Aretas Wilbur Nolan

Born in 1874, Aretas Wilbur Nolan wrote a string of books and manuals centered on agriculture and agricultural education. Catalog and library records connect his name with works including The Teaching of Agriculture (1918), The Project in Education with Special Reference to Teaching Agriculture (1923), The Case Method in the Study of Teaching with Special Reference to Vocational Agriculture (1927), and Techniques Used in Dealing with Certain Problems of College Teaching (1929).

Several of his books identify him with the University of Illinois, including titles that describe him as an assistant professor in agricultural extension. His work suggests a strong interest in making education practical: not just teaching farming skills, but showing teachers how to organize lessons, projects, and case studies so students could learn by doing.

Nolan also wrote accessible manuals for younger audiences and community groups, such as Pig Raising, Corn Growing, and Vegetable Gardening and Canning. Even from the surviving records alone, he stands out as an author who wrote to be useful—bringing together classroom teaching, rural life, and hands-on instruction in a way that matched the needs of his time.