Roullard, Fred P.

Fred P. Roullard, born in Eaton, Colorado, on November 25, 1884, was a highly educated and influential County Commissioner of Horticulture in Fresno County, California. After attending local schools in Colorado, he studied at the Agricultural College at Fort Collins and the State University of Idaho, specializing in chemistry, plant biology, and entomology. His early professional career included working as a chemist for the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company and the Great Western Sugar Company before he relocated to Fresno County in 1909 to join his father, Joel Roullard, near Clovis. There, he engaged in viticulture and agriculture while lecturing on horticultural topics at the local grammar school and earning the highest honors in the State Board of Horticulture Commissioners examination.

On September 8, 1914, the board of supervisors appointed Mr. Roullard as the commissioner of horticulture for Fresno County, a position he filled with such distinction that he was repeatedly reappointed. His significant contributions included supervising agricultural products for the Fresno County Fair, editing the agricultural department of the Fresno Republican starting in 1917, and authoring educational school programs on pest control adopted in 1918. He married Nebraska native Ruth Naden on July 21, 1915, with whom he shared a home at 1240 North Van Ness Avenue in Fresno while also serving as vice-president of the State Association of County Horticultural Commissioners. Through his scientific expertise, written works, and personal investment in a twenty-acre Clovis fig orchard, he left a lasting impact on the agricultural development of the region.