Fred Weber papers

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: MG 617

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Within this collection are many papers and research notes having to do with Fred Weber’s time in Africa. The territories mentioned are Somalia, Mauritania, Sudan, Sahel, Algeria, and Kenya. The first folder contains unfinished, edited drafts and service reports about rural land reclamation and forest management. The second folder is only the copy of the Kenya Arid and Semi-Arid Lands Development Project paper and a review from Fred Weber. The third folder contains some papers and documents from the peace corps and Weber’s comments, as well as a list of peace corps staff from 1978. The fourth and largest folder includes many papers and essays concerning the Somalia Program and a refugee self-reliance program. The fifth folder contains papers on the vegetation production and renewable resource management for Mauritania. The sixth folder contains a few papers by Weber about reforestation and soil restoration that do not fit well into the other folder categories. The seventh folder includes many different basic French lessons for volunteers involved in projects in Francophone countries. The eighth and last folder holds a few handwritten notes to or from Weber. Overall, this collection spans from 1974-1990 and across the continent of Africa as Fred Weber conduct research and shares his thoughts on forestry and conservation.

Dates

Creation: 1974-1990

Creator

Weber, Fred R., 1926-1991 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Biographical / Historical

Fred Rico Weber was born on either the 14 or 15 April 1926 in Zurich, Switzerland. He Became a naturalized U. S. citizen in 1957. Fred R. Weber was named USAID in the early 1960s as advisor to the Director of Forestry in Niger. He would introduce many basic innovations in forestry and was instrumental in large scale planting of trees in Niamey. In the 1970s, he conceived the idea of community-based natural forest management where communities would manage classified forests on a sustained-yield basis. Additionally, Weber was snow dynamics engineer with the Idaho highway department in the early 1960s and was a member of Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit, Inc. When it was incorporated in 1961. He married Jacquelyn Willmorth in 1954 in Caldwell, Idaho. The two would live in Boise and in Africa. Fred Weber died 9 October 1991 in Boise.

Extent

1 Cubic Feet (2 document boxes.)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection consists of a variety of papers kept by Fred Weber during his time researching ways to improve forestry and vegetation in Africa from 1974-1990. Contained are paper drafts, project proposals, service reports, handwritten notes, and even several French lesson packets for the African territories where French is the official language. Some of the research papers are written by Weber, but others are included because they requested Weber’s commentary. Weber’s research in forestry varied in specific topic from soil restoration to rural land reclamation to deforestation. He worked heavily with the Peace Corps and Forest Service. Work would also expand outside of forestry into Range and Livestock projects funded by USAID.

Arrangement

All items were looked over and sorted into folders of similar topic or research location.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Materials were acquired and donated by Paul Conditt in 1992.

Processing Information

Removed any paper clips and replaced them with plastic clips. Resorted basically all of the items into like categories that includes edited drafts, location-based research, Peace Corps commentary, finalized research papers, French language lessons, and a few handwritten notes that did not fit in any other section.