Soil Science at North Carolina State University can trace its origins to an Act of the General Assembly in 1877, which established a North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station. The history of Soil Science programs and the people involved from that time until the present has been chronicled and interpreted most effectively in this document. As you read it you will become very aware of the importance of soil science in meeting some of the real needs of the citizens of North Carolina, the nation and the world. Many outstanding people have shared in this mission. The enthusiasm and dedication of the current faculty to respond to new challenges in teaching, research and extension in soil science means that the tradition of excellence has continued. The department is most grateful to Dr. Ralph J. McCracken, former faculty member and Department Head, for volunteering his time to research and write this most interesting and informative history.
The initiatives for the founding of North Carolina State University (originally named the North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts) and the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station which came from members of the Watauga Club and other farm and political leaders of the state is well acknowledged. In addition, a group of advocates in educational and scientific leadership positions also played a significant part, and their role is often not fully recognized. This group was heavily involved in initiation and implementation of agricultural programs at N.C. State and especially in establishment of the roots of the soils programs here, and for that they deserve special recognition and thanks. This group includes Dr. Kemp Battle, President of the University of North Carolina in the 1870s; Dr. Washington Caruthers Kerr, State Geologist for North Carolina and a faculty member of UNC in the 1870s; Dr. Albert Ledoux, first agricultural chemist and who may be considered the first director of what was to become the N.C. Agricultural Experiment Station at NCSU; Dr. Charles William Dabney, Jr., the second Director of the Experiment Station and also an agricultural chemist and Dr. Milton Whitney, first Superintendent of the First Research farm (Battle 1966; Schaub 1955; Winters 1964, 1965).
The activities of these men provided the roots of the soil science program, a role not fully brought out in histories of the University, the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Agricultural Experiment Station. President Battle became interested in the concept of a State Agricultural Experiment Station using the model of the one established in Connecticut in the early 1870s by Dr. W. O. Atwater. Dr. Atwater's objective for founding the pioneer Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station was application of scientific knowledge in agriculture—a novel idea at that time—to support and supervise the newly emerging chemical fertilizer industry in Connecticut and to determine the nutrient needs of the soils on which the fertilized crops were to be grown.
Such activities were to follow up and exploit the recently completed research by chemists in Germany (especially that of Justus von Liebig), and England (especially Gilbert and Lawes), who had discovered that the growing of crops is "vastly aided by application of plant food to soils in form of chemical fertilizers"—a daring new idea at the time of its discovery in the 1840s. A Scottish professor of chemistry, James F. W. Johnston, who proposed that farmers learn these new experimental techniques from scientists and subsidize laboratory research on these new "special manures" (commercial fertilizers), also contributed to the concept of an agricultural experiment station (Knoblauch and others 1962).
Because of the strong interests in fertilizers and soils, North Carolina was one of the first seven states to establish a State Agricultural Experiment Station (Knoblauch and others 1962). In his position as State Geologist located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, W. C. Kerr was besieged with requests to analyze fertilizer materials as to their efficacy and quality and to make recommendations as to their use. He felt, much to his credit, that this kind of activity needed to be associated with an agricultural rather than a geological setting and therefore was one of the members of a team that led the efforts to establish the N.C. Department of Agriculture and what was to become the N.C. Agricultural Experiment Station. This fertilizer analysis program started on the campus at Chapel Hill where there were laboratory facilities, but Battle and Kerr were instrumental in moving this laboratory to Raleigh after the Experiment Station was successfully under way.
The thinking in Connecticut and of the leaders in North Carolina, especially President Battle, Kerr and Dabney, was that after the initial high priority work had been done and a program of control of quality of fertilizers and of recommending amounts to use was established, the researchers could then go on to other agricultural research needs in an expanded program. Thus these primordial programs of fertilizer and soil activities were not only the forerunners of the present soil science program but also could be considered the roots and the cause for establishment of the N.C. Agricultural Experiment Station (NCAES) now the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service (NCARS).
Genesis of what may be identified as soil-science-related activity within what is now NCSU and the NCARS is attributable to three actions:
Ledoux, an excellent chemist, started a program of analysis of fertilizers as to quality (what came to be called fertilizer control) and their effectiveness in promoting crop growth. However, he resigned in 1880 after only three years in this position.
Dr. Charles William Dabney Jr. was appointed to replace Ledoux in 1880 and thus became the second director of the Agricultural Experiment Station (Winters 1965). Dabney continued and enlarged the work on efficacy of fertilizer materials and of the plant food requirements for crop growth on various soils, although strongly interested in plant nutrients, plant root functions and soil conservation.
Plant food requirements was the first priority item, as indicated in Dabneys Agricultural Experiment Station Report for 1881, which included the statement that "the subject which most interests our people is that of fertilizing the soil." Dabney studied and brought general attention to the "relative exhaustion of plant nutrients by cotton, wheat and tobacco." He acquired this information by analysis of nutrient content of these plants and relating these data to the fertilizer requirements of the plants—a pioneering approach. He and his associates also reported on "how plants obtained ammonia," value of deep plowing of soils and the relative costs of fertilizer materials. He urged the establishment of an experimental farm and was the prime mover in obtaining such a tract in 1885.
In 1886, Dabney appointed Milton Whitney as the first superintendent of the research farm in West Raleigh. On this tract, Whitney initiated research on physical properties of soils in relation to growth of plants, which was among the first, if not the first, such research in the USA. Also in 1886, Whitney began the first pot culture work in the USA for measuring the plant food requirements of crops, using 1-gallon candy jars as pots. About the same time, he investigated the amount of evapotranspiration of cotton and the effects of soil temperature and moisture on plant growth, which have been called "the first really important investigations of this subject in the USA" (Winters 1965).
He [Whitney] was to go on a few years later to wider responsibilities as Chief of the newly established Bureau of Soils in the USDA. In this position, he became world renowned for establishment of the first soil survey program in the USA and the first systematic classification of U.S. soils. He also became widely known for his highly controversial view that soil texture (content of clay, silt and sand) was the chief factor in soil productivity and not the soil's nutrient status or fertility, which put him in sharp difference with the soil chemists and soil fertility specialists of that day.
He [Whitney] was also renowned for his ever present cigar and his allegations that he could determine the kind of soil in which a tobacco was grown by the aroma of the smoke from these cigars (Simonson 1986). Oral history indicates that not all of his work associates shared this cigar connoisseur's enthusiasm.
The first soil fertility trials away from the Research Farm were conducted on the farms of six cooperating farmers in Orange and Chatham counties in 1886, due to the vision and efforts of Dabney. The first soil fertility research plots at outlying locations but controlled by the Station began on leased fields in Edgecombe and Robeson counties in 1899. These leased fields "primed the pump" for establishment of outlying research stations (then called test farms) which began shortly thereafter. Soil fertility plots, fertilizer trials and soil management trials and demonstrations were the soil science component of these early outlying research stations.
Thus by the turn of the century, the foundations were laid for a program in soil fertility and soil management and related soil science research. Because of this foundation C. B. Williams was able to comment in 1927 "there is probably no state that has a better knowledge of its soil and plant food deficiencies" (Williams 1927).
The pioneering soil survey program was also prominent in the early days of soil science activities at NCSU. The soil survey program in North Carolina began in 1900, a cooperative effort between N.C. State and the State Board of Agriculture (precursor of the State Department of Agriculture) (Lee 1984).
North Carolina became one of the first six states to begin a program of systematic classification and mapping of soils, with accompanying interpretations of use potentials. The first soil survey in North Carolina was the "Raleigh to New Bern Area" started in 1900. The purpose of the survey was to serve as a basis for systematic investigation of the fertilizer requirements of different crops (especially tobacco). Scale of mapping for this pioneer survey was one inch per mile compared with scales of 4 inches per mile and larger used today. Thirteen types of soils were recognized, and soil type names were established for soils prominent and extensive today but much more narrowly defined—such as Cecil and Norfolk. The area was selected because it paralleled railroad rights-of-way along which some geologic mapping had been done (the early soil surveys had a very strong geologic bias and basis) and because this was an important tobacco-producing area.
A second soil survey was begun in the Statesville area in the Piedmont in 1901. The report accompanying the soil maps of this area stated that farming practices had "caused washing and small gullies . . . with many fields having gullies with a depth of greater than 40 feet" (Lee 1984). This is one of the first published descriptions of concerns about soil erosion, which subsequently became a strong national concern and led to the establishment of the USDA Soil Conservation Service. Some recommendations for control of this erosion were made in the Statesville area soil survey report:—"gullied fields in a few years could be entirely reclaimed by judicious use of ditches and terraces and the filling in of the larger gullies by means of pine boughs and logs"—a forerunner of more technical and advanced erosion control recommendations to come later.
Early Soil Science Teaching Activities. The first formal recognition of soil science teaching at North Carolina State appears to be the 1890 Catalog, which shows that in the junior year agriculture majors were to receive instruction in agricultural chemistry, covering "atmosphere as plant feeder, the plant and the soil—its composition and origin, physical and chemical properties and its agency as reservoir plant feeder" (N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts 1890-1900).
By 1895-96, the catalog showed that in their senior year students also were to receive lecture topics in "care and use of manures, improvement of exhausted soils by rotation of crops and by growing renovation crops" (N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts 1890-1900).
For the 1897-98 academic year, a series of formal courses was listed for the first time, including a course in soil physics for seniors (mostly involving farm drainage and water handling practice) (N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts 1890-1900). In the 1900-01 catalog, Agricultural Experiment Station Department and research personnel affiliated with the Experiment Station were listed for the first time, a beginning of the coordination of research-teaching-extension that has made the Land Grant College concept so effective (N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts 1890-1900).
Early Extension Activities for Transfer of Soils and Fertilizer Information. It is interesting to note that by 1888 demonstrations and tests of fertilizer use on various soils were conducted on 21 outlying farms in cooperation with these farmers. Demonstrations and on-farm tests included comparisons of rock phosphate, cottonseed meal and kainite (a potassium-bearing mineral) versus no fertilizer or stable manure only. Such extension activities continued in a growing but somewhat limited way until the passage of the Smith- Lever Act in 1914, which provided Federal funds for extension work and established a Cooperative Extension Service in each state.
C. B. Williams was named agronomist and director of NCAES in 1907. William Etheridge was appointed Assistant Agronomist with responsibilities for teaching general soils courses in one or more of the one-year, two-year and short course programs.
This period was marked by the establishment of the first significant federal funding for agricultural research under the Adams Act. Two of the four agronomy-related station research projects funded by the Adams Act had soils themes as their main objectives. These were "Soil nitrification with reference to the bacterium concerned and its isolation" and "Relation of geology and chemistry of soils to productivity and fertilizer requirements" (Schaub 1955). Because of the expansion of programs beyond the original topics of fertilizers, soils and crops, several divisions were established within the Agriculture program in 1910—one of which was Agronomy, a precursor to the Soil Science and Crop Science Departments. Research programs in Agronomy and other divisions were supported by federal funds under the Adams Act and funds from taxes on fertilizer sales, as there were no direct appropriations of state funds for research support until years later.
In World War I, potash (potassium) became scarce and high priced, since this fertilizer material had previously been imported from Germany. Because of this need much of the research effort in this period was oriented toward solutions for the potash shortage. Research was conducted and recommendations made on use of tobacco stems and ashes as sources of potassium.
In 1913, a position designated as a soil chemist for research purposes appeared for the first time in the NCAES staff listings in the catalog section showing the Experiment Station staff (N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts 1912-16).
Also appearing in the 1913 catalog was the first listing of soil surveyors on the Agricultural Experiment Station roster (they had previously been affiliated with the N.C. Department of Agriculture). Listed as soil surveyors were L. L. Brinkley, R. C. Jurney and S. O. Perkins (N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts 1912-16).
Teaching, 190716. With the growth of the agronomy program the first listing of courses under an agronomy heading appeared in 1908. This listing included the first general soils course to be offered in the four-year baccalaureate program (N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts 1908-09). Melvin E. Sherwin was appointed to the first professorial position in soils in 1910 (N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts 1910-11). During this year, the first baccalaureate level course in fertilizers was offered. The listing of college courses for 1910-11 included General Soils, Fertilizers, Advanced Soils and Farm Drainage. During this period, one-year and two-year curricula were offered which included a general soils course and a soils and fertilizer course. (These one and two-year courses were discontinued shortly thereafter, but were resurrected in a different format with the establishment of the Agricultural Institute in the 1960s).
Extension, 1907-16. County extension work started in North Carolina in 1907. In 1909, the USDA and the college signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" for cooperative work. The Smith-Lever Act establishing cooperative extension was passed by the U.S. Congress and implemented in 1914. Though there were no designated soil extension specialists or agents in this period, soil fertility and fertilizer components were handled within the commodity extension programs.
Activities in all areas were curtailed somewhat in the 1919-24 period due to low crop prices, but there was still some growth and development.
In 1921, two new positions designated as Agronomists in Soils were added to the staff of the Agricultural Experiment Station. Also, 1921 marked the appointment of W. D. Lee as an assistant in soil survey. Mr. Lee was later head of the soil survey program for the NCAES and active in teaching and extension work in soil survey and classification at State College.
In 1923, for the first time, a member of the Agricultural Experiment Station staff was also listed as a member of N.C. A & M faculty in the annual catalog (N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts 1921-22, 1922-23). C. B. Williams was the individual so listed. This was a further step in the integration of research, teaching and extension functions.
Teaching, 191623. A course in geology was introduced in the Agronomy group of courses in 1921 and was taught by R. B. Etheridge. This is another reflection of the close association of geology and soil survey in that period. The first offering of a course specifically in soil survey was in 1921, and was taught by Etheridge and Sherwin (N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts 1921-22, 1922-23).
Reorganization of the agricultural component of the North Carolina A & M College took place in 1923 and 1924. The Agricultural Experiment Station and Extension Service became full and regular entities of the College, under control of the college trustees (the N.C. Board of Agriculture had previously been in charge of the Experiment Station). The overall program was designated as the School of Agriculture with a Dean as chief executive officer.
The Director of Extension and of the Experiment Station reported to the Dean. B. W. Kilgore was named the first Dean of the school (Schaub 1955). The Division of Agronomy became the Department of Agronomy with a person appointed by the school administration as head. The Department brought together research, teaching and extension components in both crops and soils.
C. B. Williams was named as the first Head of the Agronomy Department in 1925. He had additional responsibility as Vice Director of the Experiment Station, of which the Director was R. Y. Winters. This was an adjustment of the previous arrangement in which Mr. Williams had served as director along with his responsibilities in Agronomy.
At the time of this reorganization, the State Board of Agriculture was supporting agricultural research at the level of $60,000 per year and extension activities with $20,000 per year (derived from fertilizer tax receipts). The Federal research funding at this time was $30,000 per year. The Purnell Act of 1925 provided additional Federal funding in the amount of $20,000 per year. This was increased $10,000 per year for the next four years as a provision of the Act.
State funding of agricultural research by direct appropriation was not achieved until 1939. The Great Depression commenced in 1929 with consequent reductions in support. These cuts precluded further growth of programs until the worst of the depression was over in 1934.
Research, 192434. During and despite the depression and associated funding problems, the first research on minor element deficiencies and toxicities was started in 1929. There were almost immediate results with the discovery of the value of small amounts of boron for greatly increased growth of alfalfa. This finding was due to the research of L. G. Willis, a soil chemist who was employed in 1925. Mr. Willis first worked in a laboratory in Patterson Hall and later (about 1935) established a laboratory in the research station at Castle Hayne near Wilmington so he could be closer to the areas where micronutrient deficiencies were significant problems.
In summing up 50 years of agronomic research in North Carolina in 1927, C. B. Williams listed 48 "outstanding" results in the areas of soil, soil fertility and fertilizers and six in the area of natural plant food resources in the state (Williams 1927). These results included
Williams also described agricultural development in North Carolina up to 1927 as a result of these research findings. A summary of these developments follows:
"Publication of the results of fertilizer experiments has stimulated usage of fertilizers such that North Carolina had become one of the largest markets for fertilizer in the U.S., soil survey data have been useful in agricultural development projects, soil types naturally deficient in plant nutrients have been brought into profitable cultivation, better rotation of crops is being practiced, farmers are more nearly approaching the optimum amounts and quantities of fertilizers for largest yields, wider use of lime, better methods of soil preparation being used, the grade of fertilizers used by farmers has been greatly improved without materially increasing price per ton, and reduction of erosion of farm lands has been brought about."
In this report, Williams also described problems currently being researched, stating that "research of a more practical nature and fundamental research" was being conducted, with fundamental research projects having been chosen with a view toward practical use of the results which has "gone far toward eliminating the antagonism of farmers of the state toward pure scientific investigations."
It is interesting to compare these statements with the present situation and views. Facts and practices that we now take for granted were regarded as strikingly new, several of his statements and conclusions have not worked out and have had to be revised, there is less concern about the immediate and practical applications of basic research, and many of the problems and research needs described by Williams are still with us to some degree.
Teaching, 1924-34. A significant appointment to the teaching faculty was made in 1925. William Battle Cobb was appointed to teach courses in the areas of geology, soil geology, soil survey and other soils courses. His inspiring and motivational teaching had a major positive impact on students until his premature death in 1933.
Another significant appointment (1931) was that of Dr. J. F. Lutz who was hired to teach soils, soil conservation, and soil physics and to conduct research in soil physics. Thus began a career of 42 years of dedicated service to N.C. State and for agriculture in North Carolina.
In 1924, Randall Etheridge, who had joined the faculty earlier, replaced M. E. Sherwin in the soils teaching program. This appointment occurred because of Mr. Sherwin's sudden and unexpected death.
The College academic catalog for 1926-27 listed graduate courses in soils for the first time. Soils courses offered in the Agronomy Department in 1926-27 are listed in Table 1. Extension work in the soils and fertilizers area continued to be conducted by commodity crop personnel.
| Curriculum | Course | Instructor |
| "Term" (1- and 2-year & short courses) | Soil management | Cobb |
| Soil type and mapping | Cobb | |
| Fertilizers | Cobb | |
| Lower level undergraduate | Soil geology | Cobb |
| Soil management | Cobb | |
| Advanced undergraduate and graduate level |
North Carolina soil types | Cobb |
| Fertilizers | Cobb | |
| Soils of North Carolina | Cobb | |
| Fertilizers | Cobb | |
| Soil surveys | Cobb | |
| Field course in soils | Cobb | |
| Graduate courses: | Pedology | Cobb |
| Soil technology | Cobb & Willis | |
| Advanced soils | Cobb & Willis | |
| Soils research | Cobb & Willis |
Several factors were responsible for a burst of growth and increased breadth of coverage starting in 1935. With the passing of the worst of the depression years, several new Federal programs began and ongoing ones were expanded which provided additional support for soils work. Also, in 1939, the first direct state appropriation for support of agricultural research became a reality.
C. B. Williams took advantage of these opportunities to recruit the best people he could find for additional faculty positions, though lacking full support funds for all of them (Woodhouse 1979). Several faculty members were added and new programs were started in this period. The faculty of this period was composed of outstanding people who dedicated their entire careers to furthering the soils program in the interests of North Carolina agriculture. Faculty member appointments and their areas of specialty included
Research, 1935-40. Though the program had begun to grow after the depression years, there was still very little money for support of research projects in this period. As indicated earlier, C. B. Williams' policy was to recruit the best people he could and to see what they could do with the small amount of funds available (Woodhouse 1979).
Expansion of research activity in this period included new research on soil fertility and fertilization of pastures and forages, cotton, peanuts and soybeans. New research activity also began in the areas of soil physics and conservation.
Soil Survey, 1935-40. A major development in the soil survey program in this period was the introduction of air photos as a base for the field mapping. As indicated by W. D. Lee, "No other factor had a greater impact on any map work than the aerial photo" (Lee 1984). North Carolina was one of the states to pioneer in this technology because of William B. Cobb's experience with this technique in the Air Corps in World War I. No longer did the soil surveyors need to make their own base maps as they proceeded with their work; interpretations of soil patterns could be made from the "air pictures" as they were called.
Other developments for the North Carolina soil survey took place in this period—the start of TVA funding of soil mapping on a cooperative basis (TVA, NCAES, and USDA) in the fifteen westernmost counties of North Carolina and the initiation of soil surveys by the newly founded USDA Soil Conservation Service for purposes of soil conservation Planning. These developments accelerated the soil survey program and also resulted in much less involvement of the NCAES soils program in operational field soil surveys.
Teaching, 1935-40. Following the untimely death of W. B. Cobb in 1934, C. B. Clevenger was appointed to the soils teaching program and also served as Head of the Division of Soils in the Department of Agronomy. He and J. F. Lutz carried the main burden of the soils teaching program until the departure of Mr. Clevenger in 1942.
A listing of soils courses offered by the end of this period (1942) illustrates the progress that had been made in a few years, both in number and breadth of soils courses offered and in number and training of the faculty involved (N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts 1940-41) (Table 2).
Extension, 1935-40. During these pre-World War II years, the extension programs were almost exclusively focused on the county agent level with only a few state level crop commodity specialists. These specialists were directly responsible to the Director of Extension, rather than to the subject matter Departments as is now the case (Jones 1986).
| Curriculum | Course | Instructor |
| Undergraduate | General soils | Baver and Clevenger |
| Soil fertility | Lutz | |
| Fertilizers | Collins | |
| Soil management | Lutz | |
| Soils of North Carolina | Lutz | |
| Advanced graduate and undergraduate |
Soil development | Lutz |
| Soil fertility evaluation methods | Piland | |
| Advanced soil fertility | Baver and Lutz | |
| Special Problems | staff | |
| Graduate | Advanced fertilizers | Collins |
| Physics & colloidal chemistry of soils | Baver and Lutz | |
| Soils physics | Baver and Lutz | |
| Soil seminar | staff | |
| Soil research | staff |
A series of fortunate circumstances and situations triggered the events that eventually led to the development of a full-scale and internationally prominent soils program. These events started in 1940 and came to near fruition by the late 1950s.
C. B. Williams retired as head of the Agronomy Department in 1940 after a long and illustrious career of service to North Carolina agriculture. Dr. R. Y. Winters had resigned in 1938 as director of NCAES, and no permanent replacement had been made by 1940. In 1940, Dr. Frank P. Graham, president of the University of North Carolina System, took strong personal interest in filling the two vacant positions (head of the Agronomy Department and NCAES director) so that North Carolina could have the best agricultural program possible. He regarded these two positions as key to that aim. He is reported as stating that he was "looking for a means of really putting the School of Agriculture into a position of leadership and service to the nation." During his recruitment effort to fill these positions, he was reported to have become concerned because people with whom he consulted around the country would give him two lists, one composed of the top people in the field and another list of lesser lights thought suitable for the North Carolina State College positions. He is described as stating, "Quality is all important and if a person is not good enough for the best institution in the USA, he is not good enough for North Carolina" (Lutz 1979). He was successful in persuading two outstanding soil scientists from Ohio State University, Dr. Robert Salter and Dr. Leonard Baver, to come to N.C. State in October 1940 as director of the NCAES and head of the Agronomy Department, respectively. Although no official records were found for substantiation, common understanding on the N.C. State campus was that President Graham had made oral commitments to Drs. Salter and Baver that strong efforts would be made to increase state funding support and that a Ph.D. program would be established at N.C. State (Lutz 1979).
Soon after Salter and Baver arrived on campus, new department heads were brought in for other departments in the School of Agriculture and new programs were opened. It now is apparent that the soils program and the rest of the agricultural components of N.C. State were on their way to excellence. The soils program had the additional advantage that it had been built on the excellent foundation which had been laid by C. B. Williams and others noted previously.
Dr. Salter left N.C. State for a position in Washington, D.C., a little over a year later, and Dr. Baver was named director of NCAES. Dr. Ralph Cummings—a North Carolina native, N.C. State graduate, and soil scientist by profession—was brought from Cornell University to become head of the Agronomy Department in 1942 at the age of 29.
Many of the major developments in staffing and programs planned and desired by the new administrative team had to await the close of World War II. But several new programs were started in the early 1940s before the full impact of World War II was felt. These included the establishment of the soils extension program, a state-funded tobacco soil- fertility-fertilization program, a pasture and forage research program, and a research program on nitrogen fertilization of corn in combination with optimum production practices.
Research, 1940-45. During the first part of this period the first state appropriation for tobacco research was made and development of a strong state-supported tobacco research program followed, closely coordinated with the previously existing Federal program. Tobacco research had previously been conducted with Federal funds and with personnel located at the Federal Research Station in Oxford, N.C. The first state-supported tobacco research program in the agronomy area was led by J. F. Lutz. With the close of World War II and the consequent increase in funding and addition of new personnel, the tobacco research program was greatly expanded. The leaders of the soil fertility research program for tobacco were Dr. W. G. Woltz and Dr. C. B. McCants, in close conjunction with extension specialists Roy Sennett and S. N. Hawks.
Another soils and crops program started in the early part of this period was pasture and forage fertility management. This program was accelerated in 1940 as a result of the first direct appropriation of state funds for agricultural research (Woodhouse 1979). Dr. W. W. Woodhouse was in charge of the soils aspects of this program, in which role he continued until his retirement in 1975. In the first years of the program, Dr. R. L. Lovvorn was in charge of the crop science component. The team of Woodhouse, Lovvorn and associated extension specialists was chiefly responsible for the introduction of tall-fescue- ladino pasture mixtures. This program begun in the late 1930s but reached fruition in the 1940s. The development of a pasture and forage program played a big role in the growth and commercialization of the beef and dairy industries in the state, and in other parts of the South. This group was also responsible for the introduction of fescue as a lawn grass, now a common practice in the Middle Atlantic region.
Dr. B. A. Krantz joined the Agronomy faculty in 1943 to conduct research on soil fertility and mineral nutrition of row crops. This program soon focused on high rates of nitrogen application on corn in combination with optimum production practices.
A significant change in 1942 was the transfer of Emerson Collins from soil fertility research to that of extension specialist for soil fertility and fertilizers, the first soils extension specialist at N.C. State.
The soils faculty of the Agronomy Department in 1942, prior to the disruptions of World War II and the following period of great expansion included the following:
In World War II, research and graduate training programs were generally interrupted. Major emphasis during this period was production research and technology for quick payoff in food production with some accompanying de-emphasis of basic research (Cummings 1979). However, the soils program was primed to move forward vigorously after the close of World War II. The foundation laid by C. B. Williams, additional funding and staffing, and the drive to excel instilled by the Baver-Cummings administrative team would soon bring the soils program at NCSU to national prominence.
The Post-War Takeoff. Many of the reasons for this takeoff period for soil science at N.C. State can be found in statements made by R. W. Cummings about his philosophy and policies during his term of service as Agronomy Head and Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station:
"We had during the period that I was Head of Agronomy and Director of the Experiment Station, principally during the period that I was head of Agronomy . . . concern for and success in identifying people with good minds and real promise and who were reasonably free of preconceived notions. . . . we stressed rigor, quality, dedication, energy and real competence in making the choices (in staffing). We gave a lot of emphasis to giving the people the tools with which to work, a great deal of freedom and at the same time some encouragement."
"As Research Director, I kept attempting to put a little bit more balance in the direction of basic research, realizing that one would exhaust the store of basic knowledge, and one needed to have a continuum from the problems that needed solution at the operational level with the same degree of rigor all the way through to where one is understanding not just what is happening but why . . . . An institution doesn't build its reputation without broadbased good talent" (Cummings 1979).
These approaches, attitudes and policies are generally reflective of those of other agricultural administrators during the grand period of growth of soil science and other agricultural and life science fields at N.C. State in the 1940s and 1950s—including Deans I. O. Schaub, H. Hilton, D. W. Colvard and Brooks James and Director of Research R. L. Lovvorn.
The size of faculty and support staff in soils doubled from 1942 to 1950. Students jammed classrooms; many of these students were returning veterans. Additional funds became available from increased direct state appropriations, from renewed and new Federal programs providing "hard money" formula funds, and from grant funds from various Federal agencies. With these financial resources available the soils program entered the takeoff phase.
Several first and other major developments took place during this period. The first Ph.D.'s with a soils major were awarded to N. S. Hall and N. C. Brady in 1947. However, these degrees were actually awarded through UNC-Chapel Hill because it was the only campus within the UNC system authorized to award a doctorate at that time.
As programs and numbers of soils faculty members increased, the size and quality of the research program grew, and this restriction was soon removed. The first Ph.D. with a soils major actually awarded through N.C. State was in 1949 to D.D. Mason, who later became the long-time Head of the Department of Statistics at N.C. State. Founded by Gertrude Cox, this Department became world renowned in its own right and had much to contribute to the success of soils research programs both then and now.
The first use of radioisotopes for research in North Carolina, and among the first uses anywhere for agricultural research, was initiated in the soils program in 1947 by N. S. Hall. Radioisotopes of phosphorus were used to measure the uptake of phosphorus in the plant and its subsequent translocation within the plant. Radioisotopes became a powerful tool in soil fertility and plant nutrition research during this era.
In 1950, research was initiated by McAuliffe and others to use stable isotopes and mass spectrometry in investigation of soil-plant investigations. This research was among the first use of such technology to study agriculturally related problems in the United States. These techniques enabled very precise measurement of many chemical elements in soils, plants and air—thus allowing study of their fate and distribution in the plant-soil systems. It proved especially useful for studies of nitrogen and of nitrogens role in soil- plant systems. The original equipment was built on site by McAuliffe, and since replaced by "high tech" commercial equipment in the laboratory of Dr. R. Volk, a current faculty member, who has continued and effectively expanded this research in plant chemistry and soil-plant relations.
Faculty additions during this period included W.G. Woltz who joined the faculty in early 1946 specifically to expand the soil fertility and fertilizer research program for tobacco. In 1949, Clayton McAuliffe (noted earlier) and N.T. Coleman joined the faculty to expand the soil chemistry program; N. S. Hall joined the soil chemistry program after completing his Ph.D. at N.C. State and a period of service at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. E. T. York Jr. was hired to lead the teaching program in Agronomy and to be the leader of the peanut soil fertility research program. S. L. Tisdale became a member of the Agronomy faculty in early 1949 for research on soil tobacco fertility with teaching responsibilities. S. R. McCaleb joined the faculty in 1949 to start a research program in soil genesis and classification (joint with USDA).
Research, 1945-60. Many of the significant breakthroughs that took place in this period involved close integration of soils and crop research and extension efforts. The first major one was in the corn program (Cummings 1987). By 1944, Paul Harvey of the crops group in Agronomy (originally detailed to North Carolina by USDA for cooperative corn breeding programs) had developed several promising single cross corn hybrids.
In 1943, B. A. Krantz had joined the soils group for research on soil fertility. Using the hybrids developed by Harvey and his colleagues, Krantz in 1944 laid out 11 experimental sites in the coastal plain and piedmont, chosen to represent a variety of soils and climatic conditions. Variable rates of nitrogen applications and spacings were used in carefully replicated experiments on farmer fields. Nitrogen rates were applied over a much wider range and at higher rates than the then conventional practices. The objective was to determine the range of response of corn plants to high nitrogen rates together with sets of optimum production practices.
The resulting responses to high rates of nitrogen and the spacing and population experiments were so successful and spectacular that Extension soil fertility specialist Emerson Collins, Experiment Station Director Baver, Extension Director Schaub and Agronomy Head Cummings, made a special tour of the plots. As a result the Agronomy Department was asked to prepare specifications for corn demonstrations the next season and the Extension Director asked the County Extension Director in each of the 100 counties to conduct at least four corn-nitrogen demonstrations.
W. V. Chandler was detailed to the soils program in 1949 by the USDA to cooperate in completing and writing up the results of this successful program. By use of nitrogen applications up to 150 pounds per acre per year, Krantz and Chandler were able to boost corn yields to more than 100 bushels per acre in their research plots. These results, surprising at the time because several agricultural leaders and farmers had stated that it was not possible to produce 100 bushels of corn per acre in North Carolina, greatly changed the perspective and prospects for corn in the southeastern USA.
In a few years, average corn yields in North Carolina increased from 20-25 bushels to 80 bushels per acre and higher. Corn is now the fifth ranking farm commodity in North Carolina, producing cash receipts of $245 million in 1980 (Krantz and Chandler 1954). This great increase in corn production was also a shot in the arm for the emerging hog and beef industry in North Carolina. A crop that was previously considered useful only for "mule feed" had become one of the leading grain crops in the state. As a veteran research station superintendent put it, "Our people in the coastal plain shifted from growing corn accidentally to growing it on purpose."
This joint research-extension, soils-crops, state-Federal success with corn is cited here because it paved the way for similar developments in tobacco, peanuts, pastures and forages, small grains and soybeans. The approach and philosophy has been in a significant factor in the development and effectiveness of the Soil Science Department and its sister Department of Crop Science.
Advances in the peanut soil-fertility—mineral-nutrition and crop management area in this period included the identification of different nutrient requirements and methods and times of fertilizer application for the peg (seed pod) of the peanut versus the purely vegetative parts of the plant. This important finding was based on research by W. E. Colwell, N. C. Brady, Fielding Reed and colleagues. This research was further expanded and implemented in practice later by Preston Reid and Fred Cox, who also researched the micronutrient and macronutrient requirements of the peanut.
This period also saw a tremendous expansion in the soils aspects of tobacco research, drawing on the new large infusions of state-appropriated funds. The work by C. B. McCants, W. G. Woltz and associates on soil fertility and mineral nutrition of tobacco included establishment of need for additional magnesium on sandy soils, the plant's requirements for both ammonia and nitrate sources of nitrogen, establishment of optimum soil levels of phosphorus and potassium, and determination of the amount of nitrogen needed for replacement of that leached out of the root zone by rains, as well as the correlation between mineral nutrition and leaf quality.
For small grains, the introduction of shorter and stiffer-stemmed varieties (especially wheat) by crop breeders G. K. Middleton and Charles Murphy opened the way for fruitful research by Houston Rankin on response to higher nitrogen levels and consequent higher yields. These findings had a strong positive effect on wheat production in North Carolina somewhat similar to that of the corn program previously discussed.
The soybean program also experienced a takeoff during this period based on the foundations of soil fertility and mineral nutrition work combined with optimum sets of production practices developed earlier by Werner Nelson and Jack Rigney, using varieties with germplasm developed for this region by crop scientists, E. E. Hartwig, Herbert Johnson, and Charles Brim (USDA). In the late 1950s and 1960s, this work was picked up and expanded by E. J. Kamprath who worked on the lime requirements to overcome toxic aluminum levels and the fertility needs and by Fred Cox, working on the micronutrient needs and deficiencies. As a result of this combined breeding, soil fertility, and soil management program, soybean production in North Carolina has grown to the point where it was in fourth place among North Carolina crops in cash receipts in 1980 with production exceeded only by Illinois, Iowa and Missouri (Miller 1983).
Another significant development in this period that helped push the Soil Science Department to the forefront in the soil-fertility—mineral-nutrition area was the development of soil testing technology and techniques of soil fertility evaluation research that measured response to nutrients both in the greenhouse and in field plots. This work was done in close cooperation with the N.C. Department of Agriculture, which has the responsibility for performing the soil tests on farmer soil samples.
During this period, and until recently, the position of director of the Soil Testing Division of the NCDA held a joint appointment on the faculty of NCSU, first with the Agronomy Department and later with the Soil Science Department when it was established as a separate Department. Soil testing directors W. L. Nelson, J. W. Fitts, S. L. Tisdale, E. J. Kamprath (and later P. H. Reid in the 1964-70 period) built on the foundation of research on soil fertility and fertilizers that was the initial objective for the founding of the NCAES and the agronomy programs at NCSU. They developed the program, which has become the largest publicly supported soil testing operation in the U.S.
The NCDA Soil Testing Division directors, with their NCSU colleagues and support from the NCDA, conducted field plot and greenhouse research for calibration of the tests for available nutrients and for predicting the yield and growth response serving as the basis for fertilizers and lime recommendations. These recommendations were developed with the input of the appropriate extension specialists.
Dr. Adolf Mehlich also contributed significantly through his soil chemistry research during this period. He conceived and pioneered the now world-renowned, double-acid extraction for measuring soil nutrient levels which could then be calibrated with field and greenhouse tests for more precise fertilizer recommendations. This soil test is used in many of the acid soil regions of the world. Mehlich also developed methodology for measurement of soil acidity as a basis for lime recommendations. This method has been supplemented with procedures for measuring exchangeable aluminum levels as a basis for determining lime needs—the basic concepts and methodology for which were also developed in the Soil Science Department.
The concept of exchangeable aluminum as the major source of the acidity in mineral soils was developed by N. T. Coleman and his colleagues and graduate students in the Soil Science Department during this period. Contributions to the development and acceptance of this concept were also made by Dr. Hans Jenny of the University of California. The subsequent extension and application of this concept through a better understanding of the effects of exchangeable aluminum on plant roots and nutrient uptake was made by W. A. Jackson and colleagues in the Soil Science Department during the latter part of this time period.
The application of these concepts to improve liming practices to overcome the exchangeable aluminum problems in acid mineral soils was developed by E. J. Kamprath and associates, also in the Soil Science Department. More will be said about this contribution in a later section. Coleman and colleagues initially experienced considerable difficulty in their work with exchangeable aluminum in convincing others that the classic concept of exchangeable hydrogen as the sole source of soil acidity must be modified. However, after several years of research, publishing of several papers and the support of Dr. Jenny and some European soil chemists, the concept has become internationally accepted. The basic concept and its extension to plant nutrition and development of methods for neutralizing the aluminum thus stands as one of the major historical contributions of the Soil Science Department.
An important research program initiated in this period was the series of basic studies of nitrogen nutrition of plants conducted by Dr. R. J. Volk. This program utilized 15N and mass spectrometer technology to study the basic concepts of nitrogen uptake and metabolism in plants. The tobacco plant was the primary experimental plant in this early work.
A parallel research program to the nitrogen nutrition work of Volk in this period was the research by Dr. W. V. Bartholomew on the nitrogen cycle components of soils, organic matter, the atmosphere and crop plants. These studies used techniques of biochemistry and microbiology to determine the rate of mineralization of nitrogen from organic materials and the role of microorganisms in these processes. Results were very helpful in making nitrogen application recommendations for crop plants and in determining the effects and benefits of green manure crops.
A research program in soil clay mineralogy initiated by S. B. Weed during this period has made important, interesting and lasting contributions to our understanding of the chemical and physical nature of the soil systems of the state. His work involved the use of X-ray diffraction and related techniques for determining the species, composition, and behavior of the small and rather poorly crystalline clay-sized minerals composing the active fraction of North Carolina soils. The work of Weed and colleagues has shown that a significant component of the surface layers of most North Carolina soils is a newly recognized mineral called "hydroxy interlayered vermiculite" which imparts properties to the soils important in plant growth. The work of Weed complemented the work of C. I. Rich of Virginia, who first reported this important finding. Dr. Weed substantiated the widespread occurrence of these clay minerals and delineated more fully their origin and significance in soil reactions.
Other major research developments and new research directions in this period were the joint research efforts by W. A. Jackson and R. J. Volk on mineral nutrition of plants, soil- plant relations and plant chemistry; coastal studies, especially dune stabilization and marsh reclamation, by W. W. Woodhouse; soil fertility of vegetable crops and sweet potatoes by R. E. McCollum; soil fertility and soil management for commercial cut flower, bulb and blueberry production in southeastern North Carolina by Carlos Bickford; and soil fertility and soil management of vegetable crops in the Mountains by James Shelton. The latter two faculty were housed at research stations in proximity to their work and represent only the second and third off-campus location of researchers at NCSU—the first was L. C. Willis who was located at the Castle Hayne Station near Wilmington for micronutrient research in the 1930s and 1940s after several years of on-campus research. Sheltons appointment was the first instance of a split appointment between research and extension in a soils faculty position, a procedure which was to become more commonplace later.
Also during this period, a program of research on soil geomorphology and landscape development in the Coastal Plain was initiated cooperatively with the USDA Soil Conservation Service and funded in part by National Science Foundation grants to the Department. R. B. Daniels (USDA) and Ralph McCracken were the project leaders. Components of these studies were the subject of several graduate student theses. This work contributed a much fuller understanding of the origins and properties of Coastal Plain soils and of the important differences among them associated with their landscape positions and origins. This work revolutionized the classification and mapping of Coastal Plain soils and provided a much sounder basis for the soil fertility and management research and extension programs. This work was expanded and extended to the rest of the southeastern Coastal Plain by R. B. Daniels and E. E. Gamble (USDA) with additional significant findings.
A 15-year project of watershed hydrology and small watershed management and conservation in the mountains, supported chiefly by TVA funds, and in close cooperation with that organization also occurred in this period. This field work was conducted on two small watersheds of a few acres each on the mountain research station near Waynesville. Representing the Department in this activity were J. F. Lutz and W. W. Woodhouse with Matt Gilbert and later Charles England as the on-site project managers. The work involved measurement of surface and base flow discharge from the two highly instrumented watersheds under various types of crop and pasture grass cover and tillage practices. The watersheds also were used to measure the movement of various pesticides in the surface and base flow discharges. The research provided significant and useful information on subsoil lateral flow of water and runoff under various cover types and on the potentials for pesticides contamination. The major part of the hydrologic analyses was done by TVA staff at their Muscle Shoals, Alabama, location.
An analytical service laboratory was developed during this period by J. R. Piland, using the most up-to-date technology then available. This facility provided a very useful service of analyses of plant samples for researchers in soils, crops and other Departments of the then School of Agriculture. As described more fully in a later section, the laboratory was placed under the direction of Dr. J. W. Gilliam upon the retirement of Mr. Piland in 1968 and further modernized and automated. It is now under the direction of Dr. Wayne Robarge.
A mark of the growing status and maturity of the Department's research program was the designation of N. T. Coleman as a Reynolds Distinguished Professor in 1960 for outstanding basic research in soil-plant relationships, nutrient uptake and soil chemistry, the first such recognition to come to the Department.
Administrative and Facilities Changes, 1945-60. Williams Hall was completed and occupied in 1952. This construction enabled the soils group to be brought together in one building, giving them adequate facilities in which to work and to be together for greater coordination and mutual support. Previously, soils faculty had been located in several buildings on campus.
W. E. Colwell was designated as Head of the Agronomy Department in 1948 when Dr. Cummings was named Director of the N.C. Agricultural Experiment Station. In 1953, W. E. Colwell was appointed Associate Director of the NCAES for tobacco research and E. T. York, Jr., was appointed to succeed him as Head of Agronomy. After two years, Dr. York resigned to join the Potash Institute. At this time a decision was made to split the Agronomy Department into a Soils Department and a Field Crops Department. The reason given was that the Agronomy Department had grown so large that it had become administratively unwieldy and the programs had become so diverse that it was difficult for one person to administer both crops and soils interests.
The first head of the newly established Soils Department was J. W. Fitts, who previously held a joint appointment as director of the soil testing division of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and professor of soil fertility at N.C. State. The increasing emphasis on research, especially basic research, was recognized by the change of the name of the department to Department of Soil Science in 1960.
Teaching, Post-War to 1960. At the time of the establishment of the Soils Department in 1956, H. C. Folks was designated as the person in charge of the soils teaching program, in addition to his responsibility for research in soil genesis and classification. In 1961, Dr. Folks left to become Assistant Director of Instruction in the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences and in charge of the newly formed Agricultural Institute two-year program.
S. E. Younts of the Potash Institute was appointed to be in charge of soils teaching. Several new courses were established during this period and a great deal of attention was given to advising and counseling undergraduate students on a one-to-one basis. This period was marked by increased numbers of students in the departmental course offerings and an increase in graduate students, including several foreign students.
New courses established in this period included Soils and Plant Growth at the undergraduate level and Soil Mineralogy, Forest Soils, Soil Genesis and Classification, Soil Chemistry Methods and Soil Management at the graduate level.
During the latter part of this period, the graduate training program came into maturity, with a full range of courses and opportunities to major in the recognized subdisciplines of soil science. With the addition of courses mentioned in the previous paragraph, receipt of grant and "hard money" funds to support assistantships and the arrival of outstanding domestic and foreign graduate students, the graduate program moved to national prominence.
Extension, 1945-60. New extension positions in soil management and soil fertility (on full time basis) were established in the late 1950s. W. C. White was the first to occupy the position of Extension Soil Fertility Specialist on a full-time basis; Clifford Martin was the first Extension Soil Management Specialist. The extension program was then operated jointly with Crop Science as an Agronomy Extension program, with Emerson Collins serving as specialist-in-charge.
In the latter part of this period, a trend developed towards involvement of extension specialists in applied research, especially evaluation of experimental fertilizer and pesticide materials and new soil management techniques. Plots were located both on outlying research stations and in farmers' fields. Their plot work used replication and other statistical techniques and some of the results were published in professional journals as well as popular publications. In several cases, faculty had joint extension-research appointments. This trend was accompanied by a parallel trend of faculty researchers undertaking more laboratory oriented basic, fundamental research.
Soil Survey, 1945-60. In the latter part of this period, county officials became much more interested in use of soil surveys for tax assessment, land evaluation and land use planning purposes and therefore became willing to supply funds in support of soil survey in their counties. These funds seemed best used to employ soil surveyors through a state agency, as the size and orientation of the programs would go beyond the capability and the missions of the Experiment Station and Extension Service. Also a tight ceiling on federal employment levels restricted Soil Conservation Service hiring of soil survey personnel. The Soil Science Department withdrew from operational soil mapping in this period, and a unit was formed within the State Department of Natural Resources and Community Development (NRCD) for soil surveys, largely using county funds. However, the Soil Science Department has continued its strong support of the soil survey program through research, assistance with the planning, review and correlation of the county soil surveys and contributing significantly to the development of a new comprehensive soil classification system now used nationally and internationally.
This period saw the beginning of the participation of soil science personnel in programs of technical assistance and training in and for less developed countries, mostly funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). These were university-wide, school-wide, intra departmental and consortium types of programs. In 1954, NCSU entered into an agreement with USAID and Peru for a program of agricultural assistance and development known as the N.C. State Mission to Peru. The first Chief of Mission was R. W. Cummings.
Since 1955, at least one member of the Soil Science Department has been continuously located in Peru. At times, two to three Soil Science faculty members were on long term (two or more years) duty in that country, in addition to several short term assignments. A few soil scientists were also retained on a visiting professorship basis, either for direct participation in the Peru program or to backstop a faculty member on long-term service in Peru. Soil Science faculty participating in long term assignments in Peru in this time period were Robert McCollum in soil fertility, Frank Doggett in soil management and conservation, Preston Reid in soil fertility, and James Spain in soil management.
This North Carolina mission to Peru closed in 1980 but was reopened on a more limited basis in 1985 as the University-wide Research, Extension and Education Program (REE). Since 1988, the program has continued as the Agricultural Technology and Transfer program (ATT).
Due to the long-term emphasis and expertise in soil fertility, fertilizers and soil fertility evaluation in the Soil Science Department, the USAID in 1960 requested J. W. Fitts, then Head of Soil Science, to manage a multi-year, multi-country technical assistance and training program in soil fertility evaluation, including soil testing, in several Latin American countries. This program was first known as the International Soil Testing Project but later became designated as the International Soil Fertility Evaluation and Improvement Program.
The program called for several soil fertility evaluation specialists to work in a country or group of countries, helping to install or accelerate a soil testing and fertilizer advisory program. These specialists were supported by a small backstopping staff in the Soil Science Department in Raleigh. Initially involved in these within-host-country positions were Carlos Bickford, R. B. Cate, A. H. Hunter, Sam Portch, J. L. Walker and D. L. Waugh. Drs. Gordon Miner and John Nicholaides were also involved but later joined the Soil Science faculty in Raleigh.
The International Soil Fertility Evaluation and Improvement Program was closed in 1975 after successfully installing soil testing and soil fertility programs in several Latin American countries. Positive accomplishments included increased fertilizer use and improved crop yields, improved soil testing methodologies and specialized equipment for soil testing which are still used in many countries.
This period can be described as one of broadening, deepening and maturing of all components, of attacking new problems and opportunities including nontraditional ones. Significant growth in numbers of faculty, staff and graduate students occurred. The 1960s, 1970s and 1980s have seen initiation of research, teaching and extension efforts in environmental quality, waste disposal, erosion control and evaluation of soil productivity, soil tillage research, the use of soil science information for urban-suburban areas and the soil science aspects of alternative and sustainable agricultural systems as well as significant expansion of research on mineral nutrition of plants and nutrient uptake in relation to photosynthesis and other basic research in plant chemistry.
International activities have become more fully integrated into departmental programs working in programs which have complementary benefits for the domestic programs and for faculty professional development. New programs on improving productivity of tropical soils in selected countries (soils similar to those in North Carolina), and improving the capability of the faculty to do work with the less developed countries were started. Pedro Sanchez joined the department in 1968 to coordinate these efforts and to focus on research and teaching of tropical soils—bringing with him wide experience and enthusiastic leadership which continues to date.
A Soil Science extension group was established in 1975, split off from the Agronomy Extension group. J. V. Baird was named specialist-in-charge and served in that capacity until 1988. J. P. Zublena replaced J. V. Baird as specialist-in-charge in 1988.
Administrative changes during this period were: J. W. Fitts resigned as head in 1964 to spend full time on the International Soil Testing Project and was replaced by R. J. McCracken. In 1970, McCracken was appointed Assistant Director of Research in the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences (Assistant Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station) and J. V. Baird was named acting head. C. B. McCants was appointed as head in 1971 and he served in this capacity until 1981. When he became director of the management entity for the Soil Management Collaborative Research Support Program, a Title XII, AID funded program. R. H. Miller, from Ohio State University was named department head in 1982, serving until 1989.
Major programs in Soil Science in 1989 are: soil chemistry, soil physics, soil fertility, soil genesis and classification, soil microbiology, soil management, urban soil science, soil mineralogy, soil-plant relations, waste management, forest soils (joint with the College of Forest Resources), coastal management studies, soil analyses, and tropical soils.
Since 1970, the department has grown from 27 to 30 tenure track faculty plus 7 other full time faculty members, from 28 to 44 supporting staff members and from 29 to 54 graduate students. When N.C. State University celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1987, the Soil Science Department ranked as the largest soil science department in the U.S.
In July of 1987, the department moved into its portion of the new Williams Hall addition, with its much-needed additional floor space. This addition has given considerable relief to the previous overcrowding in Williams Hall, allowing technicians and graduate students to come out of the closets, storerooms and bullpens for more efficient and effective working conditions.
Research, 196089. Research activities of this period reflect new directions and a broadening which were expressions of the philosophy and concerns of the Department Heads and senior faculty in meeting perceived new needs and changing conditions. New directions for this period include new initiatives in
Titles of research projects established in the last 10 years are indicators of the broadened scope of the departmental research programs: Use of industrial and municipal wastes for soil improvement and crop production, potential of paper mill wastes for soil improvement and crop production, optimization of on-site wastewater disposal systems depending on ground absorption, environmental determinants of crop growth and soil productivity, nitrate and photorespiratory metabolism in C3 and C4 plants at subambient atmospheric oxygen levels, fragile environment utilization in tropical rainforests and evaluation of alternative farming systems (Miller 1983).
In this period, many of the research advances of the previous period have been consolidated, expanded and extended with useful results. An important development with high impact has been the application of the research findings on exchangeable aluminum as the main source of acidity in mineral soil systems. The application is the development of techniques for alleviation of this source of soil acidity, including methods for predicting the amount of lime to apply to overcome the main problem and for eliminating the side effects and including deficiencies of calcium and micronutrient deficiency and toxicity problems. This knowledge and technology has been applied in North Carolina, in other states with similar problems and also in the humid tropics where exchangeable aluminum has been a major barrier to increased food production. E. J. Kamprath has been the main project leader in aluminum research and Pedro Sanchez has played a key role in introducing these new concepts into tropical regions.
Early in the 1960s a forest soils research and teaching program was established in the department, jointly with the Department of Forestry in the then School, now College of Forest Resources. C. B. Davey joined the Department in 1962 with a joint appointment to lead this program which has been successful in providing the research support for forest fertilization programs as well as in helping define the quality of sites for tree plantings. When Dr. Davey was appointed Head of the Department of Forestry in 1970, A. G. Wollum was appointed as a new faculty member with responsibilities in forest soils and soil microbiology.
In this period, S. W. Buol has led a very active program in research in needed modifications and adjustments in the relatively new (1975) Soil Taxonomy promulgated by the U.S. Cooperative Soil Survey. Buol has led International Committees for redefining the Oxisol soil order and for recognition of a previously unrecognized morphologic feature, the kandic horizon, a subsoil zone of high weathering and very low cation exchange capacity important in the southeast and in other warm humid and tropical regions of the world. His studies are leading to major improvements in the international soil classification system, as well as bringing about significant changes in soil mapping and classification in the USA. S. W. Buol and P. A. Sanchez have developed a new practical soil classification and interpretation system which is coming into use in many parts of the world as well as the U.S. called the Fertility Capability Classification (FCC). The FCC predicts the capability of a soil to respond to fertilization and management practices for food and fiber production.
The research program of the department has been enhanced by access to the phytotron facility adjoining Gardner Hall and operated by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in cooperation and coordination with Duke University. This facility enables the study of plants under varying environmental and soil fertility regimes. One member of the Soil Science Department, C. D. Raper, Jr., makes extensive use of the facility in his work on plant-microenvironmental interactions. The facility was financed by federal grants and strong support from the tobacco industry.
An important research support facility, the Analytical Service Laboratory was further developed, automated and equipped with new instrumentation in this period. Leadership was provided by J. W. Gilliam, Maurice Watson (now at Ohio State University), and W. P. Robarge. This laboratory continues to provide a wide range of chemical analyses of plant materials for researchers in Soil Science and other departments of the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Forest Resources.
Teaching, 1960-89. Two significant curriculum additions were made during this period.
Several new courses have been added at undergraduate and graduate levels to help students meet current problems and opportunities:
The past three decades have seen further growth and development of a very strong and active undergraduate Agronomy Club, cosponsored with the Crop Science Department. However, the most outstanding indication of accomplishments in the teaching program has been the success of soil science graduates. For example, seven soil science graduate students have been named to positions as Department Heads, Directors of Experiment Stations and Deans.
Leadership in the academic affairs program has changed during this period. In 1961, H. C. Folks was appointed Assistant Director of Resident Instruction in the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences and S. E. Younts was appointed to replace him. Dr. Younts resigned in 1964 to join the Potash Institute in Atlanta (he later became Vice-President of the University of Georgia). M. G. Cook was appointed teaching coordinator in 1965 and served until 1985 when he asked to be reassigned to the extension faculty in Soil Science. Joe Kleiss is the current teaching coordinator.
Extension, 1960-89. The number of extension personnel in Soil Science has increased five-fold since the early 1960s—from one to approximately five full time equivalents. Increased staffing and program activities include land use planning using soil interpretations, on-site waste disposal, soil tillage and management, soil fertility and management in the Blacklands (organic soils of northeastern North Carolina) and vegetable, fruit crop, and ornamental production in the mountains. The extension program is operated in close coordination with the commodity specialists in the Crop Science and Horticultural Science Departments and with the Soil Testing Division of NCDA.
International Programs, 1960-89. As previously indicated, the International Soil Testing Project closed in 1975 after successfully introducing soil testing and fertilizer advisory programs in a number of Latin American countries.
In 1972, the Soil Science Department received funding from USAID for research on tropical soils primarily in Peru and Brazil. This program has focused mainly on characterizing and understanding soil acidity in tropical soils and techniques for correcting it, overcoming phosphorus deficiencies in the red soils of the tropical savannas, and soil fertility-soil management programs for sustainable agriculture on soils cleared from humid tropical forests. The objective was to obtain basic information to serve as a foundation for technical assistance, technology transfer and training programs in less developed countries most in need of increasing their productive capacity and conserving their natural resources. The tropical soils research program is still active and continues to evolve to a more resource conservation emphasis. The strong similarity of soils in the humid tropical regions to those in North Carolina has been of great importance for maintaining the strength and focus of the tropical soils program within the department.
The Soil Science Department was a member of the 4-University Consortium on Soils of the Tropics awarded a grant for development of faculty knowledge and capabilities for participating in technical assistance, technology transfer and training programs in tropical soils of less developed countries. This program came to be known as the 211 (d) program, in reference to the section of the Foreign Assistance Act which authorizes and encourages such activities. This program enabled department-wide familiarization with tropical soils and with principles and techniques for low cost, low input sustainable agriculture, plus a better understanding of the nature, properties and productivity of the soil resources of the world, especially in the tropics. This grant terminated in November 1975.
The renewal of the University-wide Research, Extension and Education program in Peru in 1982 has meant additional International involvement for the Soil Science Department. In 1987, three members of the Soil Science Department were in the REE program—as Chief of Party, Research Advisor and Extension Advisor.
In 1981, the Soil Science Department of NCSU with three other U.S. universities, was asked by the Agency for International Development (AID) to develop a tropical soils research program under Title XII called the Soil Management Collaborative Research Support Program or Soil Management CRSP. This program was designed to research methods for increasing productivity and production of tropical soils in a number of Latin American, African and Far East less developed countries in differing agro-ecological zones. The other three universities are Cornell University, University of Hawaii and Texas A&M University. The program is known by the acronym TROPSOIL (for Tropical Soils Program). The Soil Science Department has conducted field studies in cooperation with the host country agricultural research organizations in the humid tropical jungle area of the Upper Amazon Basin in Peru near Yurimaguas and Manaus, Brazil, and in the humid rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia. Land clearing, soil fertility and liming needs and soil and management practices for efficient, low cost sustainable agricultural production were the objectives of the initial research. Pedro Sanchez and John Nicholaides were the on-campus coordinators of the program for the Soil Science Department until Dr. Nicholaides left in 1985 to head the International programs in agriculture at the University of Illinois. Dr. Sanchez continues as coordinator and Dr. T. J. Smyth, faculty project leader at Manaus, Brazil (1982-87) was returned to campus to replace Dr. Nicholaides.
Long standing involvement in international programs by the department has resulted in better research, teaching and extension programs in soil science at NCSU. Many of the soils in the less developed countries in which Soil Science Department people have worked are similar to those in North Carolina, except for being a little more acid, infertile and weathered, in some instances. Working with soils which are a little more extreme in these respects has helped in understanding North Carolina soils and how they can be improved. Many pieces of information and technologies developed or learned in the International programs have been adapted to North Carolina conditions for the benefit of North Carolina agriculture. Particularly important are techniques in low cost, low input sustainable agriculture and alternative agricultural practices.
The purpose of a historical study of an organization is more than merely to satisfy idle curiosity about the past—it is to recognize and honor those who contributed to the founding, past successes and setting of the course for the organization. It is also to learn from the past so that opportunities and challenges of the future may be successfully met.
The success story of Soil Science at N.C. State can be attributed to the vision and foresight of the earlier administrators and educators in the School (now College) of Agriculture and Life Sciences and by the University administration; the dedication, loyalty and wisdom of the departmental faculty and staff; the continuing solid support from the state's citizens; and the Positive and forward-looking actions of the state's agricultural, educational and political leadership. The recent addition to Williams Hall is brick-and- mortar evidence of that support. This support has come from the policy of involving the people in the planning of programs, keeping them well informed and, most importantly, keeping the programs current and relevant to the needs of the state. Another strong success factor has been the continuing good cooperation with and support of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and the USDA's Soil Conservation Service and Agricultural Research Service.
The Soil Science Department has been able to avoid the pattern we sometimes observed elsewhere—in which there has from time-to-time been an outstanding department for a period of years, followed by periods in which the program reverts to a lower status of recognition and achievement. This has been avoided in the Soil Science Department by maintaining a mix of experienced and active "old hands" and "young comers" by continuing efforts on part of the faculty and administration to keep the research and teaching programs up-to-date, and by an effective and aggressive extension program which has provided feedback on the research and educational needs of the state and carried research results to all parts of the state.
The program has been able to maintain a well-balanced mix of basic and applied research. No other Department in the country can claim the distinction of having one of its top professors receive a national award for applied research excellence as well as an Honorary Doctorate (E. J. Kamprath, 1986) in the same time period other professors (including W. A. Jackson and R. J. Volk) in the Department were receiving national and international recognition for very basic, on-the-frontier research
The challenges and problems which lie ahead for the department seem even more demanding than those of the past. Based on past performance, continued sound leadership, excellent personnel and continuing public support, we can be assured the department will meet these challenges as successfully as it has those in the past.
Battle HB. 1966. Forty years after: a speech by H. B. Battle. Raleigh (NC): N.C. State University, School of Agriculture and Life Sciences. 12 p. (History series; 3).
Cummings RW. 1979. [Interview with D. W. Colvard]. Located at: University Archives, N.C. State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Cummings RW. August 1987. Personal Communication.
Jones GD. 1986. Agronomy Extension, in Crop Science: an historical perspective. [Manuscript by Harvey PH]. Located at: University Archives, N.C. State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Knoblauch HC, Law EM, Meyer WP. 1962. State agricultural experiment stations. Washington (DC): U.S. Department of Agriculture. Miscellaneous publication 904.
Krantz BA, Chandler WV. 1954. Fertilize corn for higher yields. Raleigh (NC): N.C. Agricultural Experiment Station. Bulletin 366.
Lee WD. 1984. The early history of soil survey in North Carolina. Raleigh (NC): Soil Science Society of North Carolina and N.C. State University Soil Science Department. 27 p.
Lutz JF. 1979. [Interview with D.W. Colvard]. Located at: University Archives, N.C. State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. 155
Miller RH. 1983. Review document for cooperative state research service program review of Soil Science Department. Raleigh (NC): N.C. State University, Soil Science Department.
N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts. 1890-1900. [Catalogues]. Located at: University Archives, N.C. State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts. 1912-16. [Catalogues]. Located at: University Archives, N.C. State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts. 1908-09. [Catalogues]. Located at: University Archives, N.C. State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts. 1910-11. [Catalogue]. Located at: University Archives, N.C. State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts. [Catalogues, 1921-22, 1922-23]. Located at: University Archives, N.C. State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts. 1926-27. [Catalogue]. Located at: University Archives, N.C. State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
N.C. State College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts. 1940-41. [Catalogue]. Located at: University Archives, N.C. State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Schaub IO. 1955. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station: the first 60 years, 1877-1937. Raleigh (NC): N.C. Agricultural Experiment Station. Bulletin 390. 120 p.
Simonson RW. 1986. Historical aspects of soil survey and classification: part 1, 1899-1910. Soil Survey Horizons 27:3-11.
Williams CB. 1927. [History and achievements of research in agronomy in North Carolina during fifty years (1877-1927)]. Located at: University Archives, N.C. State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Winters RY. 1964. Washington Caruthers Kerr, the farmers' advocate of the 1870's. Raleigh (NC): N.C. State University, School of Agriculture and Life Sciences. 11 p. (History series; 1).
Winters RY. 1965. Charles William Dabney—educator, administrator and scientist. Raleigh (NC): N.C. State University, School of Agriculture and Life Sciences. 23 p. (History series; 2).
Woodhouse WW. 1979. [Interview with D.W. Colvard, transcript]. Located at:
University Archives, N.C. State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
| 1877 | Albert Ledoux becomes first state chemist (predecessor to position of director of NCAES) with responsibility for analysis of fertilizers, determination of which fertilizers best suited for North Carolina soils and to conduct experiments on nutrition and growth of plants, in Chapel Hill. |
| 1880-87 | Charles William Dabney—director of NCAES: pioneering studies of exhaustion of plant nutrients by cotton, wheat, and tobacco; analyzed plants for nutrient content and related these to fertilizer needs, studied and evaluated nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer sources, predicted that North Carolina phosphate beds would be a great resource in the future, urged establishment of experimental farm, moved program to Raleigh. |
| 1885 | acquisition of first experimental farm, in West Raleigh |
| 1886 | first outlying soil fertility trials in farmers fields |
| 1886-87 | Milton Whitney—superintendent of experimental farm: began first greenhouse pot cultures to determine plant food requirements of crops, started lst research on physical properties of soils in relation to plant growth |
| 1898 | first offering of a course specifically identified with soils: Soil Physics for seniors (main drainage technology) |
| 1900 | Start of first soil survey in North Carolina: Raleigh to New Bern area, one of first in U.S. |
| 1901 | Statesville area soil survey report describes serious erosion and suggests control and conservation measures—one of first statements of concern for erosion and suggesting remedial measures |
| 1907 | C. B. Williams become director of NCAES; Adams Act (Federal) increases funding allowing establishment of first federally funded soil research projects; "study of soil nitrification with reference to the bacterium concerned" (first mention of soil microbiology research in North Carolina) and another on "relation of geology and chemistry of soils to productivity and fertilizer requirements" |
| 1910 | M. E. Sherwin named as first professor of soils |
| 1914 | Soil sections established in Division of Agronomy: soil fertility, soil chemistry, soil survey |
| 1917 | C. B. Williams named as first dean of agriculture |
| 1924 | School of Agriculture established |
| 1929 | Research initiated on minor element deficiencies and toxicities in North Carolina; immediate results with discovery of value of boron for alfalfa growth; relocated to Wilmington area in 1940s as first instance of location of research personnel away from Raleigh |
| 1935 | At time of name change to N.C. State College, all departmental curricula, including Agronomy, revised for better preparation of students, soils curriculum revised to give more scientific basis for soil management and soil fertility |
| 1937 | First direct appropriation of state funds for agricultural research (funded by fertilizer tax receipts through NCDA and by federal funds prior to this time) |
| 1940 | C. B. Williams retires after long illustrious career; G. K. Middleton named acting head |
| 1940 | Robert M. Salter (soil scientist by profession) appointed director of NCAES and L. D. Baver appointed as head of agronomy department (also soil scientist by profession): marked start of move of soil science and crop science to world class programs |
| 1940 | Ph.D. program approved for agronomy (with soils and crops majors) |
| 1941 | L. D. Baver appointed director of NCAES upon resignation of Salter |
| 1942 | First designation of "extension specialist" in soils—Emerson Collins designated as soil fertility and fertilizer specialist in addition to duties as specialist-in-charge of agronomy extension |
| 1942 | R. W. Cummings (soil scientist by profession) appointed head of agronomy department |
| 1947 | N. S. Hall and N. C. Brady receive first Ph.D. in agronomy with soils major (awarded through UNC-Chapel Hill) |
| 1947 | First research in North Carolina on use of radioisotopes, in soil fertility and soil chemistry programs; among first research efforts in U.S. using radioisotopes in agricultural research |
| 1948 | W. E. Colwell appointed head of agronomy department upon designation of Cummings as director of NCAES |
| 1950 | Equipment designed and first research initiated using stable isotopes and mass spectrometry, among lst such research in USA |
| 1952 | W. E. Colwell (soil scientist by profession) appointed head of agronomy department upon designation of Cummings as director of NCAES |
| 1953 | Completion of Williams Hall |
| 1953 | E. T. York becomes head of agronomy department, Colwell to associate director of NCAES for tobacco research |
| 1956 | Soils department established with J. W. Fitts as first head |
| 1960 | N. T. Coleman named first Reynolds professor in soil science department for outstanding basic research in soil-plant interactions, plant nutrient uptake and soil chemistry |
| 1962 | Names change to soil science department |
| 1962 | Soil science department initiates International Soil Testing and Soil Fertility Evaluation Program (with AID funding support) |
| 1963 | J. W. Fitts moves to full-time position with International Soil Testing Program; Ralph J. McCracken appointed as head of soil science department effective 1/64 |
| 1963 | Initiation of research program for coastal dune stabilization and vegetation stabilization through fertilization and vegetation management—first nonfarm related soils research |
| 1968 | Soil management curriculum added to Agricultural Institute with three new courses for training in applied soil science and technology |
| 1968 | Conservation curriculum added as interdisciplinary program with soil science department participating—response to increased concern about natural resources |
| 1970 | Environmental quality (water quality) research undertaken marks broadening of soil science research program to include environmental quality |
| 1971 | C. B. McCants becomes third head of soil science department as McCracken named assistant director of NCAES 7/70; J. V. Baird as acting head to 1/71 |
| 1971 | Department undertakes Tropical Soils Research Program led by Pedro Sanchez to improve soil productivity in less developed countries |
| 1972 | W. A. Jackson named as second William Neal Reynolds professor in soil science for international recognition of research in soil science, plant nutrition and photosynthetic efficiency |
| 1972 | Waste disposal research commences with new full-time position; extension programs in nonfarm soil interpretations and in waste management initiated |
| 1981 | Start of Tropical Soils (Tropsoils) technical assistance program with less developed countries in cooperation with other U.S. universities through AID funding |
| 1981 | E. J. Kamprath named third William Neal Reynolds professor in soil science |
| 1982 | R. H. Miller becomes fourth head as C. B. McCants transfers to full-time director of the management entity, soil management CRSP |
| 1983 | W. A. Jackson selected as the first alumni distinguished graduate professor at N.C. State in recognition of outstanding graduate instruction and scholarly research |
| 1984 | New program in alternative, sustainable agriculture initiated |
| 1986 | E. J. Kamprath receives Soil Science Society of America applied research award |
| 1986 | Soil science personnel move into new addition to Williams Hall |
| 1987 | E. J. Kamprath receives honorary doctorate from the University of Nebraska |
| 1989 | R. H. Miller resigns as department head. E. J. Kamprath becomes acting head |
| Period of Service | Name | Field of Activity or Position Held |
| 1877-80 | A. R. Ledoux | fertilizer analysis & soil fertility; state chemist |
| 1880-87 | C. W. Dabney | fertilizers, plant nutrient needs, director NCAES |
| 1886-90 | M. S. Whitney | soil-plant relations; supt. research farm |
| 1887-97 | H. B. Battle | fertilizer analysis; director NCAES |
| 1897-99 | W. A. Withers | agricultural chemistry; director NCAES |
| 1900-07 | B. W. Kilgore | lecturer on soils & fertilizers; director NCAES |
| 1902-06 | C. K. McClelland | general soils; asst. professor of agriculture |
| 1903-04 | B. F. Walton | soil-plant field experiments |
| 1907-40 | C. B. Williams | agronomy, director & vice-director NCAES; head agronomy dept. |
| 1908-09 | C. M. Conner | professor of agriculture, taught lst soils course |
| 1908-10 | C. L. Newman | professor of agriculture, general soils |
| 1909-10 | W. M. Lunn | instructor in soils |
| 1909-24 | M. E. Sherwin | soils teaching—lst designated professional position in soils |
| 1913-15 | J. K. Plummer | soil chemist—first designated soil chemist |
| 1913-20 | L. L. Brinkley | soil survey |
| 1913-20 | R. C. Jurney | soil survey |
| 1913-20 | S. O. Perkins | soil survey |
| 1913-20 | W. F. Pate | "agronomist in soils" |
| 1913-14 | F. N. McDowell | "agronomist in soils" |
| 1914-15 | H. L. Joslyn | instructor in soils |
| 1914-15 | E. C. Blair | agronomist in soils |
| 1921-25 | R. W. Green | agronomist in soils |
| 1921-25 | S. K. Jackson | agronomist in soils |
| 1921-55 | W. D. Lee | soil survey leader; extension |
| 1921-25 | S. F. Davidson | soil survey |
| 1921-25 | W. A. Davis | soil survey |
| 1921-25 | R. B. Etheridge | instructor in soils |
| 1924-25 | W. F. Pate | soils teaching |
| 1925-34 | W. B. Cobb | teaching, soil survey, geology |
| 1925-45 | L. G. Willis | soil chemist, micronutrients |
| 1925-33 | H. B. Mann | soil fertility, fertilizers |
| 1926-30 | S. R. Bacon | soil survey |
| 1928-30 | F. Davis | soils teaching |
| 1929-75 | E. F. Goldston | soil survey |
| 1929-68 | J. R. Piland | soil analysis |
| 1931-75 | J. F. Lutz | soil physics, soil conservation |
| 1931-75 | W. H. Rankin | soil fertility — small grain |
| 1934-42 | C. B. Clevenger | general soils teaching |
| 1936-65 | E. R. Collins | extension soil fertility and agronomy specialist-in-charge |
| 1936-38 | R. L. Lovvorn | soil fertility & mgmt. — pastures; later director NCAES |
| 1936-75 | W. W. Woodhouse | soil fertility — pastures & forage |
| 1938-70 | A. Mehlich | soil chemistry |
| 1940-42 | L. D. Baver | soil physics, head agronomy dept.; later director NCAES & dean of agriculture |
| 1941-45 | G. A. Herring | soil chemistry — analyst |
| 1945-46 | L. Burkhart | soil chemistry, soil fertility |
| 1946-50 | J. F. Reed | soil chemistry |
| 1941-54 | W. L. Nelson | soil fertility, soil testing |
| 1942-56 | R. W. Cummings | soil fertility, head agronomy dept., director NCAES |
| 1943-49 | B. A. Krantz | soil fertility — corn |
| 1945-75 | J. F. Doggett | extension — soil conservation |
| 1945-52 | W. L Lott | soil fertility & chemistry — fruit |
| 1946-56 | W. E. Colwell | soil fertility & soil mgmt., head Agronomy Dept. |
| 1946-56 | N. S . Hall | soil chemistry — radioisotopes |
| 1948-60 | M. Gilbert | soil management — wastesheds |
| 1949-52 | W. V. Chandler | soil fertility — corn (USDA) |
| 1949-60 | N. T. Coleman | soil chemistry |
| 1949-55 | H. E. Evans | soil-plant relations |
| 1949-55 | C. D. McAuliffe | soil chemistry — stable isotopes |
| 1949-56 | S. B. McCaleb | genesis & classification; mineralogy |
| 1949-57 | S. L. Tisdale | soil chemistry, soil testing |
| 1949-55 | E. T. York, Jr. | soil fertility, in charge teaching; head agronomy dept. |
| 1951-55 | T. J. Mann | tobacco-mgmt. & fertility |
| 1951-55 | E. V. Miller | soil management |
| 1952-55 | A. C. McClung | soil fertility — small fruits |
| 1952-60 | C. H. M. Van Bavel | soil physics (USDA) |
| 1954-55 | M. E. Harward | soil fertility, chemistry |
| 1954-76 | J. W. Fitts |