"The Importance of Beekeeping as a War Industry..."

Here is an interesting article from the May 7th 1942 edition of the Branford Review and East Haven News.
Tammy Horn in her book, Bees in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped a Nation, states:

       Sugar was rationed during WW II so a beekeeper was an important person in many communities.

In the information from The Connecticut Beekeepers Association http://ctbees.com/history
website below, I have put Mr. Yates name, referred to in the article above,  in italics.

The Apicultural Department was established in connection with Extension work at Connecticut Agricultural College, with Pro. L. B. Crandall in charge at Storrs, Conn.

Beginning in 1909, the Association annually exhibited honey and bees at the Connecticut Fair, Charter Oak Park, Hartford, to 1928, so long as the Fair existed.

In 1928, during the administration of A. W. Yates, a petition for State aid was granted by the legislature, the Association inaugurated a broad educational program with lectures, publications and motion pictures made available to beekeepers throughout the state.  In 1929, $2000 biennially was appropriated for the issuing of periodicals and bulletins advancing the Apicultural interests of the state.

A School for Beekeepers, proposed by Chas. J. Rost, Secretary of the Association was conducted under the instruction of veteran members of the Association.  During the first two years the sessions were held in the Apiary of A. W. Yates at Hartford.  During the session of 1950, the school and demonstrations was held at the Experimental Farm of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in Hamden, under the supervision of Roy Stadel of Southington.  It was felt that this school was of great value to both experienced and novice beekeepers, as out of his vast store of beekeeping knowledge, Mr. Stadel helped the experienced beekeepers to solve their problems and started the beginners on the right path toward practical beekeeping.