Roland R. Renne (December 12, 1905 – August 30, 1989) was an American agricultural economics professor who served as President of Montana State College from 1943 to 1964. Renne was also active in Washington, D.C., and United States overseas agricultural economics work. He was the 1964 Democratic candidate for governor of Montana.

Biography

Roland Renne, born on December 12, 1905, was the third of five children born to Fred Christian Renne and Caroline Augusta (Young) Renne. Roland grew up on the family's truck and dairy farm in the remote Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey.''Historical Note''
''Collection 2313 - Roland R. Renne Gubernatorial Campaign Papers, 1963-1966'', Montana State University, lib.montana.edu As a boy, he helped his father on the farm and attended country schools. He attended

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

and graduated

summa cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...

in 1927. He continued his education and obtained his Ph.D. in

Agricultural Economics Agricultural economics is an applied field of economics concerned with the application of economic theory in optimizing the production and distribution of food and fiber products. Agricultural economics began as a branch of economics that specif ...

from

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

in 1930. Rutgers University and University of Wisconsin are both land-grant schools and each influenced the development of Roland Renne's educational philosophy and championing of public education. Two economists heavily influenced Renne; the economist Richard T. Ely and John R. Commons. Following his graduation in 1930, Renne arrived in

Bozeman, Montana Bozeman ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States. The 2020 United States census put Bozeman's population at 53,293, making it Montana's fourth-largest city. It is the principal city of the Bozeman, Montan ...

to start his teaching at Montana State College as Assistant Professor of Agriculture Economics. On August 19, 1932 he married Mary Polly Kneeland Wisner with whom he had four children. Renne died in Bozeman, Montana on August 30, 1989.

Career

Renne went to Montana State College in Bozeman, Montana in 1930 to work as Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics. Renne was an Agricultural Economics Professor and Agriculture Department Head from 1930 to 1943 and President of Montana State College from 1943 to 1964. During the U.S. Depression years and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

years, Renne devoted much of his time to educational outreach with small farmers and agricultural labor in support of both the WPA and World War II war efforts. As the Agricultural Economics Department head and chairman of the Bozeman city school board, Renne worked closely with the WPA to obtain New Deal educational funds for the construction of three new

elementary schools: Hawthorne, Irving and Longfellow. In 1942, Renne accepted a position in Montana's Office of Price Administration and Civilian Supply (OPA), but in the following year, 1943, Renne left OPA and was appointed Acting President of MSC. In 1944 Renne was appointed President of Montana State College. At the close of WWII, Renne recognized the G.I.Bill (Servicemen's readjustment Act) of 1944 passed by Congress was quickly increasing the demand for classrooms, additional faculty and increased student housing by new student G.I.s and their families. Because of the G.I. Bill, MSC's student body almost doubled from 1,155 in 1945 to 2,014 in 1946, and doubled again in 1947 to 3,591. With qualifying veterans returning to college at the end of the WW II, Renne provided active leadership to make the necessary changes on campus to accommodate those men and women who used the G.I. Bill to get a higher education degree at MSC. With a huge growth in students came an increase in faculty with the faculty almost doubling from 132 in 1945 to 257 in 1950. Looking SE at Renne Library - Montana State University - 2013-07-09

Looking SE at Renne Library - Montana State University - 2013-07-09

To meet the immediate needs of G.I. student and faculty housing and expanded classrooms, Renne installed recycled wooden buildings from a chrome mining project in Columbus, Montana to serve as classrooms for physics, chemistry lab, nursing, education, engineering, agriculture wool lab, psychology and music. To accommodate student and new faculty housing, Renne found prefab war-surplus wooden frame building, quonset huts, barracks, and over 100 small trailers. Then he went to the state capitol, Helena, Montana, and worked with the legislature to use some of the $4.5 million war surplus monies to fund a new brick library, update older buildings, and upgrade the physical plant. Renne also recognized that immediately following the end of WWII, only 16.9% of all instructional budget was spent on humanities and social sciences and called for substantial budgetary increases for liberal arts, citing a need for "a more realistic appreciation of the values of humanistic-social science subjects ... in the interests of serving the general welfare." In recognition of Renne's service to Montana State College, the Montana State University named Renne Library in his memory. Materials relating to Renne's unsuccessful 1964 gubernatorial campaign are held at Montana State University Archives and Special Collections. Renne was named as one of Montana State's most important presidents in 2011, in an interview with three MSU historians-- Jeffrey Safford, Pierce Mullen, and Robert Rydell—in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

United States government service

From 1950 to 1951 Renne was the president of the Water Resources Policy Commission and in 1951 to 1953 he acted as chief of the Mutual Security Agency's Special Technological and Economic Mission to the Philippines. In 1958, he accepted the role of Chief of the Agricultural Survey Mission to

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

for the Joint International Bank for Reconstruction of the

Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates ...

of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

. In 1960, Renne became a consultant regarding land development for the U.S. Operations Mission to

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

, and in 1961 he became a member of the National Advisory Council for Health Research Facilities, HEW. Renne was the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for International Affairs in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, and through an appointment issued by then

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

John F. Kennedy, he also served as Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for International Affairs from 1963 to 1964. Renne also became one of the original

board of trustees A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...

of the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement. Flavier, Juan M., '' Doctor to the Barrios'', page 6. By 1964 up to 1969, he was Director of Office of Interior Water Resources Research, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington D.C. After leaving the Water Resources Research Office in 1969, he was chief of the Agricultural University Development in Illinois/USAID Team for India until 1972. In 1974, Renne was Director of the Foreign Trade Study at Montana State University.''Roland R. Renne''
jfklibrary.org

Political career

In February 1964, Renne resigned as president of Montana State College to run for Governor of Montana in

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...

. He defeated Mike Kuchera in the Democratic primary, and advanced to the general election, where he ran against incumbent Governor Tim M. Babcock. Babcock was running for re-election following his ascension to the Governorship in 1962 when the previous Governor, Donald Grant Nutter, died in a plane crash. In the election, Renne placed emphasis on economic development in response to the 1964 sluggish economy, a need of greater support for education, relief for

property taxes A property tax (whose rate is expressed as a percentage or per mille, also called ''millage'') is an ad valorem tax on the value of a property.In the OECD classification scheme, tax on property includes "taxes on immovable property or net we ...

, and tax programs based upon ability to pay tax to fund his educational programs. Democrats also asserted that a Republican administration would adopt a

sales tax A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a govern ...

and the institution of

right-to-work law In the context of labor law in the United States, the term right-to-work laws refers to state laws that prohibit union security agreements between employers and labor unions. Such agreements can be incorporated into union contracts to requir ...

. Republicans and Babcock denied any plans for a sales-tax or right-to-work law and placed their emphasis on Governor Babcock's business-like administration of reduced deficit and balanced budget without new taxes, current support for education and custodial institutions, and that agriculture was the only area of Montana's economy not prospering. The election results had Renne receiving 136,682 votes, and Babcock receiving 144,113 votes.

Memberships

Renne was a member of Rotary,

American Economic Association The American Economic Association (AEA) is a learned society in the field of economics, with approximately 23,000 members. It publishes several peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Review, an ...

, American Academy of Political and Social Science,

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...

, Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Zeta.

Publications

* Roland Roger Renne (1928)
The relation of the Federal Reserve Banking System to the agricultural depression beginning in 1920
Madison, University of Wisconsin * Roland Roger Renne (1932). The economics of bean production and marketing in Montana. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Experiment Station * Roland Roger Renne (1933). The tariff on dairy products. Madison, WI Tariff Research Committee * Roland Roger Renne (1933).The flaxseed market and the tariff. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Experiment Station * Roland Roger Renne, Bushrod W Allin (1934). Montana farm taxes. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Experiment Station * Roland Roger Renne (1935).Montana county organization, services, and costs: a study in county government with suggestions for its improvement. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural experiment station * Roland Roger Renne (1935). Financing Montana schools: a summary of an analysis of the system of financing elementary and secondary education with suggested changes * Roland Roger Renne (1935). Readjusting Montana's agriculture - I The need and basis for readjustment. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Experiment Station * Roland Roger Renne (1935). Significance of the ownership pattern to land use planning. Bozeman, MT MSU Agricultural Economics & Economics Dept. * Roland Roger Renne (1936). Organization and costs of Montana schools: an analysis of the system of financing elementary and secondary education with suggested changes. Bozeman, MSC Agricultural Experiment Station * Roland Roger Renne (1936). Montana land ownership: an analysis of the ownership pattern and its significance in land use planning. Bozeman, MSC Agricultural Experiment Station * Roland Roger Renne (1936). Readjusting Montana's agriculture - III Population resources and prospects. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Experiment Station * Roland Roger Renne (1936). Readjusting Montana's agriculture - IV Land ownership and tenure. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Experiment Station * Roland Roger Renne (1936). Readjusting Montana's agriculture - VIII Tax delinquency and mortgage foreclosures. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Experiment Station * Roland Roger Renne (1936). Montana land ownership an analysis of the ownership pattern and its significance in land use planning. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Experiment Station * Roland Roger Renne (1936). Organization and Costs of Montana Schools - an Analysis of the System of Financing Elementary and Secondary Education With Suggested Changes. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Economics & Economics Dept. * Roland Roger Renne (1937). Assessment of Montana farm lands a study of the inequalities resulting from present methods of assessing dry farm and range lands and some suggestions for improvement. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Experiment Station * Roland Roger Renne (1938). Montana farm bankruptcies: a study of the number, characteristics, and causes of farm bankruptcies over a forty-year period with some suggestions for preventing them in the future. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Experiment Station * Roland Roger Renne (1938). Montana farm taxes: the significance of farm taxes to Montana agriculture. Bozeman, Montana Extension Service in Agriculture and Home Economics, Montana State College and U.S. Dept. of Agriculture * Roland Roger Renne, Howard H. Lord (1938). Montana farm price variations: the economic significance of fluctuating farm prices to Montana agricultural stability. Bozeman, Montana Extension Service in Agriculture and Home Economics * Roland Roger Renne (1939). Montana farm foreclosures: number, characteristics, and causes of farm mortgage foreclosures over a seventy-year period, with some suggestions for reducing them in the future. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Experiment Station * Roland Roger Renne (1939)
Butte, Montana: a preliminary report of an economic survey showing population characteristics and trends, industrial development, employment, labor conditions, incomes, living costs and standards, costs of government, and related information for the Butte community
Butte, MT McKee Print. Co. * Roland Roger Renne (1940). Montana farm real estate mortgage indebtedness: amount, distribution, characteristics and trend of Montana farm mortgage debt. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Experiment Station * Roland Roger Renne (1940). Montana income tax studies. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Economics & Economics Dept. * Roland Roger Renne, O H Brownlee (1940). Uncollected property taxes in Montana: an analysis of the amount, growth, causes, and means of reducing Montana property tax delinquency with special emphasis on rural property. Bozeman, MSC Agricultural Experiment Station * Roland Roger Renne (1942). Montana population changes and prospects: an analysis of Montana population trends, recent changes accompanying movement into the Armed Forces and war industries, and prospective further changes. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Experiment Station * Roland Roger Renne (1947). Land economics; principles, problems, and policies in utilizing land resources. New York, Harper * Roland Roger Renne (1947). Montana nonresident motor vehicle travel survey: Summer, 1975. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Economics Dept. * Roland R. Renne (1950)
The President's Water Resources Policy Commission
* Roland Roger Renne (1952). P.I. entering period of expansion. Manila * Roland R Renne (1952). A master plan of P.I. industrialization. Manila * Jonathan Forman, Roland Roger Renne, G B MacDonald (1953). Report on the problem of mining claims on the national forests. Washington, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service * Roland Roger Renne (1958). The government and administration of Montana. New York, Crowell * Roland Roger Renne (1958). Cost of county government in Montana. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Experiment Station * Roland Roger Renne (1958). Land economics: Principles, problems, and policies in utilizing land resources. New York, Harper & Brothers Publ. * Charles M Hardin (1960)
Agricultural policy, politics, and the public interest
Philadelphia (Chapter 9 by R.R. Renne
Land-Grant Institutions, the Public, and the Public Interestl
* Roland Roger Renne (1960). Montana civic index: a voter's guide. Great Falls, Montana Republican Club * Roland Roger Renne, J Wesley Hoffmann (1960). The Montana citizen. Helena, MT State Pub. Co. * Roland Roger Renne (1963). Trade and aid in a troubled world: remarks at the University of Nebraska Conference on Trade and Aid * Roland Roger Renne (1974). Agricultural universities in India. Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois * Roland Roger Renne (1974). Alberta and Montana agriculture, trade, and tourism. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Economics & Economics Dept. * Roland Roger Renne (1976)
The role of agricultural economists: the next 100 years or Less
Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Economics & Economics Dept. * Roland Roger Renne (1977). A survey of Montana manufacturing exporters. Bozeman, MSU Agricultural Economics & Economics Dept.

Resources

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Renne, Roland R 1905 births 1989 deaths University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences alumni People from Greenwich Township, Cumberland County, New Jersey United States Department of Agriculture officials Presidents of Montana State University People from Bozeman, Montana 20th-century American academics 20th-century Montana politicians