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On May 23, 1946,
James Work was elected president of the National Farm School,
his Alma Mater. The Annual Report of 1945-46 states that he
was "eminently qualified by inclination, training and experience
in agriculture, finance, business organization and administration."
After graduation in 1913, he served as president of the Alumni
Association and for ten years he coached (without salary) the
school's football teams. He had the distinction of being the
first alumnus in the school's history to be elected to its Board
of Trustees, and he served as Acting President for many months
during the illness of President Louis Nusbaum.
Born in Philadelphia of French-English-Irish stock, he attended
Central High School for two years. Then his interest in agriculture
led him to enroll in the National Farm School. After graduation
he operated a dairy farm in Perkiomenville, Pa. He took evening
courses in Naval Architecture at the Franklin Institute and
then worked there as a draftsman. |
James Work 1910 |
In 1921 he was appointed assistant chief engineer at the Naval
Air Station, Lakehurst, N.J., where he was responsible for developments
in dirigible design and was a member of the test crew of the
dirigible Shenandoah. During his Lakehurst tour of duty he rose
to the rank of Full Lieutenant in the naval reserve. |
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James Work with airplane 1930s
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In 1926 he was appointed assistant manager of the Naval Aircraft
Factory in Philadelphia. From 1926 until 1929 he also taught
aviation courses at Temple University. In 1929 he was named
Vice President and general manager of Lockheed Aircraft Corporation
in Burbank, California. (His move to California prompted him
to resign as president of the Alumni Association of NFS.) He
continued working for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation until 1931.
At the age of 38 he founded the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation,
an |
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grew to a large corporation with both U.S. and foreign government
contracts. |
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In 1945 he agreed to
serve without pay as Treasurer of the National Farm School.
The following year he was elected the school's president. As
president he began a complete revision of the school's education
program. Under his leadership the school was approved as a Junior
College. After changes in curriculum and the addition of buildings
to house the expanded curriculum, in 1948 the school was approved
as a four-year senior college with the power to grant the degree
of Bachelor of Science.The school's name was changed to the
National Agricultural College. The college achieved fully accredited
status from the Middle States Association in 1962, and women
were admitted as full-time students for the first time in 1971.
James Work with Pearl Buck at
the Kehr Orchid House 1963 |
James Work at a ground breaking
with Leon Berkowitz and Morris Goldman 1958
James Work served his alma mater well. Someone once said
that Dr. Krauskopf had planted the seed for the school and
James Work nurtured the seed, transforming its living potential
into reality. The college conferred upon James Work the
honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1971. He retired as
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president
in 1974 and was immediately appointed Chancellor of the college. From
his days as a student, as throughout his presidency and his tenure
as Chancellor (until his death in 1977), his time and talents were
poured into the school he loved.
James Work 1965
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