Edwin Russel (E.R.) Jackman was born Valentine's Day, 1894 in Stillwater, Minnesota. His introduction to agriculture began when he was young, growing up on his family's potato,grain, and livestock farm in Flathead County, Montana. He attended Montana State College (now Montana State University - Bozeman) and joined the U.S. Army in 1917. After WW1, Jackman journeyed to Oregon where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy in 1921 from Oregon Agricultural College (now Oregon State University).
In 1929, Jackman was appointed Extension Specialist in Farm Crops; in 1953 he was appointed Range Crops Management Specialist for the State of Oregon. Jackman was involved in many aspects of the Oregon Agricultural College as a student and alumnus. He also helped in organizing the Oregon Seed Growers’ League, the Oregon Wheat League,and the Pacific Northwest Section of the American Society of Range Management.
These programs are still an integral part of the agricultural community in Oregon. Jackman’s ultimate goal was to improve agriculture and the agricultural education programs in Oregon and the Northwest. The organization known as E. R. Jackman, established in Jackman’s honor shortly after his death in 1967, supports students and programs within the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University.
Books authored/co-authored by E.R. Jackman
- The Oregon Desert
- Steens Mountain: In Oregon's High Desert Country
- Blazing Forest Trails
- Pan Bread n' Jerky (introduction)
ER Jackman's professional papers and photograph collection can be found in
Oregon State University's library archives collection.
