Reverend Aaron Burt Grosh (1803 – March 27, 1884), a
Universalist minister, was one of the eight founders of the
National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry
The Grange, officially named The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, is a social organization in the United States that encourages families to band together to promote the economic and political well-being of the community and ...
, a fraternal organization in the United States. He had a major part in the design of the Grange ritual and was also responsible for the various songs used during various celebrations of the Grange.
Grosh accepted a position in the
U.S. Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of comme ...
soon after its establishment, where he served as the first Department Librarian of the
United States National Agricultural Library
The United States National Agricultural Library (NAL) is one of the world's largest agricultural research libraries, and serves as a national library of the United States and as the library of the United States Department of Agriculture. Located ...
from 1867 until 1869.
[Paskoff, Beth M. 1990]
"History and characteristics of agricultural libraries and information in the United States"
''Library Trends'' 38(3):331-349.
He wrote a volume for members of the Grange to give them a better understanding of the organization and its teachings. He also wrote the ''Odd Fellows Improved Manual'' for the same purpose.
Legacy
The other founders of the Grange were
Oliver Hudson Kelley
Oliver Hudson Kelley (January 7, 1826 – January 20, 1913) was one of the key founders of the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, a fraternal organization in the United States.William D. Barns, "Oliver Hudson Kelley and the ge ...
,
William Saunders,
Francis M. McDowell,
John Trimble,
John R. Thompson
John Richardson Thompson (July 28, 1834 – February 12, 1894) was one of the eight founders of the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, a fraternal organization in the United States.
Biography
Thompson was born on July 28, 1834, ...
,
William M. Ireland and
Caroline A. Hall.
The
United States National Agricultural Library
The United States National Agricultural Library (NAL) is one of the world's largest agricultural research libraries, and serves as a national library of the United States and as the library of the United States Department of Agriculture. Located ...
is located in
Beltsville, Maryland
Beltsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in northern Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The community was named for Truman Belt, a local landowner. The 2020 census counted 20,133 residents. Beltsville includes the unincorporated ...
.
The Aaron B. Grosh Mentoring Award is named for him.
References
''The Founders of the Grange''
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grosh, Aaron B.
American librarians
1803 births
1884 deaths
Clergy of the Universalist Church of America
National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry
United States Department of Agriculture officials
United States National Agricultural Library
19th-century American clergy