This picture is drawn from a collection of poultry literature that Jimmy Gwin passed on to John Skinner and then came to me when I purchased his whole collection back around 2005. Note the scorch marks along the edges and also the mailing label on the right hand edge.
John Skinner related to me a story of when he was young and still at school, I do not know what age he was but he was still riding a pushbike. Johns saw the fire truck pass his street and like all curious boys turned to follow. When he arrived at the fire the brigade men were watching the old “clap board” house burning. John asked why they were not putting it out. He was told it’s just a derelict empty house. John replied it contained one of the biggest collections of poultry literature in the world, after which they decided to put it out. Much later when John was a colleague in the industry the two became good friends with Jimmy being a mentor and encourager of John’s poultry career and collection of literature.
John and his wife Jean treated me very well, and showed great hospitality especially when I became very unwell and spent time in hospital in the USA. I visited then a number of times when in the USA for Poultry Expos.
In later years John’s collection came to me with many poultry serials and wonderful books.
This bunch of magazines shows the results of the Jimmy Gwin fire, with smoke and some burned edges.
I also had some volumes of Poultry Tribune with singed spines, and also a copy of Bement American Poulterer's Companion , that came with the collection. The Bement was soaked during the fire, into a solid block, and I decided to “learn” something of such a restoration. I soaked of each page from the block, with a total loss of less than half a page of text from the whole book. Then resized all the pages, and rebound to a nice volume, a little stiff in the opening and lacking finesse, but much treasured for the results and all I learned.. I had the pleasure of showing John many years later before he passed.
So the legacy of Jimmy Gwin and John Skinner are important to me, and these items will one day pass from me and I hope the story will live on as a legacy of the poultry collectors who came before me.
Jim
Obituaries.
James M Gwin.
Born in Blair County, Pennsylvania, in 1906, Dr. Gwin pursued a lifetime interest in poultry to gain national recognition as an educator, administrator, promoter, and one of the world's most persistent collectors of poultry literature. His extensive collection of "poultry papers" and books now resides in the National Agricultural Library. It is recognized as one of the world's most completer poultry information resources.
Dr. Gwin's education included a B.S. in Poultry Husbandry, University of Connecticut; an M.A., American University; and a Ph.D., Cornell. He served in every phases of the poultry industry: as a military procurement officer in WWII; as a regulatory official in grading and inspection; as a professor of poultry husbandry; as a Director of Extension (University of Maryland); as a marketing manager for a major feed supplier; as general manager of the Poultry & Egg National Board; and as Professor of Marketing (University of Illinois, Edwardsville).
Dr. Gwin was charter member of the American Poultry Historical Society, served as its president (1960 - 1962), and was elected to the American Poultry Hall of Fame in 1977. Gwin's awards and honors would fill a college textbook, and much of the poultry and egg grading system in place today is a result of his groundwork.
Dr. Gwin was married to Helen Woodward, and had three children, Gailyn, Geniel (Strock), and Graydan. He was affectionately known throughout the poultry industry as "Jimmy." On July 10, 1993, the poultry world suffered a great loss with passing of this man who so devoted his life to its industry.
John Skinner Obituary
MADISON/MIDDLETON-John Skinner, age 93, of Madison, left this world after a prolonged battle with Parkinson’s disease on Sunday, July 2, 2017. John was born on his parent’s farm in Nebraska and spent his first night in a hospital at age 77. He was an only child. John inherited a love of fancy poultry at the age of four, when his father gave him a pair of pure-bred Buff Cochin Bantams. This led to a fascination for avian life and he later pursued it as a career resulting in his being inducted into the American Poultry Hall of Fame, the youngest person to be so honoured. He met his future wife, Jean, in front of his chicken display at a fair in Nebraska in 1940 and they were married four years later. John served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in WWII and was in on the securing of Iwo Jima. This gave him access to the GI Bill enabling him to get two college degrees. John experienced period of industry employment followed by faculty positions at Texas A&M College, the University of Nebraska, and the University of Wisconsin. John’s goal early in life was to be a licensed poultry judge which he achieved in 1953, the youngest person to hold a general license. He joined the Poultry Science Dept. at the University of Wisconsin in 1963. He was awarded a full professorship in 1967. In 1971, he became the country’s first designated Poultry and Small Animal Specialist. John participated in the writing of 18 books, numerous journal articles, and educational and 4-H publications. He served on many organizations, advisory panels, and committees. Because of his early recognition of the society’s effect on commercial agriculture, he was frequently asked to speak at industries, organizations and conventions, including organizing the first symposium on poultry industry waste management. He retired as Emeritus Professor in 1985. He was a member and licensed Judge of the American Poultry Assn., the American Bantam Assn., Poultry Science Assn., World Poultry Science Assn., Life member and Lifetime Director of the American Poultry Historical Society, and a member of the British Rare Breeds Survival Trust. He was elected into the American Poultry Hall of Fame and a Fellow in the Poultry Science Assn. John and Jean lived in Middleton for many years and were very active in their community. In 2010, he was awarded a Proclamation by the City of Middleton and in 2003 they were recipients of the Middleton Good Neighbour Festival Award. John was a charter member of the Middleton Historical Society and served as director from 1986 to 2006, (seven years as President). They enjoyed extensive foreign travel, giving John the opportunity to research his writing for foreign poultry publishers, expand his collection of automotive toys, and add to their collections of poultry oriented material. John is survived by his two devoted and loving children and their spouses, John Jr. (Delphine) Skinner of Madison and Jan (Jeff) Lynn of Marine of St. Croix, Minn. He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Jean, and his three grandchildren, Deborah Skinner, Jaime Lynn, and Jenna Lynn.