An adventure in applied science - IRRI books - International Rice ...

Developing and staffing the program 67IRRI in July 1961 after completing his graduate studies. I was impressed withhis attitude and his background and training. He was concerned with theproblems of the farmer and was interested in working in the area of productioneconomics. Wortman and I suggested to Pathak that he accept an appointmentfor a 3-year period, with the idea that if mutual satisfaction resulted, theappointment could be made a permanent one. After his return to India,however, Pathak informed IRRI that for family reasons he would have todecline the offer.In April 1962, Arthur Mosher, then president of the Council on Economicand Cultural Affairs, visited IRRI. I told him that I had just received a letterfrom Gordon Sitton, who at the time was on the Council’s staff in Bangkok,stating his interest in becoming a candidate for the position of agriculturaleconomist at IRRI. Mosher recommended him highly, and Sitton and his wifewere invited to visit IRRI in May 1962. I found him to be an able agriculturaleconomist with 2.5 years of experience in Southeast Asia. I offered him theposition of head of the Department of Agricultural Economics. After thinkingthe matter over, Sitton informed IRRI that he would be interested in joining thestaff if he could have “the title of Assistant Director,” but that otherwise hewould have to decline the offer. As IRRI had no position open with that title,Sitton did not come.In October 1962, I went to New York to discuss my operating budgetproposal for 1963 with the Rockefeller Foundation and to interview severalcandidates for positions at IRRI. Through previous correspondence, Mosemanhad informed me that a promising candidate for the position of agriculturaleconomist on IRRI’s staff was Vernon W. Ruttan, then on leave from PurdueUniversity and serving on the Council of Economic Advisors to the Presidentof the United States.Ruttan and his wife were invited to New York for an interview. Mycolleagues at the Rockefeller Foundation and I were definitely impressed withthe couple and Ruttan was offered the position of head of the department.Ruttan accepted IRRI’s offer and arrived on the job in May 1963 with his family— and the family Basset hound, Jake, who must be recorded for all who knewthat interesting character. Ruttan soon developed an excellent knowledge ofthe economics of rice production in Asia. Unfortunately, after a time, theRuttans had a health problem with one of their children and felt they shouldreturn to the U.S. where specialized medical attention would be available. Inmid-1965, Ruttan resigned to accept the position of chairman of the Departmentof Agricultural Economics at the University of Minnesota. Ruttan developedan international reputation and is widely respected as an agriculturaleconomist. IRRI was fortunate to have had his talent on its staff even for a shortperiod.At the time Ruttan left, Randolph Barker was working in the Philippines onthe Cornell University team, which under a Ford Foundation grant assisted theCollege of Agriculture in developing its graduate study and research program.A number of IRRI staff members and I were thus well acquainted with Barker.His background and experience were ideal to fill the requirements of a