Dr. O.B. Copeland to Replace Frank Jeter, 1955

Sept. 26, 1955

By Bill Humphries, North Carolina Agricultural Extension Service, N.C. State College, Raleigh

Man with a problem is Dean of Agriculture D.W. Colvard of N.C. State College.

He has the responsibility of finding someone to succeed the late Dr. Frank H. Jeter as head of the college’s Division of Agricultural Information.

Thus far little progress has been made, but Dean Colvard is giving serious thought to the matter and is consulting with persons who are familiar with the job and who know the qualifications needed to fill it. He spent two entire days on it last week.

A committee probably will be set up to aid in making the selection, but the procedures to be followed has not yet been worked out.

Dr. Colvard is anxious to move as rapidly as possible in filling the vacancy. However, he also wants to be sure that the college gets the best qualified man available. Men like Frank Jeter just aren’t easy to find.

Meanwhile, speculation centers around several persons, come local and some out-of-state. Among the latter are Lane Palmer, fomerly with the college but now with Farm Journal in Philadelphia, and Louis H. Wilson, ex-editor of the State Department of Agriculture (when Kerr Scott was commissioner) and also formerly with the college, now with the National Plant Food Institute in Washington.

Palmer, who masterminded the publicity campaigns for “Nickels for Know-How” and for the “Challenge” program a few years ago, has risen rapidly in the ranks at Farm Journal and is known to be well satisfied with his job there. There is some question as to whether he would consider returning to North Carolina. He is a native of Utah and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.

Wilson is highly regarded as a commercial publicist. This summer he was chosen to receive the Reuben Brigham Award present annually by the American Association of Agricultural College Editors. Wilson is a Tar Heel native.

There are, of course, other possibilities also. At this state, it’s anybody’s guess as to who the final selection will be.

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Dr. O.B. Copeland of the University of Georgia is expected to become the director of the Division of Agricultural Information at North Carolina State College.

If his selection is confirmed by the executive committee of the college, he will succeed the late Dr. Frank Jeter, for many years director of the information division.

Dr. Carey H. Bostian, chancellor of State College, refused to comment on the report, saying it was the duty of the executive committee to make the appointments. He did not, however, deny the report that Dr. Copeland will be recommended for the position.

Dr. D.W. Colvard, dean of the School of Agriculture, was unavailable for comment.

The unofficial reports are that Dr. Copeland will report for duty at State College on Feb. 15.

He is said to have both a master’s degree and a Ph.D., the latter degree from the University of Wisconsin.

He is presently employed at the University of Georgia where he is extension information director. Efforts to obtain more information about him from the University of Georgia failed. It was reported there that his biographical data is available from the dean at North Carolina State College.