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INTRODUCTION

HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM BEGINS TEACHER TRAINING PROCESS
Scope and Content Note: Full program of required high school classes included history, commercial geography, math, English and literature; teacher training curriculum reviewed subjects. Maude Mitchell taught teaching methods and philosophy.

PRACTICE TEACHING IN RURAL SCHOOLS
Scope and Content Note: Baumann placed at Kegonsa School with Selma Herried Anderson; taught several days alone at end of practicum. Nervous, but experience was excellent preparation for first job.

AUGUST TEACHERS' INSTITUTE IN MADISON HELPS PREPARE NEW TEACHERS
Scope and Content Note: Methods demonstrated by outstanding teachers.

LESSON PLAN BOOK OUTLINES EVERY CLASS
Scope and Content Note: Specified plan for motivating student interest, as well as lesson content and assignment.

PREPARES LESSONS ALL SUMMER
Scope and Content Note: Outlined material from textbooks, prepared flashcards, and “seat work” for first graders.

READYING CLASSROOM FOR SCHOOL DAY
Scope and Content Note: Teacher arrived early to build fire, tidy up classroom, write lessons on blackboard.

SUPERVISING TEACHERS VISIT UNANNOUNCED
Scope and Content Note: Baumann's supervisor, Mary Meyer, made good suggestions and gave nice compliments. Esther Krakow, another supervising teacher, succeeded Sylvanus Ames as eastern Dane County superintendent.

ENJOYS TEACHING HISTORY, CIVICS, LITERATURE
Scope and Content Note: Dan McCarthy helped with arithmetic, a subject which Baumann disliked.

FINDS NEW INTERPRETATIONS OF HISTORY INTERESTING
Scope and Content Note: Sees new points of view in grandson's history assignments and materials. May study history again through UW-Extension.

SCIENCE AND GEOGRAPHY POPULAR WITH STUDENTS
Scope and Content Note: Baumann made civics, government, literature interesting to students. Eight-grade, one-room school stimulating for students with strong interests.

STUDENT NEWS MAGAZINES PROVIDE BASIS FOR CURRENT EVENTS DISCUSSION
Scope and Content Note: Received Current Events and My Weekly Reader.

DAILY SCHEDULE FROM 9 A.M. TO 4 P.M
Scope and Content Note: Opening exercises included lesson or reading aloud for entire group. Taught graded reading, arithmetic and civics in morning. Afternoon lessons included geography, languages, spelling, agriculture. State required 180 school days per year.

ENJOYS TEACHING FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADERS
Scope and Content Note: Curious age group very willing to learn.

CHANGING ROLE OF COUNTY NURSE
Scope and Content Note: In 1920s, nurse distributed iodine tablets and looked into problems reported by teachers; by 1940s, also screened sight and hearing.

STUDENT'S EPILEPSY PROVIDES UNEXPECTED EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Scope and Content Note: Baumann unaware of boy's illness before seizure occurred.

PREPARES FOR SCHOOL YEAR EACH SUMMER
Scope and Content Note: Pace of school day required thorough preparation.

TEACHING DIFFERENT IN AS COMPARED TO TODAY
Scope and Content Note: Workload meant long work days, yet teachers “felt a satisfaction that I sometimes wonder if the teachers today are feeling.”

END OF TAPE 5, SIDE 1

INTRODUCTION

RETIRED TEACHERS A SATISFIED GROUP
Scope and Content Note: Enjoys quarterly meetings of Eastern Dane County Retired Teachers Association because members' sense of accomplishment as teachers is so strong.

MANY FORMER STUDENTS LIVE IN SUN PRAIRIE AREA
Scope and Content Note: Recalls cousins James and Robert Bradley.

RETURNS TO TEACHING IN
Scope and Content Note: Home, farm and child care all running smoothly; felt need to be doing something. Only noteworthy difference from 1920s experience was tougher discipline necessary for several boys far behind grade level.

FEW CHANGES IN TEACHER INSTRUCTION BY
Scope and Content Note: Motivation still the theme during summer refresher course. Emphasis on language usage had replaced teaching of phonics and grammar.

HEAD LABORATORY TECHNICIAN WITH DANE COUNTY DAIRY HERD IMPROVEMENT
Scope and Content Note: Teaching too demanding in view of increased home responsibilities. Rented farm in 1945 and moved into Madison to work at new laboratory, which tested milk samples and handled artificial insemination program. Trained personnel for work in laboratories in many other counties.

ENJOYS LAB JOB
Scope and Content Note: Understood program's value and enjoyed contact with farming community. Married August Baumann in 1947; returned to farm in 1950.

CHILD CARE, HOUSEKEEPING AND EMPLOYMENT OCCUPY CITY YEARS
Scope and Content Note: Son Duane contracted chicken pox, measles, mumps during first year of school. Attended Lowell, Holy Redeemer and St. Bernard's schools; choice of school varied with child care arrangements.

DANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU BEGINS AS FARM SUPPLY PURCHASING GROUP
Scope and Content Note: McCarthy brothers involved in county Farm Bureau before 1928.

BAUMANN FIRST TREASURER OF COUNTY FARM BUREAU WOMEN'S GROUP
Scope and Content Note: Elected at 1934 organizational meeting chaired by Mrs. Walter Gregg; Baumann later women's chairman and District Two committeewoman. Resigned chairmanship and seat on county Board of Directors in 1950s after August Baumann elected to county board; didn't believe two members of one family should hold positions simultaneously.

ELECTED STATE WOMEN'S CHAIRMAN IN 1959
Scope and Content Note: Election a surprise. Retained position until 1967, after she finished chairing a committee which resulted in Service Board reorganization and creation of staff administrative position.

SEPARATION OF SERVICE BOARD FROM STATE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Scope and Content Note: Two directors' membership on Service Board had hindered Board of Directors' discussion and action on its recommendations. Service Board now comprised entirely of professional staff.

ELECTED FARMER-PRESIDENT NOT PREPARED TO RUN MODERN WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU
Scope and Content Note: Presidential responsibilities should be mainly membership and promotional work; hired administrator needed to provide continuity and handle everyday business of Farm Bureau and its affiliates.

STATE FARM BUREAU GROWS DURING ; REORGANIZES IN EARLY
Scope and Content Note: Reorganization effort dominated early 1960s. Committee on reorganization spent 13 months seeking information and advice on structure of other state Farm Bureaus.

END OF TAPE 5, SIDE 2

INTRODUCTION

GROWTH NECESSITATES WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU ADMINISTRATIVE RESTRUCTURING
Scope and Content Note: Membership demanded more services; insurance company expanded. Marketing activities grew; PMR (Production, Marketing, Research) swine production program included breeding, feeding and marketing research on farm near Belmont. Hogs sold to Oscar Mayer and Company as Morealean hogs. PMR later phased out, but influence continues.

FARM BUREAU GROWTH SLOW UNTIL
Scope and Content Note: Young organization during 1930s offered few programs to attract dynamic membership. Emphasis on cooperative purchasing.

FARM BUREAU PROGRAMS ENCOURAGE FARMER LEADERSHIP BY BEING OWN SPOKESMAN
Scope and Content Note: National women's speaking contest and young people's discussion meets, both emphasized during the 1940s, built leadership, increased participation, and encouraged women's participation.

FARM BUREAU MARKETING STRATEGIES
Scope and Content Note: Livestock marketing and feeder pig programs combined as Midwest Livestock in 1968. Bargaining before planting, direct purchase and sales, and marketing cooperatives all help to counteract cost-price squeeze on the farm.

FARMERS' ORGANIZATIONS FUTURE ROLE IN BARGAINING
Scope and Content Note: Farmers and their organizations should experiment; cites PMR as example. Predicts time will come for bargaining with processors before planting, as National Farmers' Organization advocates.

DIFFERENT FARMERS' ORGANIZATIONS NECESSARY TO REPRESENT DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHIES
Scope and Content Note: Increasing organization memberships show that farmers, although individualists, recognize need for united voice.

CHANGING ROLE OF WOMEN IN FARM BUREAU ACTIVITIES
Scope and Content Note: Used to be thought of as lunch-preparers. Women themselves decided to change that; organized themselves to participate in programs and on committees. Baumann selected member of state resolutions committee in 1953 and AFBF resolutions committee in 1960.

INDIVIDUAL INFLUENCE STRONGEST ON LOCAL RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE
Scope and Content Note: Resolutions move up through state and then national organizations.

WILLIAM KASAKAITAS LEADS STRONG STATE FARM BUREAU LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Scope and Content Note: “Extremely capable person”; he and other Farm Bureau staff formerly county agricultural agents.

FARM BUREAU MEMBERS INDUCE NEIGHBORS TO JOIN
Scope and Content Note: Measurable benefits interested some; less tangible benefits, like legislative representation, attracted others.

SUN PRAIRIE FARM BUREAU COUNCIL MEETS FOR 30 YEARS
Scope and Content Note: Twelve families first met in 1940, based on model started in another Dane County township by Swanton-Voight-Ratman-Gregg families in 1937. Held monthly meetings; discussed current legislative issues, often followed state discussion program.

FARM BUREAU WOMEN SELL HOSPITAL/SURGICAL INSURANCE PLAN
Scope and Content Note: Incentive of $1 paid for each policy sold. Members only could purchase Farm Bureau insurance; used as membership inducement at that time.

STATE FARM BUREAU WOMEN ORGANIZE FIRST IN
Scope and Content Note: Mrs. Berger, Waukesha County, the first chairman of Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation Home and Community Department. Mrs. Mabel Douglas, Green County, became state Farm Bureau director in 1931. Dane County women's group formed in 1934. Sponsored initial urban-rural meeting in 1935.

END OF TAPE 6, SIDE 1