Coffey, Walter Castella, 1876-1956.

Walter Coffey was an educator at the University of Illinois and the University of Minnesota, and president of the University of Minnesota and of Hamline University in St. Paul MN.

From the description of Walter Castella Coffey papers, 1909-1956. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 63300701

Walter Castella Coffey, B.S. (1906), M.S. (1909), University of Illinois. Dean, Department of Agriculture (1921-1940), President (1941-1945), University of Minnesota. Known for his work in the field of sheep breeding .

Walter Castella Coffey was born in Hartsville, Indiana, February 1, 1876. After studying animal husbandry at the University of Illinois, he became the herdsman and shepherd of flocks at the Illinois College of Agriculture in 1903. He was well known as an instructor of sheep breeding and for his numerous publications in that field. He spent 15 years in the University of Illinois’s department of Animal Husbandry before being recruited as dean of the Department of Agriculture by then University president Lotus Coffman.

During his twenty years as dean of the Department of Agriculture at the University of Minnesota, he headed national drought relief efforts during the Dust Bowl years, served as director of the International Livestock Exposition, chair of the Agricultural Board of the National Research Council, vice-president of the American Association of Land Grant Colleges and chair of the Board of Directors of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank. Coffey followed Guy Stanton Ford as president of the University in 1941, where he reorganized the office by creating two vice-presidential positions, one for academic affairs and one for business operations. During his term, academic governance advanced with the establishment of the faculty tenure code. After retiring from the University, he served as interim President of Hamline College (June 1952-January 1953) and headed the building fund drive for the St Paul campus student union. Walter Coffey died January 31, 1956.

From the guide to the Walter Castella Coffey papers, 1885-1955, (University of Minnesota Libraries. University of Minnesota Archives [uarc])