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Volume 6 Number 2 Spring 1998

by Tom Campbell

Jim Scott’s recruiting speech sounds like acommercial for the Peace Corps: “Build a golfcourse, it’s the toughest job you’ll ever love.”

Scott, BS ’87, had built just two golf coursesbefore returning home to Purdue in 1995. Assuperintendent of the Purdue golf complex, hewould oversee construction of what is to be thefinest collegiate golf facility in the country.

But to complete the task and open the course bythe summer of 1998, Scott needed to talk fast toassemble a work crew. He needed students willingto work very hard. Students who wanted to learnabout building a course while putting a lot of sweatequity into course designer Pete Dye’s vision andJim Scott’s dream. All before returning to classes inthe fall of 1997.

“I told them that building this golf coursewould be the toughest job they would ever have,”Scott says. The golf course formerly known asNorth would become the Kampen Course in honorof its principal benefactor, Emerson Kampen, whodied in 1996.

But this was not achange-the-name,put-up-a-sign-and-be-done-with-it typeproject. This was tobe the MichaelJackson of facelifts.Last summer, thecrew of 32 studentsbuilt 22 greens byhand. It was hot, itwas dry and was itever dusty. Sod hadbeen stripped off thecourse in November1996, and most ofthe ground wasbare. Speeding golfcarts sent dustfunneling into thearid August sky likethe wake rolling offthe prow of a boat.

Scott was therethis winter when

6,800 trees had to be planted in the muck of semi-frozen topsoil. And, still, he is amazed at what hehas seen.

“We haven’t really moved that much soil (about300,000 cubic yards of soil, compared to upwardsof 1 million cubic yards for some course projects),but to see what was there, and to see what is therenow is just mind-boggling,” he says.

But the work paid off. Of the 10 courses underconstruction in Indiana, the Kampen Course wasthe only one to be completely seeded in the fall.

“All the work was done by people right here atPurdue,” says Scott, who built Wellington GolfClub in West Palm Beach, Fla., and Juday Creek inGranger, Ind., before taking the superintendent’sjob at Purdue in 1995.

“Guys on payloaders, pavers, dozers, backhoes,rakes, shovels...work done by Purdue students.Those kids didn’t get a break. Some of them wereputting in 90-hour work weeks. They can lookback in 50 years and say, ‘Hey, I built this golf

course.’ This wasn’t done by a constructioncompany from Timbuktu. It was hard work and thedays were long. But each of them can say ‘I didthis.’ And there is a lot of pride in saying that.”

Any short list of the top course designers in theworld would include the name Pete Dye. GolfWorld Magazine named him golf course architectof the year in 1994. Crooked Stick, BrickyardCrossing, the TPC at Jacksonville and PGA Westare just four designer jewels that sparkle on Dye’scrown. Ryder Cups, U.S. Opens, PGA Champion-ships and Tour events are held on his courses.

Some of his most notorious holes have evengraced beverage cans and clothing apparel.Grown men and women plan vacations just toplay his courses.

Dye also is noted for designing courses that areenvironmentally safe, utilizing native flora toprotect surrounding lands and waters fromherbicide and pesticide runoff.

“One of the thrills of working with a greatuniversity likePurdue is knowingthat the course webuild is going to bemore than just aplace to play golf,”Dye says. “It will bea teachingenvironment, aresearch laboratoryand a naturepreserve.”

The fact thatDye donated his $1million design fee forthe Kampen projecthas put Scott underthe gun. He knows heis expected toproduce the finestcollegiate golf facilityin the United States.That pressure hascaused many asleepless night.

“All of the hypePhoto by Tom Campbell

Course superintendent Jim Scott says covering the newly built greens with plastic tarps helped them grow through the mildWest Lafayette winter. The course will open to the general public on June 27.

continued on page 2

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by Tom Campbell

Purdue junior Linda Oxenrider has never beenmuch of a golf fan. She always considered golf anexpensive, time-consuming and unproductiveforay among the fairways.

“I always thought golf was a really stupid game,just chasing a ball around,” Oxenrider says. “Ialways thought I would be horrible at it. But now,after working on this project, I wish I were agolfer. When this course is completed, I wouldlove to come back and try to play it.”

Her newfound interest in golf was kindled by aonce-in-a-lifetime opportunity provided by theLandscape Architecture 325 (Planting Design)curriculum. Instructor Rene Heynssens challengedher students to develop a master planting plan forthe Kampen Course project. One-third of theirgrade would depend on what kind of a plantingplan they could develop for the golf courseremodeling project.

The idea to incorporate the golf course into hercurriculum sprang from a conversation Heynssenshad with faculty member Bruno Moser, whoserved on a committee to discuss how researcherscould use the Kampen course to their benefit.

“There would be no pressure that it would haveto be built this way,” Heynssen says. “We couldpick and choose the different aspects of the coursewe wanted to develop. I thought this was a greatidea, the perfect scale for one of our projects.”

Heynssens spent hours on the golf course lastsummer. She walked the course hole by hole,scrambling over soil mounds, around the mud andthrough bunkers, taking photographs to share withher class. She borrowed every book on golf coursedesign the library had to offer.

To get a better feel for what legendary coursedesigner Pete Dye was trying to create with theKampen Course, she read his biography, “BuryMe in a Pot Bunker.”

She provided her students a smorgasbord ofinformation.

Heynssens called in School of Agriculturefaculty to share their expertise. Forestry specialistRita McKenzie provided a list of plants native toTippecanoe County that helped students selecttrees and plants. Wildlife expert Harmon Weeksdiscussed wildlife habitat management.Agronomist Clark Throssell and horticulturistMichael Dana talked with the students about theTurfgrass Research and Diagnostic Center and theconcept of re-establishing a prairie within theconfines of the course.

Entomologist Cliff Sadof guided the studentswhen questions arose regarding the hazards ofplanting large blocks of monocultures (singlespecies groups of plants).

Heynssens asked golf course superintendent JimScott and landscape architect John Collier toparticipate on a jury to grade the students’projects.

On Nov. 20, Oxenrider and her project partnerLinda Storey made their sales pitch. Seventeenpairs of students had already made theirpresentations. The jury saw it all: blueprints,

Purdue students build dream,one hole at a time

and all of the expectations for the golf course arenow resting on my shoulders to produce the coursethat Pete Dye wants, that the community expects,”Scott says.

Scott now keeps a notepad and pencil on thenight stand to jot down middle-of-the-night ideasthat refuse to wait until morning.

“Pete is a tough designer,” Scott says. “He isextravagant.”

During one 10-day stretch last summer, Dyechanged the design of the 16th hole four times–whenever and wherever the mood struck him. Scottreceived some of the changes sketched out on theback of a restaurant napkin.

“Hold the phone,” Dye would say. “I got it! I gotit!” And with the snap of a finger, a fairway humpand two greenside bunkers were added.

“We weren’t falling behind, but we still had 17holes to do,” Scott says. “I want this to be the best.My parents told me, ‘I don’t care if you want to bea garbage man, just be the best garbage man youcan be.’ I got a lot of pride and self-esteem frommy parents to drive me that way, and that’s what Iwant for this course, to be the best it can be.”

Scott boasts that the new course will not onlyget a lot of publicity in golfing circles, but willchange the geographic makeup of the Purduecampus.

“For so long, it seemed like this golf course wasway out here on the edge of campus,” Scott says“It wasn’t involved, it wasn’t part of the university.But now, I feel that for a lot of people, this is a verybig part of the university. This will be the focalpoint for a lot of students and for a lot of studentactivities.

“Students come out here for classes and walk thecourse, looking at things and understanding thatthere is more to golf than just going out and hittinga golf ball.”

In fact, it is Scott’s desire to get as manystudents interested in the golf complex as possible.

“Every department, every school at Purdue,could do something on the Birck Boilermaker (thename for the combined North and South coursecomplex) golf courses,” he says. “Let’s put thisback into a learning situation like it should be. I’veopened it up and said you can do whatever youneed to do.”

But he does draw the line.“Just don’t kill my turf.”

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drawings, slide shows, videos ... even a web pagepresentation.

Students were limited only by the restrictions oftheir own imaginations. One project called for aboardwalk to carry people through the course.There were plans for vignette gardens betweenholes—colorful Native American story sticks withstreamers. One project called for a different colorscheme on each hole. This was acceptable, the jurydecided, provided they didn’t use cream andcrimson (IU’s colors) on a hole.

For 20 minutes, Oxenrider and Storey usedcomputer-generated blueprints to show the jurywhat took six weeks to create.

Oxenrider, the nongolfer of the twosome, hadconcentrated on the clubhouse. Her plan called fora median to be cut down the middle of theroadway leading to the building.

A ribbon of ornamental prairie grassespunctuated by colorful perennials and meadowflowers would lead people into the course. Theyfollowed Pete Dye’s original plans by using treesand plants native to Indiana.

“We used native species around the clubhouseas well,” Oxenrider says. “Not everybody whogoes to the golf course is going to play golf. Theclubhouse will probably be the site of socialactivities, too. We wanted people to see how thesenative plants can be used in an ornamental settingas well as in the wild.”

Storey grew up across the street from a golfcourse. Watching the course change from one yearto the next provided a perspective she carried overinto her design plan. Storey wanted to utilize thesix distinct ecosystems found within the golfcourse—woodlands, tall-grass prairie, meadow,short-grass prairie, wetland and oak savannah—then give them the time necessary to becomeestablished on the course.

“A prairie takes three to five years to start andanother 30 years to see if specific species willdevelop,” Storey says. “It’s difficult for people tothink that far into the future.

“Purdue is going to be here forever. If it is anidea that people express excitement about, perhapsthey will pass it on to the next generation ofleaders. Purdue will be here, but it is the people herenow who are going to have to do it. It is an

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Purdue student Linda Oxenrider and course designerPete Dye observe progress at Purdue’s KampenCourse this spring.

Photo by Mike Kerper

The seventh hole features two separate fairwaysdivided by a huge bunker. Course superintendentJim Scott, walking by the tee box, says golfers willperiodically switch fairways to accommodateongoing research projects.

Photo by Tom Campbell

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AlumniProfile

Ron Rice knew all along what hewanted to do with his life. He grewup working in his father’s creameries,first in North Manchester, Ind., andlater in Kewanna, Ind.

As a boy, Rice rememberscleaning milk bottles by hand. In thedays before paper and plasticcontainers and the neighborhoodVillage Pantry made the milkman amemory, cleaning bottles was adangerous job. His fingers are stillscarred from broken bottles retrievedfrom the bottom of the soapy washtanks. But while his hands may have

been on the bottom of the tank, hismind was always on the top.

“I always wanted to run my owndairy,” Rice says. “That’s all I wantedto do.”

But a job offer from Kroger put hisplans on hold.

Rice recalls what happened.“I never even knew Kroger had

dairies when I graduated fromPurdue. (Rice earned a dairy manage-ment degree in 1957.) But a represen-tative came to campus and I had afree afternoon, so I talked to them.”

But Rice was not overlyimpressed. The Kroger representativegave Rice some aptitude tests andtold him to take them home and fillthem out. The instructions indicatedthe tests were to be timed.

Rice sat in his room in the DeltaUpsilon fraternity and wondered.“Should I fill the whole thing out, orshould I really time myself, like itsays?” he remembers thinking.

Even if he could not finish the testson time, Rice figured he wouldn’tlose any sleep if the Kroger peoplenever called him again. So, he optedfor the honesty route and timedhimself on the tests. He didn’tcomplete either one.

“I was afraid if I didn’t fill out allthe questions, they would think I wasa dummy, but I really didn’t care,” hesays.

Apparently Kroger not only

admired his honesty, but his answers,too. Rice got an offer for a job as amanagement trainee at the company’sState Avenue dairy in Cincinnati, Ohio.

“Kroger said they had some bigplans in the dairy business, so I saidI’d work there for about five years,get the experience, then move on toone of the big independent dairies,like a Borden’s or a Sealtest.”

At least that was the plan. But Ricesays something kept getting in theway of his leaving.

“They kept promoting me,” hesays, laughing.

First to generalforeman of Kroger’sDayton, Ohio, dairyin 1960, then toproductionsuperintendent attheir Springdale,Ohio, dairy in 1965.In 1967, Rice waspromoted to plantmanager of the oldIndianapolis dairy.

There he oversawthe construction ofwhat was then thelargest dairy in theUnited States.

In 1973, Rice was promoted toKroger’s corporate offices as directorof operations, dairy foods division. Hebecame division vice president in1974.

In 1986, Rice was promoted topresident, dairy/bakery division. Hebecame Kroger’s senior vice presidentand president of manufacturing in1992. Rice travels two to three daysper week, overseeing 28

manufacturing facilities in 24 states.“It’s like I told Purdue students

recently when I was part of the OldMasters program,” Rice says. “Iwoke up one day and suddenly 40years had passed by. And I’m stillhere.”

Through Old Masters and theSchool of Agriculture’s Disting-uished Alumni programs, Ricemaintains regular contact with theWest Lafayette campus. He currentlyis chairman of the technologycommittee for ALLIANCE ’98,raising funds for the new 120,000-square foot Food Science Building,to be dedicated later this year.ALLIANCE ’98 is the Food ScienceDepartment’s effort to secure fundingfor future needs and growth byforging alliances with alumni, thefood industry and privatefoundations.

All it took was a phone call fromFood Science Department Head PhilNelson to convince Rice to volunteerhis time as a fund-raiser.

“I guess he just figured I wasn’tdoing enough,” Rice jokes. “So Isaid yes.”

Nelson says: “Ron exemplifies thecommitment and loyalty of Purduealumni who have achievedsignificant personal success and nowwish to give back to Purdue.”

Rice’s committee has raised morethan $700,000 in laboratorysponsorships for the new building.

Rice attributes his success as afund-raiser to his love of making asale. It started back in Dayton, Ohio,in 1960. As sales coordinator, Ricehelped some of Kroger’s 1,280 retail

Kroger’s Ron Rice findsFood Science is an easy sell

grocery stores set up sales promo-tions. That love of closing the dealcarries on today, as Rice helps sellPurdue’s Department of Food Scienceto prospective contributors.

“In letters I’m sending out as afund-raiser, I tell people Purdue hasthe biggest and the best food scienceprogram in the United States, and Ifirmly believe that,” Rice says.

Keith Neer believes that, too. Riceconvinced Neer to join hisALLIANCE ’98 committee despitethe fact that Neer is an Ohio Stategraduate.

“Ron is a high-energy individualwith excellent managerial skills,” saysNeer, Kroger’s vice president ofcorporate food technology andregulatory compliance. For a guythat’s closing on 63, he’s not verytypical.

“He continues to pursue the newtechnology, personal computers andthe widespread use of the Internet.Ron has been a driving force and anencouraging factor for a lot of people,and it has paid great dividends.”

Thanks to people like Ron Rice,everyone will be able to see thosedividends when the new Food ScienceBuilding is unveiled this fall.

“It’s been fun, and I think it’ssomething we’re making progresson,” Rice says. “It will be somethingvery satisfying and worthwhile whenwe get it completed.”

The Food Science Building, as seen from the roof of the Whistler Agricultural Research Building, is set for dedicationceremonies in September and October.

Construction of the Food Science Building should becompleted this summer. Chris Stacy mixes a plaster wallcoating in this March photo.

by Tom Campbell

Photo by Tom Campbell

photo by Tom Campbell

Ron Rice

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Need to see Linda Chezem, headof Purdue’s Department of 4-HYouth? Don’t bother tracking her toher second-floor office in thevenerable Agricultural Admin-istration Building on the WestLafayette campus.

The former Indiana Appeals Courtjudge is more likely to be foundtraveling across the state in her FordExplorer, going from meeting tomeeting, assessing the overall healthof 4-H programs.

Chezem has put in so manyfrequent driver miles, she isconsidering converting a van into amobile office.

“I’ve thought about trading myExplorer in for a minivan that isconfigured as a mobile office,” she says.“I could put a cell phone modem onmy laptop computer, hook it up to aportable printer, and I’ve got it. Thetwo captain’s chairs in the front couldbe turned around to face the twocaptain’s chairs in the back formeetings and I could put a drop-downdesk in the middle.”

It all makes perfect sense to Chezem,who has spent much of her first four

months in office out of the office.“I’m trying to raise the visibility

level of Cooperative Extension andspecifically 4-H, as the informalsource of education in the state,”says Chezem, who replaced retired4-H Youth Department Head MauriceKramer in January.

And Chezem is learning bylistening. In dozens of meetingsacross the state and in one-on-oneswith each member of her staff.

“I’m trying to listen and explore withpeople how we can position 4-H tobetter serve the youth of this state,” shesays. “If I don’t take the time to listenand think through the concerns thesepeople have, then I’ll be spending a lotmore time on them later.”

Chezem asks two key questions inher travels: “How do we serve theyouth we serve?” and “How are wegoing to serve the youth we aren’tserving?”

Chezem plans on staying on theroad until she finds those solutions.

“I don’t think I can find theanswers to those questions by sittingin this office,” she says.

Eventually, Chezem will reducethe number of meetings she attends.She has responsibilities to campusstaff and faculty to develop statewideprograms. And there are fundingshortages that must be addressed. Butdon’t expect her to become an office-bound department head.

“I’m going to be out working withpeople,” she says. “That’s my

personality, and I don’t think I canchange that. I just like people. I thinkthat’s what Cooperative Extension isall about.”

It’s all about 252,000 people, to beexact. That’s the number of Hoosierstouched by 4-H programs last year.With any group of that size,leadership is an issue. And Chezemknows one of her biggest challengesis attracting and retaining youngervolunteer leaders for 4-H programs.

“We are working on several thingsthat I think will develop leadershiprecruitment by offering training,support and appreciation,” she says.

“Many Baby Boomers have lesstime to volunteer because they havetaken second jobs. We’ve got tofigure out how to make volunteertime with 4-H interesting, fun andpersonally rewarding.”

Chezem also knows that adequatefunding makes all the programs run.And that is where her legalbackground (She earned her lawdegree from the Indiana UniversitySchool of Law in 1971.) will help.

“I feel like I’ve been in training forthis job for 22 years. Everything Ihave ever done as a lawyer and ajudge will help me do this job,”Chezem says.

And in that time, she has learnednot to take no as an answer, if no isnot the answer she’s looking for.

“I learned that if the money isn’tthere, go find it. Don’t say ‘I can’tdo it,’” she says.

Travels with Chezem

Former Judgetraversing Indiana for 4–H

Chezem knows her ultimate boss,the person who holds the keys to thesuccess of the 4-H program, is theIndiana taxpayer.

“Are we providing the product thatthe taxpayers want?” she asks. “If weare not, how do we go about doingthat? If we are, then how do we goabout letting them know that we areso that they will pay for it?

“There are some pretty clear signsthat we have some work to do.”

But Chezem does not shy away fromthe questions she poses. In fact, she isembracing the battle ahead of her.

“I am so happy to be here,” shesays. “This a great opportunity. Ithink we are going to be able to dosome really terrific things for youth inthis state.”

Chezem likens the task to anepisode of “This Old House.”

“We’ve got a very solid base,” sheexplains. “It’s like the foundation isthere, and it’s very good. But thewobbly pieces–the money andeverything–are like the gingerbreadon a great, Victorian house.”

And Chezem thinks Purdue hascontracted the right builder for the job.

“We’ll get those loose piecesnailed back on,” she predicts. “Wejust have to figure out the rightstrategies to use, what pieces need togo back on the house and what piecesof trim are no longer decorative oruseful.”

by Tom Campbell

Surveys show that farmers haven’tgrabbed hold of the Internet to theextent that the general population has,but many in agriculture expect that tochange as the benefits of linking ruralfarms and businesses electronicallybecome more apparent.

According to a 1997 U.S.Department of Agriculture study, 31percent of the nation’s farmers havecomputers in their homes, 20 percentuse them for their farm businesses, and13 percent use the Internet.

David Petritz, assistant director ofPurdue University’s CooperativeExtension Service programs, says theInternet is rapidly becoming animportant tool for farmers, thanks inlarge part to the cooperative spirit offarming.

“Farm producers have alwayslearned from each other,” he says.“E-mail and chatboards are justanother means oftalking across thefence. The farmerswill post queriesonline: ‘Where didyou get those slats?How do they work?How do youconnect this yieldmonitor in acombine?’

“Now the coffeeshop table hasextended to as far as the telephonelines stretch.”

Internet access among farmers

ranged from a low of 4 percent inLouisiana and Mississippi to a high of

31 percent in NewJersey.

The surveyreported that 37percent of Indianafarmers havecomputers, but only10 percent use theInternet.

Petritz says therapidly changingworld of theInternet makes suchsurveys difficult tointerpret. “I sense a

larger proportion of farmers are usingthe Internet than we suspect,” he says.“Things are changing so quickly that it

can be difficult to get a snapshot of it. Isuspect that the low price of computersin the past several months has led to asharp increase in purchases.”

Petritz says that in the near future,farmers will find more reasons forusing the Internet.

“Agribusiness is increasingly usingWeb sites for ads and information,” hesays.

The Internet also is changing howinstitutions such as the CooperativeExtension Service do their jobs.

“The challenge for the ExtensionService is to be part of the race toprovide information,” Petritz says.“We’re working hard to see thatresearch-based, scientifically reviewedmaterial is available on the Internetalong with all of the hype and spin.”

Internet: latest way farmers talk over the fence

Linda Chezem

by Steve Tally

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Ag Alumni Fish Fry

We’re not in Kansas anymoreby Donya Lester

More than 1,800 Boilermakers andfriends were off to see the wizard atthe annual Purdue Ag Fish Fry, Jan.23, at the Purdue Armory. While fishfry attendance figures are never exact,it was the largest crowd in recentyears to see the show, titled “We’reOff...To See the Wizard.’’

Indiana Gov. Frank O’Bannon, Lt.Gov. Joe Kernan and U.S. Reps. JohnHostettler, David McIntosh and EdPease were among the special guestsin attendance.

The day began with a tornado-likestorm that sent Dorothy running forcover, clutching her pet pig “Dodo.”The twister sent a farmhouse crashinginto an effigy of Bobby Knight.

Dorothy, played by Tom Dull, BS’80, Mechanicsburg, Ind., wasaccompanied by the usual cast ofcharacters on her/his quest for thegolden pitchfork, the source of powerof the Wicked Wench of the East,played by former Purdue Ag AlumniExecutive Secretary MauriWilliamson, BS ’50.

Cast members included MikeHancock, West Lafayette, as the TinMan; Norman Long, BS ’64, MS ’72,West Lafayette, as Scarecrow; andTom Hampton, BS ’69, MS ’71, TerreHaute, as the Cowardly Lion.

After an afternoon of hi-jinks,Dorothy captured the goldenpitchfork, the Wicked Wench wasmelted with water from the OldOaken Bucket, and the true Wizardwas revealed to be Purdue PresidentSteven Beering, who told Dorothyshe no longer needed to go homebecause all her dreams could berealized at Purdue.

The audience enjoyed one of themost technologically advanced showsever, thanks to the expertise of thestaff of Purdue’s Elliott Hall ofMusic. An off-stage Wizard (HoraceTyler, BS ’50, West Lafayette)interacted with participants on a large

projection screen suspended abovethe stage.

Pyrotechnics and optical illusionswere important elements of the show.The Wicked Wench melted into thestage. Improved sound and lightingalso added to the audience’senjoyment, highlighted byperformances by Purdue MusicalOrganizations’ Varsity Glee Club andthe Boiler Brass from Purdue Bands.

Two large screens above the stagehelped bring the audience closer tothe action. Several video monitorsplaced throughout the Armoryensured better viewing for all.

Purdue men’s basketball CoachGene Keady was named an HonoraryPurdue Ag Alumnus in recognition ofthe support he has given to PurdueAgriculture and the programs of theAg Alumni Association. The CarolineScherer Memorial Award, presentedfor outstanding service to the AgAlumni Association, was presented toKathy O’Brien, secretary for Purduemen’s basketball.

Allen County was named theOutstanding Purdue Ag AlumniChapter in recognition of newactivities implemented in 1997.Programs included a pizza partyfor prospective students, featuringa telecast of a Purdue-IU basketballgame and a halftime discussion ofagricultural admissions andscholarships.

The chapter also sponsored grouptrips to the Purdue campus to attendbasketball games and had members

represent Purdue Agriculture at localactivities for junior and senior highschool students. District DirectorLaura Grime, BS ’83, Ft. Wayne,Ind., accepted the award on behalf ofthe chapter.

The Outstanding AgriculturalExtension Educator Award was

presented to Terry Keeneth, GibsonCounty. A native of Odell, Ill.,Keeneth earned bachelor’s andmaster’s degrees from SouthernIllinois University. He began hisExtension career in 1989, afterspending 18 years in sales withWayne Feeds.

Keeneth has provided exceptionalleadership promoting food corn andspecialty grains in southwest Indiana.His efforts led to the formation of theGibson County Plot Committee,which hosts local field days andreceived a Value Added Grant fromthe Office of the Commissioner ofAgriculture to promote food corn insouthwest Indiana.

In 1997, the committee hosted theNational Food Corn Field Day, whichbrought nearly 200 food cornprocessors, specialty grain buyers andcorn breeders to Princeton, Ind.

Keeneth also supports local and

district activities of the Purdue AgAlumni Association, and in 1997 hesecured an agreement with a localauto dealer to make a contribution tothe Southwest District Ag Alumniwhenever a local alumnus purchasesa vehicle from the dealership.

From the Dean ofAgriculture...

It takes a lot of cooperation tomove 300,000 cubic yards of soiland plant 6,800 trees, but therewas no shortage of volunteers onthe north end of campus this pastsummer. That spirit ofcooperation is what has made theKampen Course, formerlyknown as the North Course, areality.

And the cooperation beganlong before a single shovelful ofsoil was moved. The effort onthe Kampen Course was theresult of true collaborationbetween athletics and academicshere at Purdue. Athletic DirectorMorgan Burke made it possible,seeking to include the School ofAgriculture in the project fromthe very start.

We were thrilled to offer ourstudents the unique opportunityto take part in the design andconstruction of a golf course.Working with top golf coursedesigner Pete Dye was theexperience of a lifetime for thoseinvolved. But all of the workdone on the course last summer isjust the beginning of the learningthat will take place there.

Purdue Agriculture studentsand faculty in turfgrass and golfcourse management will makegood use of the 26-acre complexof research plots and buildingsknown as the William H. DanielTurfgrass Research andDiagnostic Center. The centerwas named after Dr. Bill Daniel,the “father of prescriptionathletic turf,” who was a realbeliever in the hands-onapproach to learning. As aprofessor who made studentswork to figure out the answers totheir questions, Bill would haverelished the opportunities forhands-on learning the researchcenter and the Kampen Coursewill provide.

Finally, I would like to thankone of Purdue Agriculture’s maincollaborators in turfgrassresearch and education over theyears. The Midwest RegionalTurf Foundation has supportedour efforts for many years, andwe are very grateful for our closeassociation with the organization.

We at Purdue Agriculture arevery pleased with these newfacilities. We look forward toutilizing them for moreaggressive, higher-qualityresearch that can better addressthe needs of golf coursemanagers and turfgrassresearchers.

Who else but Mauri Williamson as theWicked Wench?

Dignitaries donned emerald hats for the trip to Oz. Right to left they includeSchool of Agriculture Dean Vic Lechtenberg, Lt. Gov. Joseph Kernan, PurduePresident Steven Beering, Gov. Frank O’Bannon and retired Director ofAgricultural Research Programs Bill Baumgardt.

Pyrotechnic displays on the PurdueArmory stage entertained one of thelargest fish fry crowds in recent years.

Photos by Tom Campbell

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Ag alumni honor four with Certificates of Distinctionby Tom Campbell

Bill BaumgardtAs associate dean and director of

agricultural research programs atPurdue University, the recently retiredBaumgardt provided leadership to272 faculty with researchexpenditures of $45.5 million.

Baumgardt earned degrees fromPurdue (BS ’55, MS ’56) and Rutgers(PhD ’59) universities.

“Bill is a tireless, unselfish, state-of-the-art person,” says Jack L.Albright of the Indiana Commissionof Farm Animal Care. “He epitomizeswhat the Certificate of Distinctionrepresents by recognizing service toIndiana and our nation’s agricultureabove and beyond the call of duty.”

Baumgardt came to Purdue fromPenn State University, where he wasprofessor of animal nutrition (1967-80), head of the Department of Dairyand Animal Science (1970-75) andassociate director of the AgriculturalResearch Station and associate deanfor research (1979-80).

Baumgardt is a past president(1984-85) and director (1978-81) of

the American Dairy ScienceAssociation. The group honoredBaumgardt in 1993 with its Award ofHonor and again in 1997 by naminghim a Fellow of the Association.

“Bill grew up on a dairy farm,”recalls H.L. Thacker, director of thePurdue Animal Disease DiagnosticLaboratories. “He has not forgottenhis roots. He has shown remarkablededication to honoring those rootsthrough service to the agriculturalcommunity of this state.”

Pete Clark

Russell J. (Pete) Clark has workedon the family farm near Frankfort,Ind., since 1958, but his impact onagriculture is felt nationwide. Clarkhas shared his vast knowledge of thepork industry with fellow producersthrough numerous Extension and porkproducer seminars, meetings,workshops and field days.

Clark graduated from Purdue in1958. After a stint in the Navy, hereturned to the 1,200-acre family farmto manage the family’s 200-sowfarrow-to-finish operation.

“I know of no one in the state whois more highly respected among hispeers,” says Wayne L. Singleton,professor of animal sciences atPurdue. “When tough decisions areneeded, industry leaders still consultwith him for advice. Simply put,when Pete speaks, people listen.”

Clark was named a Pork AllAmerican in 1973. In 1984, he servedas president of the Indiana PorkProducers and was named MasterFarmer by Prairie Farmer Magazine.Clark helped organize the ClintonCounty Pork Producers and served asits president.

He currently is a member of the

Swine Advisory Committee to theState Animal Health Board, workingwith the State Veterinarian’s Officeestablishing animal health regulationsfor Indiana.

Clark helped establish the ClintonCounty Area Plan Commission andserved on the APC for 12 years.

Marvin PhillipsMarvin W. Phillips, BS ’53, MS ’58,

was known for his enthusiasm, positiveapproach, fairness and dedication tothose with whom he worked and for hisability to create and maintain a collegialand supportive environment forscholarly work.

Phillips joined the AgronomyDepartment at Purdue as assistantprofessor and Extension soil fertilityspecialist in 1961. He was promoted toassociate professor in 1965, then toprofessor and assistant department headin 1969. Phillips served as departmenthead from 1971 to 1991.

Phillips has been heavily involvednationally and internationally in theAmerican Society of Agronomy, theCrop Science Society of America andthe Soil Science Society of America.

Phillips was active in the UnitedStates Department of Agriculture JointTask Force on Soybean Advancement,National Soybean Crop ImprovementAdvisory Board and served as aconsultant on projects in Brazil, BurkinaFaso and Niger.

Retirement in 1994 did not slowPhillips. He served three years asspecial assistant to the dean ofagriculture, where he helped organizeExecutives in the Classroom, a seminarfor seniors in agriculture.

“I cannot remember a single time heever was too busy to provide ourorganization with guidance, counsel or

any other assistance when we asked,” saysLarry Svajgr, executive director of theIndiana Crop Improvement Association.

Vance York

After graduating from Purdue in1952, York began a 42-year careerwith Pioneer Hi-Bred International asdistrict sales representative in Mt.Vernon, Ind., From 1957 to 1963,York was the editor of KERNELSmagazine. From 1963 to 1973, theOdon, Ind., native was Pioneer’smanager of agronomy services,conducting 30 to 50 meetings per yearwith farmers to discuss corngrowingtechniques.

Until his retirement in 1996, he wasmanager of Pioneer’s productmanagement group (1989 to 1996) inDes Moines. “Vance was a verydedicated Pioneer employee for 42years. Besides his contributions toPioneer, Vance made considerablecontributions to Indiana agricultureand to the seed industry,” says PioneerVice President Bob Wichmann.

York is past president of threeagricultural organizations, the IndianaFFA Foundation, Indiana Seed TradeAssociation and the American Forageand Grassland Council. He is also apast board member of the IndianaCrop Improvement Association andco-chair of the Indiana 4-HFoundation Corporate DevelopmentCouncil.

York received the Merit Awardfrom the American Forage andGrassland Council. FFA honored hisdedication and service with theHonorary American Farmer andHonorary Hoosier Farmer awards, aswell as the Distinguished ServiceAward.

York is treasurer and manager ofYork Farms Inc. of Worthington, Ind.

The Purdue Ag Alumni Assoc-iation honored four leaders inagriculture by awarding themCertificates of Distinction at theannual Ag Alumni Fish Fry Jan. 23.

Certificates were awarded to BillBaumgardt, director of Purdue’sAgricultural Research Program; PeteClark, a pork producer; MarvinPhillips, former head of Purdue’sAgronomy Department; and VanceYork, a retired Pioneer Hi-Bredexecutive.

The Certificate of Distinction, thehighest award presented by thePurdue Ag Alumni Association, hasbeen given annually since 1938.

Scott Johnston, BS ’94, never wanted to be astarving artist. That’s why the Griffith, Ind., nativepassed up a scholarship at the prestigious ArtInstitute of Chicago to pursue a degree as alandscape architect at Purdue.

Johnston is working as a landscape architect forSouthern Land Co. of Chattanooga, Tenn., but it ishis artwork that is winning acclaim.

As the winner of the annual Albany (Georgia)Sertoma Club stamp contest, Johnston will receive acheck for $2,000. Johnson’s drawing of a pair ofdeer in the Georgia woods will grace the 1998 to

Landscape architect earnsstamp of approval

Scott Johnston’s pastel artwork recently won a statewidecompetition in Georgia.

1999 stamp issued to hunters by the GeorgiaDepartment of Natural Resources.

Purchasing the $19 stamp allows Georgiaresidents to use the 1 million acres of WildlifeManagement Areas maintained by the state.

“It was really kind of a fun picture to do,”Johnston says.

The Sertoma Club will make 251 prints ofJohnston’s original artwork to sell at auctions.The money raised will pay for hearing checksfor children in Dougherty County, Ga.

7

Faculty&StaffNotes

Forestry andNaturalResources

John Moser, PhD ’67, professorof forest biometrics, received theJohn A. Beale Award from theSociety of American Foresters(SAF). The award recognizesMoser’s outstanding service toforestry and to the SAF over asustained period of time.

4-H Youth

Curriculum specialist Susan J.Barkman received the Eric G.Sharvelle Distinguished ExtensionSpecialist award for 1997. Theaward, given in memory of aprofessor of botany and plantpathology, honors Barkman for herinnovations and creativity as anExtension specialist.

Norman D. Long, BS ’64, MS’72, is the winner of the 1997Hovde Award for Excellence. Theaward goes to a Purdue staff orfaculty member who has madeoutstanding contributions to theprogress of rural Indiana. Long,who retired as associate professorof 4-H Youth March 31, also wasnamed a Sagamore of the Wabashfor his dedication to 4-H youth.

Animal Sciences

Jack L. Albright, professoremeritus, and Bill R. BaumgardtBS ’55, MS ’56, retired director ofAgricultural Research Programs,were named Fellows of theAmerican Dairy Science Assoc-iation at the annual meeting inNashville, Tenn. Baumgardt wasnamed Sagamore of the Wabash onJan. 30.

Bob Elkin, PhD ’81, received theAmerican Feed Industry Assoc-iation Nutrition Research Award atthe annual meeting of the PoultryScience Association. Bill Muir,PhD ’77, received the MerckAward for Achievement in PoultryScience.

AgriculturalCommunications

Marti LaChance is thedepartment’s instructional designerfor the World Wide Web. LaChancehad been an editor and Webdeveloper at the University ofNebraska’s Institute of Agricultureand Natural Resources. Shereplaces Karla Embleton.

Randy Spears has beenappointed distance learningcoordinator. A video producer since1989, Spears replaces Tom Luba.

Writer/editor Andrea McCann,BS ’89, won a 1998 Golden ARC

(Agricultural Relations Council)award for her article on foodirradiation. The award waspresented at the council’s annualmeeting March 11 in Las Vegas.

Oscar Nagler, BS ’88, is aninformation specialist/editor, whoserves the publication andcommunication needs ofAgronomy, Agricultural ResearchPrograms, Biochemistry, Botanyand Plant Pathology, andHorticulture and LandscapeArchitecture. Nagler, who also editsAgriCultures Magazine, was thedirector of communications anddevelopment for Area IV Agencyon Aging.

Food Science

Philip E. Nelson, BS ’56, PhD’67, has received the United StatesDepartment of AgricultureSecretary’s Honor. Nelson wasrecognized for personal andprofessional excellence, acknow-ledging people who demonstrate anoutstanding level of accomplish-ment in furthering the mission ofthe USDA and scientific research.

James N. BeMiller, BS ’54,MS ’56, PhD ’59, has earned theAlsberg-Schoch MemorialLectureship Award, sponsored bythe Corn Refiners Association inrecognition of superiorcontributions to fundamental starchscience. BeMiller is director of theWhistler Center for CarbohydrateResearch.

Rick Millane is currentlyserving on the U.S. NationalCommittee for Crystallography, aspart of the National ResearchCouncil’s Commission on PhysicalSciences, Mathematics andApplications.

Paul Cornillion has joined thestaff as an assistant professor.Cornillion earned his PhD inchemical engineering from theUniversity of Lyon, France.Cornillion is developing in-line andoff-line applications of NuclearMagnetic Resonance (NMR) andMagnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI) to food science and foodengineering.

John Floros has been selected toreceive an Honorary ResearchProfessorship in the BiotechnologyDepartment at the DenmarkTechnical University inCopenhagen, Denmark.

Horticulture andLandscapeArchitecture

Bernie Dahl, MS ’74, has beenelected to the board of directors ofSigma Lambda Alpha Inc., the

national honor society forlandscape architecture. Dahl willserve as a member at large.

Rob Eddy, BS ’89, MS ’94, hasbeen appointed plant growthfacilities manager. Eddy,responsible for plant quality for allgreenhouse research, had been ahorticulturist for Dow Agro-Sciences (formerly Dow Elanco).

Biochemistry

Jill Hutchcroft and Joe Ogas,have joined the staff. Hutchcroft’sresearch focus is signal transductionand immune regulating by T-cellcostimulatory receptors. Ogasspecializes in plant molecularbiology and developmentalregulation.

Agronomy

The American Society ofAgronomy recently honored threestaff members. Gebisa Ejeta,PhD ’79, received the InternationalService in Agronomy Award. Hisresearch focuses on geneticcharacterization and developmentof sorghum breeding strategies fortraits associated with droughttolerance, resistance to diseases,and the parasitic weed, striga.

David Mengel, BS ’70, MS ’72and Diane Scott were electedFellows for superior achievement inresearch, education or profession.The award honors public service andmeritorious service to one or more ofthe societies and a minimum of 10years of membership.

Entomology

Abdullahi O. Ameen, has joinedthe department as manager ofsponsored product research in theCenter for Urban and IndustrialPest Management.

Agricultural andBiologicalEngineering

Rick Ritchey, is the agricultureelectronics and instrumentationtechnologist, assisting professorsand grad students with locating and/or designing and manufacturing ofelectronic equipment needed forvarious projects.

Stephanie Ball, BS ’97, isdeveloping and implementing aGeographic Information System(GIS)-based process for creatingrapid and accurate basemaps,satellite imagery, aerialphotography and multi-spectralscanner imaging to support EPAdecision-making at superfund sites.

AgriculturalEconomics

Cindy Lawley has beenappointed assistant to the head ofagricultural economics. Formerlythe assistant to the dean in theCollege of Education, Universityof Illinois, Lawley is responsiblefor coordinating daily officeduties, supervising staff andhandling various projects for thedepartment head.

Purdue AgricultureConnections is published threetimes annually by theAgricultural CommunicationService for the PurdueAgricultural Alumni Assoc. It isdistributed free to more than35,000 School of Agriculturealumni and friends.

Letters and editorial commentsmay be directed to:Tom Campbell,Agricultural Communications,1143 AGAD Building,W. Lafayette, Ind. 47907-1143(765) 494-8084Internet: tc@aes.purdue.edu

Questions about the associationand address changes may bedirected to:Agricultural Alumni Association1140 AGAD Building, Room 1W. Lafayette, Ind. 47907-1140(765) 494-8593Internet:dcl@admin.agad.purdue.edu

Donya LesterPurdue Agricultural AlumniAssociation Executive Secretary

Tom Campbell, BS’78Connections Editor

Vic Herr, BS’92Editor

Andrea McCann, BS’89Contributing Editor

Mindy JasmundGraphic Designer

It is the policy of PurdueAgriculture that all personsshall have equal access to itsprograms and facilities withoutregard to race, color, sex,religion, national origin, age, ordisability. Purdue University isan Affirmative Actionemployer.

Credits

8

CalendarApril 24

Distinguished Agricultural AlumniAwards Convocation Luncheon

Stewart CenterFor registration information contact Laurie

Swift, (765) 494-3150.

April 25Gala Week Pancake BreakfastAg Administration Building, front lawnAll alumni and their families are welcome

to come back to campus for this reunionbreakfast, held annually as part of Purdue’sGala Week festivities.

Tickets are $5 and are sold at the door.Contact Ag Alumni Association,

(765) 494-8593.

June 13-18National Agricultural Alumni &

Development Association (NAADA)Annual Conference

Grosvenor Hotel, Orlando, Fla.Sessions for professionals and volunteers in

agricultural alumni and developmentprograms.

For information contact Donya Lester,(765) 494-8593.

June 14Florida Alumni ReunionGrosvenor Hotel, Orlando, Fla.

Purdue Ag Alumni in the Orlando area willreceive an invitation to this dinner event heldin conjunction with the NAADA conference.

Contact Donya Lester, (765) 494-8593.

June 25Decatur County Golf Outing and

Steak FryGolf at North Branch Golf Course; Dinner

at Enochsburg Community Bldg.,Enochsburg, Ind.

Participants can attend either or both events.Proceeds support Decatur County agscholarship endowment.

Contact David Miers, (812) 663-7931.

July 11Ag Alumni Board Meeting and

Presidents’ PartyPeru Circus, Peru, Ind.Former directors and presidents of the Ag

Alumni Association are invited to participatein the summer board meeting and attenddinner and a performance of the Peru Circus.

Contact Donya Lester, (765) 494-8593.

August 12-23Pioneer Farm and Home Show,

Indiana State FairState Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, Ind.Come see agriculture’s past brought to life

in the historic Pioneer Village. The Ag AlumniAssociation’s vast collection of agriculturalantiques will be on display. Numerouscraftspeople demonstrate their skillsthroughout the fair, antique tractors paradedaily, and scheduled shows demonstrate oldtime farming chores such as threshing.

Contact Mauri Williamson, (765) 463-9829.

August 26Area IX Golf Outing and Steak Fry

Rocky Ridge Golf Club, Darlington, Ind.Participants can attend either or both events.

Proceeds support scholarships for studentsparticipating in international agricultural studyprograms.

Contact Gary Standiford, (765) 477-7106.

September 10Eastern Indiana Purdue Ag Alumni

Annual BanquetNew Castle, Ind.Contact Joe Russell, (765) 289-1330.

September 18Parents Day, Dedication of Food Science

BuildingDetails to be announced.

September 24State Dedication Day, Food Science

BuildingDetails to be announced.

October 2-3 Horticulture and LandscapeArchitecture Alumni reunion

The new greenhouses will be dedicatedOct. 3. Many alumni events are scheduledduring the weekend.

October 24Animal Sciences Alumni Reunion

West Lafayette, Ind.The second annual alumni reunion will be held

in conjunction with Purdue’s Homecoming.Contact Donya Lester, (765) 494-8593.

January 22, 1999Purdue Ag Fish Fry

Purdue Armory, West LafayetteAnnual meeting of the Purdue Ag Alumni

Association.For more information contact Donya Lester,

(765) 494-8593.

opportunity most people don’t get. Planting a forestthat may take 50 years to develop, well, nocommercial venture is going to do that. But Purduejust might.”

Their presentation was met with stone silence.Perhaps the jury could be excused for being tired.

After all, they had been bombarded with a steadystream of presentations since 8:30 a.m. Consultancywork that would cost Jim Scott, well, certainly morethan he could afford, had been laid in his lap. Hecould use all of it, some of it or none of it, asOxenrider and Storey were beginning to fear.

Storey’s face turned red with embarrassment.“They hate it,” she remembers thinking.Quite the contrary. Scott had been overwhelmed

by the depth of their presentation. After a longpause, Scott punctured the awkward silence.

“You’re both hired! When can you start?”They will be working on what easily could be

termed the largest laboratory on campus.“Now we are going to put research out on the

golf course,” says Throssell, co-director of theTurfgrass Research and Diagnostic Center.

“Building a golf course is really something youcould never replicate or duplicate in a classroomsetting. You could talk about principles—you starthere and end up there—but the steps in between,it’s hard to convey that.”

The turfgrass research center is located justsouth of the Kampen Course. But it is the accessto the course itself that thrills Throssell.

“With the golf course right there, it makesthat step real easy,” he says. “We feel veryfortunate to have that close connection. Howmany colleges are fortunate enough to have twogolf courses a mile from campus? This is justfantastic.”

The seventh hole, a par 4 that borders thewestern edge of the course, has two separatefairways cleaved by a waste bunker. Onefairway is for golfers, the other for researchers.Rotating the fairways affords researchers theluxury of observing their projects under realconditions, and not just on a test plot.

“That is just one example of the kind ofcooperation we enjoy on this project, Throssellsays. “We can work on one half of the fairwayand golfers can use the other fairway, and wewill be in no danger.

“In classes, we show slides of what variousproblems are. That is helpful, and it is one wayto learn. But when you see it live and in person,with your own eyes, your retention is so muchbetter. Students can look at disease samples,they can pick it up, look at it in the field and doa field diagnosis of all sorts of problems. We think

this will be a tremendous way for our students tolearn.

“As time goes by, there will be more and moreexperiments out on the golf course,” Throssell says.“Students can see the outcomes of our experimentsin the conditions they will be facing in their careers.This will be a big shot in the arm for our program tomake a stronger connection between the academicsstudents learn in the classroom and the applicationof the knowledge they gain on the golf course.”

Throssell hopes the course and the researchcenter will help lure top-notch high school studentsto Purdue.

“This will be a tremendous recruiting tool,” hesays. “The golf industry is going very strong, and atPurdue we have the opportunity, with this facility, tomake a real strong link with academics. Students seewhat we have here and say, ‘Yeah, I want to be apart of this.’ ”

Throssell says there is a great deal of self-prideinvolved.

“We have very high expectations in what we do,”he says. “We want to deliver good, quality researchthat makes a difference—research that helps peopledo their jobs more efficiently. When our graduatesgo out and get jobs, we want them to be well-respected and sought after in their fields.”

continued from page 2

9

ClassNotes

continued on page 10

1930sJoseph W. DeWees, BS’35,Nashville, Ind., is stayingactive by walking his dog inthe woods, escorting tourgroups through Brown CountyState Park, square dancing,planting Christmas trees everyspring and traveling whenpossible.

1940sWilliam F. Gernand, BS’47,retired as vice president andtrust officer with the FirstNational Bank of ColoradoSprings. He resides inColorado Springs, Colo.

George A. Johannessen,MS’48, is institute directoremeritus with CaliforniaTomato Research Institute Inc.He resides in Danville, Calif.

1950sClayton C. Wright , BS’50,works for B&G Co. andresides in Rio Hondo, Texas.

Charles E. Taylor, BS’59,MS’60, PhD’72, Evansville,Ind., retired Jan. 3 from theOffice of Surface Mining,U.S. Department of Interior.He had been with them sinceJanuary 1979 as a reclamationspecialist and inspector of coalmines in Illinois and Indiana.

1960sDavid Vannice, Clinton, Ill.,is owner of Salt CreekLonghorn Ranch, where hebreeds quality longhorn cattle.

Walter J. Armbruster ,BS’62, MS’64, Darien, Ill., ismanaging director of FarmFoundation in Oak Brook, Ill.He is president of theAmerican AgriculturalEconomics Association, pastpresident of AmericanAgricultural Law Association,and chairman of the NationalFarm-City Council.

Robert B. Fulton, MS’63, isa retired college principal andresides in Larne, NorthernIreland.

William R. Reilly , PhD’65, isretired and living in Crystal,Minn. He was appointed tothe board of directors ofUniversity of Minnesota’sCollege of Agriculture AlumniSociety in the fall of 1996. Hewill be in the Ukraine inJanuary 1998 for VolunteersOverseas for CooperativeAssistance (VOCA) helpingthe Ukrainian government

establish several commodityexchanges in the country.From February to December1998, he will be at theUniversity of Fort Hare inSouth Africa on a facultydevelopment project foreducators in Africa.

Robert James Hillier,MS’66, PhD’68, Stillwater,Okla., is owner of HillierAngus, CEO of H&H Cattle,and international cattleconsultant. He is a member ofthe board of directors of theAmerican Angus Associationand vice president of NEAngus Association. He washonored in 1996 as a majorcontributor to the success ofCertified Angus Beef.

Mark J. Reasor, BS’67, isprofessor of pharmacologyand toxicology at WestVirginia University inMorgantown, W. Va. Herecently received recertifi-cation as a Diplomat of theAmerican Board of Toxicology.

1970sRonald L. Bell, BS’70, St.Joseph, Mo., is refugemanager with Squaw CreekNational Wildlife Refuge inMound City, Mo. He receiveda Star Award for outstandingoutreach effort incommunications to localcommunities about SquawCreek and the Fish andWildlife Service.

Douglas R. Ware, BS’70,received a PhD from IowaState University in 1976. Hefounded Nutrition PhysiologyCorp. in 1993. His companywas featured in the June 1995issue of Forbes Magazine. Helives in Indianapolis with hiswife and two daughters.

David A. Easterla,PhD’72, Maryville, Mo., isdistinguished universityprofessor of biology atNorthwest Missouri StateUniversity. He was selectedas the Missouri 1996 Conser-vation Educator of the Yearby the ConservationFederation of Missouri.

Jennifred E. (Hartje) Jones,FRMR’72, is a controller withAlpha Computers inLafayette, Ind. She lives withher husband Mark and theirsix children in a country homein Carroll County. She enjoysdesigning and planting newflower gardens.

Robert E. Shelton, BS’72,Crawfordsville, Ind., is salesrepresentative for PBI/GordonInc., in Kansas City, Mo. Histerritory includes Indiana,Illinois and Kentucky.

George Randall Armstrong,FRMR’74, has recentlymoved to Seymour, Ind.

Roger W. Hadley II, BS’75,Woodburn, Ind., was votedvice president of the AmericanSoybean Association in chargeof membership services andcorporate relations.

Robert Skirvin , PhD’75, isrecipient of the Excellence inCollege and UniversityTeaching in the Food andAgricultural Sciences Awardsponsored by the U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture andNASULGC. This awardhonors him for his work at theUniversity of Illinois atUrbana-Champaign, citinghim as an internationallyrecognized researcher whofocuses on tissue culture offruit crops, and as a popularand effective teacher.

Donald W. Edgecomb,BS’76, MS’78, assumed anew position in April 1997 asregional research and develop-ment manager–Western U.S.,Agricultural Crop ProtectionProducts, Rohm and HaasCompany. He relocated toFresno, Calif., from thePhiladelphia, Pa., area.

Marguerite Lowell Crum ,BS’78, West Lafayette, Ind., isworking as a certifiedemergency nurse for the St.Elizabeth Medical Center.

Thomas C. Paulson, BS’79,Oakland, Calif., got married inNov. 1996. He received anMBA in Finance andInternational Business duringJune 1997 from CaliforniaState University, Hayward.He is an associate with HiltonFarnkopf & Hobson, LLC inFremont, Calif.

Doug Weisheit, BS’79,Rockville, Ind., is generalmanager for Billie CreekVillage & Inn. He wasawarded the 1997 JosephineHauck Award by the IndianaState Festivals Association forsignificant contributions to allHoosier festivals.

1980sAmy (Lemen) Chase, BS’81,is enrolled at IUPUI workingon a high school scienceteaching certificate. Sheresides with her husband Rickin Franklin, Ind.

Deborah Shoufler, BS’81, iseditor/communicationsdirector for the Indiana BeefCattle Association inIndianapolis. She resides inGreenfield, Ind.

Jeanne Broderick Vana,BS’81, Mililani, Hawaii,married Steven Vana inJanuary 1997. She isparticipating in Class VII ofthe Hawaii AgriculturalLeadership Program. She iscurrently overseeing all phasesof agricultural operations andcommercial development ofDole Food Company andrapidly expanding newtropical fruit orchard andflower ventures.

Jeffrey T. Walters, BS’81,Woodland Park, Colo., is apilot with United Airlines. Heand his wife Nicholewelcomed a baby boy onChristmas Day 1997.

Tim Nannet, BS’82,Crawfordsville, Ind., welcomedthe arrival of his second child,Andrea Elizabeth, on Jan. 24.

Keith Delaplane, BS’83,Bogart, Ga., is assistantprofessor of entomology at theUniversity of Georgia. He andhis wife Mary welcomed EvaClaire Marie on Dec. 2, 1997.

Toni R. Smith, BS’84, isarboreal inspector for City andCounty of Denver ForestryOffice. She is a member of theInternational Society ofArboriculture (ISA), past co-editor of the Rocky MountainChapter of the ISA’s publicationTree Leaves, and candidatemember of The AmericanSociety of Consulting Aborists.She resides in Denver, Colo.,with her husband Paul and theirtwo sons.

Shelley R. (Hobson) Johnson,BS’85, is a partner at Allman &Company CPAs inIndianapolis, Ind. She has beenselected to be one of 25 youngexecutives to participate in the1997-98 Stanley K. LacyExecutive Leadership series(SKL).

10

Kigen William Ekeson, BSLA ’86, Mt.Baldy, Calif., left professional life tobecome a monk with the Mt. Baldy ZenCenter. He continues to do occasionallandscapes, including various smallgardens and a Zen garden for the LagunaBeach Art Museum.

Vickie Maris , BS’86, Battle Ground,Ind., is launching a new club for horse-crazy kids called the Dawn of PromisePony Pals Club. She also owns andoperates Dawn of Promise Connemaras.Connemara is the native pony of Ireland.

Jeffery A. Kolp, BS’87, Murfreesboro,Tenn., is regional sales manager forAmerican Truckers in Indianapolis, Ind.

Daniel Kluchinski, MS’87, FranklinPark, N.J., works as a regional field cropextension agent in central New Jerseysince graduating from Purdue. He hasrecently been promoted with tenure toassociate professor at Rutgers University.

Deanna K. Albaugh, BS’89, BatonRouge, La., is an elevator superintendentwith Cargill Inc. She is on the board ofdirectors of the Louisiana Capital AreaChapter of American Red Cross. Sheenjoys hot air ballooning and running.

Wendy Graffam Carlsen, BS’89,MS’92, is associate nutritionist at theWildlife Conservation Society (BronxZoo). She resides in City Island, N.Y.

1990sRick Farris , BS’90, Sac City, Iowa, ispork production consultant with Land O’Lakes. He welcomed a son Nathan onMarch 20, 1997.

Brian Spencer, BS’90, is parts andservice manager for Case Corp. in Racine,Wis. He and his wife Libby (Warfield)celebrated the birth of their first child,Andrew Keith, on Sept. 23, 1997.

Scott Strong, BS’90, Lafayette, Ind., ispresident of Strong Information Services,Inc. He was recently named president-elect of the Indiana Chapter of theNational Speakers Association and hasreleased his third book entitled “StrongStories of Faith.”

Nola Bernard, BS’91, Slough, UnitedKingdom, has been working for M&M/Mars in New Jersey. She has recentlyaccepted a temporary assignment with theMars unit in England.

Chuck Long, BS’92, Mt. Vernon, Ill., ismanager at Consolidated Grain and Barge.He and his wife Robin welcomed a babyboy on Jan. 4.

Anastasia Pantera, MS’92, Karpenissi,Greece, is assistant professor in theForestry Department at the TechnologicalEducation Institute in Karpenissi.

Jennifer L.Vogel, BS’93, is a soilconservationist with Natural ResourcesConservation Service in Versailles, Ind.She resides in North Vernon with herhusband, David, and their two daughters,Ashley and Allison.

Derek H. Elwood, BS’94, Naperville, Ill.,is an investment executive with PaineWebber in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. Hemarried his wife, Wendy, in May of last year.

Linnea Floyd, BS’94, Indianapolis, Ind.,is an environmental protection specialistwith the Indiana Department of NaturalResources/Division of Fish & Wildlife inIndianapolis. She was recently selectedfor the International Who’s Who ofProfessionals.

John Edward Nagle, BS’94, Greensburg,Ind., is swine manager with Lofer Acres.He and his wife, Melissa, welcomedAdrianna Michelle on Dec. 22, 1997.

Matthew Sell, BS’94, Belton, Mo., hascompleted his master’s of science in Bibleand Theology from the Calvary TheologicalSeminary in Kansas City, Mo. He and hiswife Joy will be relocating to Spain to workwith church ministries on the southern coast.

Gina (Smith) Silverthorn, BS’94, Cutler,Ind., is a sales representative with MerialLimited (formerly Merck Ag Vet). Sheand her husband, Scott, welcomed a babyboy on Oct. 10, 1997.

Nathan Zenser, BS’96, is a graduatestudent at the University of California,Davis. He resides in Davis, Calif.

Paul E. Rockhill, BS’97, has a newposition as district sales manager for westcentral Indiana for Campbell Seed Inc., inTipton, Ind. He resides in Lafayette withhis wife, Cheryl, and their two daughters.

DEATHS

Harrison M. Brown , BS’40, Savannah,Ga., passed away Sept. 29, 1997.

ClassNotes...continued

ClassNotes is a great way to keep up with fellow Ag Alumni. Send us your news and we’ll share it withreaders of Connections. Let us know about honors or awards, changes in your job or family status, or yourcommunity activities. Be sure to include your degree, year of graduation and phone number in case we haveany questions. Contact Donya Lester, Purdue Agricultural Alumni Association, 1140 AGAD, Room 1,Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1140. You may e-mail information to Donya at:dcl@admin.agad.purdue.edu

Stay in Touch

Eight School of Agriculture alumni will behonored as recipients of the 1998 DistinguishedAgricultural Alumni Awards during a specialceremony on the West Lafayette campusApril 24.

Award winners from six states, the District ofColumbia and one foreign country will behonored at a convocation, luncheon andreception hosted by Purdue Dean of AgricultureVic Lechtenberg.

Award winners and their hosting departments(in parentheses) include:

Dr. Melissa Ashlock, BS ’90, investigator,acting chief of the vector development sectionof the laboratory of gene transfer, NationalCenter of Human Genome Research, NationalInstitute of Health, Bethesda, Md.(Biochemistry).

Robert Baltzell, BS ’68, MS ’69, president,Baltzell-Agri-Products, vice president, GladwinA. Read Co., Omaha, Neb. (Animal Sciences).

Charles Conner, BS ’80, president, CornRefiners Association, Washington, D.C.(Agricultural Economics).

Jill Gisele Greene, BS ’78, vice presidentand team leader, Meyocks and PriebeAdvertising Inc., West Des Moines, Iowa(Animal Sciences).

David New, BS ’73, vice president fortimberland resources, Boise Cascade Corp.,Boise, Idaho (Forestry and Natural Resources).

John Oelslager, BS ’66, president,automation group, Parker-Hannifin Corp.,Cleveland, Ohio (Agricultural and BiologicalEngineering).

Julio Penna, PhD ’74, head of theDepartment of Economics, Catholic Universityof Argentina, senior economist, NationalInstitute of Agricultural Technology, BuenosAires, Argentina (Agricultural Economics).

Thomas Roney, BS ’68, president, TuttleOrchards Inc., Greenfield, Ind. (Horticulture andLandscape Architecture).

Eight namedDistinguishedAg Alumni

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11

AssociationNewsAg Alumni elect Wilson president

Harold Wilson, BS ’51, Peru,Ind., will serve as president of thePurdue Ag Alumni Associationthrough January 2000. Wilson,who operates a grain and swinefarm in Miami County, has servedon the association’s board ofdirectors since 1986.

Nominations were made at theassociation’s annual meeting Jan.23. Wilson has represented theWildcat District (Area VIII) andserved a two-year stint as vicepresident of the association.

Robert W. (Bob) Taylor MS ’59,PhD ’63, West Lafayette, wasnominated as vice president.Taylor, a professor of agriculturaleconomics, is completing hissecond term as an at-large director,

DevelopmentNotesAgricultural Development Office, Growing Purdue Agriculture

by June Lang

Thank you to those who sent giftsin response to the departmental wishlists published in the last issue ofConnections. We had a greatresponse and are looking forward tomaking the wish list an annual event.

To each of you who generouslyparticipated in this year’s phone-a-thon, we send another big THANKYOU. January is typically the timethat the School of Agriculture solicitsalumni and friends for gifts via thePurdue phone-a-thon. Callers keepup their efforts until all alumni havebeen reached.

Scholarship funding, whichallows Purdue Agriculture tocontinue to attract the best andbrightest students to careers inthe food and fiber sectors, is thefocus of the 1998 campaign. PurdueAgriculture greatly appreciates yourpositive response.

Donor SpotlightMrs. Annie Stinson Hafele,

BS ’44, and Marion F. Hafele,BS ’48, of Kingsport, Tenn., haveestablished an endowed scholarshipfor freshmen entering the School ofAgriculture from Perry County, Ind.The Hafeles look upon theirscholarship endowments and thestudents who receive them as theirgrandchildren.

“Although we paid the prevailingtuition and fees, we now recognizethat our Purdue education was largelysubsidized by previous benefactorsand by Indiana taxpayers,” saysMarion F. Hafele.

“It is now pay back time... acceptedwith pleasure along with the fondmemories and pride of being a Purduealumnus.”

having been elected in 1992.Officers nominated for one-year

terms are Ellsworth P. Christmas,BS ’58, MS ’61, PhD ’64, WestLafayette, secretary, and Robert W.(Bob) Ferling, BS ’57, MS ’67,Crawfordsville, Ind., treasurer.

Jim Beaty, BS ’77, MS ’86, WestLafayette, was nominated as an at-large director to serve a three-yearterm. Beaty is the superintendent ofthe Purdue Agronomy ResearchCenter.

Wayne Dillman, BS ’51,Martinsville, Ind.; Laura Grime,BS ’83, Ft. Wayne; Kent Rose,Galveston, Ind.; and Ted Cybularz,BS ’85, O’Fallon, Mo., wererenominated to fill three-yearappointments as directors.

Photo by J.C. Allen

This September 1927 photograph shows professors C.M. Vestal and F.G. King leading adiscussion at the 7th Annual Swine Day meeting in the livestock pavilion on the Purdue campus.The pavilion is still in use, housing the Grounds Service Department.

A Bit of History

Indiana Agriculture:Stats and Facts

Indiana’s agricultural production rankings among the states showed fewfluctuations in 1997, according to Ralph Gann, state statistician for the IndianaAgricultural Statistics Service.

Indiana’s ranking improved for tobacco, winter wheat, oats, rye, potatoesand hay. The ranking dropped for fresh-market tomatoes and peaches. As forlivestock, Indiana moved up in milk cows and lamb crop and dropped in cattleon feed, beef cows, sheep and pig crop.

“Livestock numbers have dropped somewhat,” Gann says, “while they’reincreasing in other states. There’s been a shift in where these enterprises are.

“Indiana producers decreased farrowing by 35,000 sows during the first halfof the year.”

Purdue Extension agricultural economist Chris Hurt says overall hogproduction in the primary Midwestern states has been declining throughout thepast decade, and there has been a redistribution of the industry toward NorthCarolina and the southwestern and western fringes of the Corn Belt. Concernabout the environment has caused production to grow in more sparselypopulated areas, where there are fewer disagreements about land use.

“There’s a great deal of concern about conflict between hogs and people inour region—more so than in other areas,” Hurt says. “Our trend in Indiana hasbeen to remain stable.”

Indiana’s higher ranking in tobacco production was due to increased acreageand a return to near-average yields, which led to the largest total production oftobacco since 1992, Gann says.

“Winter wheat acreage was reduced, but yield returned to the fourth-higheston record. There was a 20-bushel-per-acre increase over the ’96 crop,” he says.

On Indiana’s 23,200,000 total acres, there are 62,000 farms with 13,366,000acres in cropland. Total land in farms equals 15,900,000 acres. The averagefarm size is 256 acres. Most farming operations—85 percent—are individuallyowned.

Indiana’s ag production rankings(Leading State)

First Popcorn, Ducks, Egg-type chicks hatched

Third Tomatoes for processing (Calif.)

Fourth Soybeans (Iowa), Chickens-excluding broilers (Ohio)

Total eggs produced (Ohio), Peppermint (Ore.)

Fifth Hogs (N.C.), Corn for grain (Ohio), Cantaloupes (Calif.),

Spearmint (Wash.)

Sixth Pig crop (N.C.), Ice cream production (Calif.),

Watermelons (Calif.)

Seventh Turkeys (N.C.), Blueberries (Mich.),

Snap beans for processing (Wis.)

Eighth Tobacco (N.C.)

Ninth Cucumbers for processing (Mich.)

14th Winter wheat (Kan.), Sweet corn (Fla.)

15th Cattle on feed (Texas)

16th Tomatoes for fresh market (Fla.)

17th Milk cows, Milk production (Wis.)

18th Commercial apples (Wash.), Oats (Wis.)

20th Rye (Ga.)

22nd Lamb crop (Texas)

24th Freestone peaches (Calif.), Potatoes (Idaho),

Wool production (Texas)

27th Hay (Texas)

28th Sheep and lambs (Texas)

30th Beef cows (Texas)

33rd All cattle and calves, Calf crop (Texas)

34th Honey production (Calif.)

by Andrea McCann

12

Non-profit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDPurdue University

Agricultural Administration Building (Illustration by Robert Nunn)

So you w

ant to build a putting green in youryard. N

ot only will it m

ake your yard more

functional, but it also will give the neighbors

something to talk about. T

hey will im

mediately

assume you w

on the lottery and quit your job,because you w

ill need plenty of money and

time for m

embership in the exclusive hom

e-putting netw

ork that boasts satisfied customers like

Shaquille O

’Neal, W

ill Sm

ith and Bill C

linton.P

urdue golf course superintendent Jim S

cott,’B

S 87, has a recipe guaranteed to keep you

puttering around the house for years to come.

Scott says construction costs for an

average-sized green (7,000 square feet) startrelatively cheap, but quickly take off like aTiger W

oods tee shot.F

or starters, 760 feet of 4-inch drainage tilew

ould cost about $145. Cover the tile w

ith 4inches of pea gravel. A

t $7.70 per ton, 142 tonsw

ill cost $1,093.40. Top that off with a m

ixtureof sand (70 percent) and peat m

oss to a depth of14 inches. A

t $29 a ton, 324 tons adds another$9,396 to the bill. H

ey, no cutting corners,spend the kids’ inheritance and do it right.W

e’re just getting to the fun part.F

ourteen pounds of Pennlinks C

reepingB

entgrass seed at $6 per pound costs $84.F

ertilizer to make it grow

(16-28-10 starter andM

illorganite Organic) w

ill cost about $16 foryour green. Your tab, and the title of M

r. Putt-

Putt that goes w

ith it, is now in the $11,000

neighborhood. And that doesn’t include labor.

Scott estim

ates that could add another $8,000for a total cost of about $19,000.

Idea: Get your friends to w

ork in exchangefor putting privileges on your green. W

in

money back later in putting contests. U

nder thestroller, off the skateboard, nothing but thebottom

of the cup.If all of this w

ork has worn you out, S

cottsays you can get a riding m

ower for about

$7,000. Otherw

ise, a walking m

ower w

ill cost

about $3,000. Cups, flags and flag sticks w

illrun about $25 per set.

Multiply this by 18 and you get an idea of

what 1997 w

as like for Scott. E

ach green on thenew

Kam

pen Course had to be built to the

exacting specifications of the United S

tatesG

olf Association (U

SG

A), w

hich made a video

of green construction to distribute to golfcourses throughout the w

orld.If all of this still hasn’t dam

pened your greendream

, perhaps Zac R

eicher can talk you backto reality.

Reicher, co-director of P

urdue University’s

Turfgrass Diagnostic and R

esearch Center,

suggests you leave this highly specialized turfproject to the professionals.

“What m

ost people end up with is a big

mess,” he says. “Too m

any people think all youhave to do is m

ow your grass really short, but

that doesn’t work. C

utting grass to a height ofthree-sixteenths of an inch invites all sorts ofturf problem

s.”F

or one thing, as with all real estate, location

is everything, and most yards just don’t have

what it takes, w

hich is plenty of sunshine andproper air circulation.

“The w

orst thing you can do is locate thegreen in a shady area bordered by trees,”R

eicher says. “Unfortunately, that describes a

lot of yards.”A

good alternative to the real thing is aputting green w

ith an artificial surface, likeyour neighborhood P

utt-Putt. S

ure,construction and m

aintenance costs will

plumm

et, but don’t expect Shaq, W

ill and Bill

to drop by to fill out your front-yard foursome.

It takes a lot of green to make a putting green

Building a putting green isn’t as sim

ple as cuttingyour grass shorter than a three-day beard. D

oing itthe right w

ay (by United S

tates Golf A

ssociationstandards as show

n here) requires drainage tilesandw

iched between layers of soil (brow

n), peagravel (gray), and a sand and peat m

oss mix

(black) to exacting and expensive specifications.

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pb

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graphic by Mariana W

allig