James Kellogg Northway
One linear foot
A1985-057
1890-1945 (unknown)
Dr. J. (James) K. (Kellogg) Northway was born in San Antonio, Texas on April 3, 1894. His family had lived in Texas since before the time of the Battle of San Jacinto where his grandfather fought with General Sam Houston in 1836. J. K. Northway worked for a short time on the King Ranch before attending Kansas City Veterinary College where he received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree in April 1917. He returned to Kingsville but was called to active military service in 1918 and served as an officer in the U. S. Army Veterinary Corps in France during W. W. I. Northway returned to work on the King Ranch in January 1919. Much of his work on the ranch and with the local ranchers dealt with breeding programs to improve the quality of cattle and horses. He is credited with the success of the Santa Gertrudis breed of cattle and the King Ranch Quarter Horse. Throughout his career of over fifty years J. K. Northway was an active supporter of local livestock shows, 4-H, the university agriculture program where he was an adjunct professor and served on the Kleberg County Commissioners Court from 1937 to 1970. Northway also served as president of the Texas Veterinary Medical Association and the Veterinary Board of Examiners. He received many accolades over the years including a nomination for the Hoblitzelle award for the individual making the greatest contribution to agriculture and rural living in South Texas in 1953, and having the Exposition Center at Dick Kleberg park named in his honor in 1971. Dr. J. K. Northway died on April 20, 1973 at the age of 79.
The approximate one cubic foot of material that makes up the J. K. Northway Papers provides a brief but broad view of the life of James Kellogg Northway. The diplomas and certificates from the early part of the twentieth century (1914-1917) document his pursuit of education culminating in a doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. The literary productions show his lifelong dedication to the field and the many photographs of horses and cattle illustrate his active involvement with the many breeding programs on the King Ranch. Other photographs and manuscripts follow his life as a student in veterinary college, as a soldier in W. W. I., through his fifty plus years on the King Ranch, up to the oral history interview conducted shortly before his death in 1973.
The J. K. Northway papers are divided into five series: I. Correspondence II. Literary Productions III. Photographic Materials IV. Printed Materials V. Oversize Materials
South Texas Archives, James C. Jernigan Library, Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Open for Research
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J. K. Northway Papers, A1985-057.XXXX, South Texas Archives, James C. Jernigan Library, Texas A&M University-Kingsville
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A1985-057 – Gift of Nelson Sharpe for the J. K. Northway Estate
A1985-057 – Reprocessed by Lori Atkins on 10/19/2015