper Clippings
37	3	Universal Cooperatives, Inc. Executive Committee Meeting Budget and Finance Committee Meeting, Board of Directors Meeting; Minutes	1976 April 29-30
37	4	Utah Coop Association Educational Trust, Drafts
37	5	Utah Coop Association Educational Trust Fund Account
37	6	W.B. Robins and Utah Cooperative Association, Accession notes
38		Cooperative Books 5 folders are included in box 38
Box	Folder
38	1	Cooperation: Working Together for Human Freedoms, Proceedings of the 21st Biennial Congress of The Cooperative League of the U.S.A., Minneapolis, Minnesota	1958 September 9-11
38	2	Factors Affecting Loyalty in Consumer Cooperative, Thesis by John Geddes Wark	1977
38	3	Problems of Small Business Related to the National Emergency: Hearings before Subcommittee No. 1 of the Select Committee of Small Business House of Representatives Eighty-Second Congress, First Session, H.Res. 33, Part 3	1951
38	4	Proceedings of the 18th Biennial Congress of the Cooperative League of the U.S.A.,: Cooperatives Meeting the Needs of the Present World Minutes of the Congress Reports and Addresses, Chicago, Illinois	1952 November 6-8
38	5	Rural Development: Hearings before the Subcommittee on Rural Development of the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry United States Senate Ninety-Second Congress First Session on S. 2223 Part 4	1971
39		Cooperative Books (cont'd) 12 folders are included in box 39
Box	Folder
39	1	To Gather Together CENEX: The First Fifty Years by Leo N. Rickertsen,[St. Paul] : Farmers Union Central Exchange	1980
39	2	W.B. Robins on KSL Radio, UCA Sold to CENEX, cassette tape	1976 April 1
39	3	California Consumer Cooperatives Annual Reports and Publications
39	4	CENEX Annual Reports and Publications
39	5	Consumers Cooperative Association Reports and Publications, Kansas City
39	6	Cooperative Community in the North Brigham City Utah by Leonard J. Arrington, Reprinted from Utah Historical Quarterly, Vol. 33, No. 3 Summer, 1965	1965
39	7	Farmer Cooperative Service, Publications, U.S. Department of Agriculture
39	8	Farmers Union Central Exchange, Annual Reports
39	9	Farmland Industries, Inc. Annual Reports and Publications
39	10	FELCO Annual Reports
39	11	Indiana Farm Bureau Cooperative Annual Report
39	12	Landmark Annual Report
40		Cooperative Magazines and Reports (cont'd) 5 folders are included in box 40
Box	Folder
40	1	Midland Cooperative Annual Reports
40	2	Miscellaneous Cooperative Annual Reports
40	3	Miscellaneous Cooperative Reports and Articles
40	4	Pacific Supply Cooperative, Annual Reports, Statements and Speech
40	5	Southern Farmers Association

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Subjects

Corporate Names :
Ashley Farmers Union.
Bear River Valley Cooperative.
Bunker Feed Company.
Cache Valley Dairy Association.
Castle Valley Cooperative.
Davis Farm Cooperative.
Ence (St. George, Utah).
Ephraim Cooperative (Ephraim, Utah).
Grouse Creek Cooperative.
Hansen's Farm Supply (Gunnison, Colo.)
Intermountain Farmers Association.
Jackson Farm Supply.
Kamas Valley Feed Cooperative.
Larsens Farm Supply (Wellington, Utah)
Moroni Feed Cooperative.
Mount Pleasant Cooperative.
Mount-A-Lake Association (Geneva, Utah)
Oasis Seed Cooperative.
Panguitch Cooperative.
Sevier Valley Cooperative.
Southern Utah Dairy.
Trenton Feed Cooperative.
Utah Cooperative Association.
Utah Farmers Cooperative Association.

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Guide to the Utah Cooperative Association,
1936-1983

Overview of the Collection

Biographical Note

Content Description

Use of the Collection

Administrative Information

Detailed Description of the Collection

Subjects

Finding aid/Register created by Emily Gurr-Thompson
©2010

Guide to the Utah Cooperative Association, 1936-1983

Overview of the Collection

Biographical Note

Content Description

Use of the Collection

Administrative Information

Detailed Description of the Collection

Subjects

Finding aid/Register created by Emily Gurr-Thompson©2010

Guide to the Utah Cooperative Association,
1936-1983

Finding aid/Register created by Emily Gurr-Thompson
©2010