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Frank Llewellyn Ballard

After a distinguished career with the Oregon State College Extension Service, Frank Llewellyn Ballard was appointed as the college's eighth president in 1940.  He served less than a year because of illness and returned to the Extension Service administration.  Ballard was the first OSC alumnus to serve as president.

Frank L. Ballard was born on May 8, 1891 in Meredith, New Hampshire.  He graduated from Oregon Agricultural College in 1916 with a B.S. degree in agriculture and returned to New Hampshire, where he worked as a county agent for one year.  He came back to Oregon to work as a specialist in rural organization and agricultural economics for the Extension Service. 

Ballard served as the county agent leader and the vice director of the Extension Service before being appointed as the college's president in 1940.  After stepping down as president, Ballard became the editor of the Extension Services agriculture publications from 1941 to 1945 and remained the director of the Extension Service until his retirement in 1961.  Throughout his career he contributed to many leading farm magazines and gained national renown as an agricultural journalist.  He died in Corvallis on September 20, 1971 at age 80.

Related Resources: President's Office Records, Extension Service Records, Memorabilia Collection.

Black and white photographic portrait of Frank Llewellyn Ballard.

Frank Llewellyn Ballard, 1940.

Black and white photograph of Frank Llewellyn Ballard inspecting an alfalfa field.

Frank Llewellyn Ballard inspecting an alfalfa field, ca. 1922.