Person

Hershberger, Frank Caldwell

1888-1965

Frank Caldwell Hershberger was born in Veedersburg, Indiana on 20 May 1888. An accomplished horseback rider from an early age, he spent time at George D. Rainsford's Diamond Ranch near Chugwater, Wyoming. He received his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the Kansas City Veterinary College in 1913. Shortly thereafter, the Chinese government hired Hershberger as a veterinary surgeon specializing in horses and cattle. He traveled to Manchuria and Siberia to investigate an anthrax outbreak. He remained in the employ of the Chinese government until 1918.
His enlistment with the Veterinary Corps during World War I led to a long career with the United States Army. He underwent cavalry training at Camp Marfa, Texas in 1919-20. He graduated from Medical Field Service School in 1923, from Army Veterinary School in 1924. From 1930-31 he attended Fort Riley's Cavalry School, where he completed the Troop Officers' Course. Sent to the Philippines, he inspected abattoirs for Fort Mills in Corregidor.
A European trip in 1936-37 took Hershberger through Marseille, Berlin and Amsterdam. He gathered postcards and mementos from hotels, clubs and other sites. An assignment with the Veterinary Corps at Fort Hamilton, New York quickly led to a reappointment by the Order of the Secretary of War in February 1938. Hershberger was given the task of inspecting food shipments through the New York Port of Embarkation in Brooklyn. When the United States entered World War II, the port handled inspections for food shipments to troops overseas. Hershberger established and operated a school to provide intensive training to newly commissioned Veterinary Corps officers.
Upon his death, Dr. Hershberger donated the bulk of his estate to Kansas State University. His relationship with the school began when his alma mater closed in 1918 and transferred its graduate records to Kansas State Agricultural College's Division of Veterinary Medicine.

Creator Source: Local Authority File