Jesness, Oscar B. (Oscar Bernard), 1889-

Oscar Bernard Jesness was born in Morris, Minnesota on February 4, 1889. He earned his B.S. in 1912, M.S. in 1924 and Ph.D. in 1928, all from the University of Minnesota. Before joining the faculty at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Jesness worked as a high school instructor (1912-1913), at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (1915-1920) and was head of the Department of Markets and Rural Finances at the University of Kentucky (1920-1928). In 1928, Dr. Jesness accepted the position as professor and head of the department of agricultural economics at the University of Minnesota. He held this position until he retired in 1957 as professor emeritus. Dr. Jesness was considered an authority on agricultural policy, farm credit and international trade. He also served as director of the Green Giant Company and the Green Giant Foundation. Oscar Jesness died on November 27, 1980.

From the guide to the Oscar B. Jesness papers, 1920s-1970s, (University of Minnesota Libraries. University Archives [uarc])