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James Beard "Jim" Bradford Schools 12 years Birthday: Sept. 24, 1935 Activities: Basketball 1, 2, 3, 4. Football 1, 2, 3, 4. Track 1, 2. Hi-Y 2, 3, 4. V. Pres. 4. Chorus 1, 3, 4. Class Reporter 1. Class Play 4. Librarian 1, 3, 4. Band 1, 2. School Paper 1, 2. Cafeteria 1, 2, 3, 4. Legion Essay Contest -Local 3,4. County 2. District 1. Senior Scholarship, Hom. Men. Scholarship Team 1, 2, 4. First in Class 1, 2, 3, 4. |
Jim and Harriet Beard |
Dr. James B. Beard is currently President and Chief Scientist of International Sports Turf Institute and Professor Emeritus of Turfgrass Science at Texas A&M University. Jim and Wife Harriet have two sons, Jim and John. (Hereafter, I will refer to Dr. Beard as Jim, the name I have known him by for all these many years.) In all his endeavors, Jim has been strongly supported by the lovely and gracious, Harriet.. Academic Achievements: Jim obtained a B.S. in Agronomy from The Ohio State University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1957. He went on to get his M.S. in Crop Ecology, in 1959, from Purdue University. Jim continued his education at Purdue where he earned his Ph.D. in Turfgrass Physiology in 1961. He then received a National Science Foundation Post-Doctoral at the University of Californa-Riverside in 1969 in Plant Physiology. Professional Positions: In 1992 Jim became President and Chief Scientist,for the International Sports Turf Institute and continues in that position to the present time. He is also Professor Emeritus of the Turfgrass Science Dept at Texas A&M University from 1993 to present. Jim was a Professor in the Soil and Crop Science Dept. at TAMU from 1975 until 1992 and was Interim Head of that Dept. in 1980.. Earlier, Jim was at Michigan State University as an Assistant Professor, 1961-67; Associate Professor, 1967-71; and Professor from 1971-75. Before that, Jim was a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow from 1959 to 1961 and a Graduate Research Assistant from 1957-58 at Purdue University. He also was a Conservation Aide for the Soil Conservation Service from 1953 to 1956. Professional Activities and Contributions: Jim currently engages in a number of avtivities, among which are: 1. Guides turfgrass research and education programs, especially internationally. 2. Instructs in turfgrass education through seminars, papers, manuals and books. 3. Provides technical assistance on turfgrass/environmental science, and the construction and culture for golf courses, sports fields, sod farms, lawns and roadsides. In addition, he has provided leadership and coordination of turfgrass research programs in stress physiology and culture. Pioneered investigations concerning: turfgrass evapotranspiration, rooting, drought stress, heat stress, winterkill, chill injury, shade adaptation, wear tolerance, nitrogen-potassium stress, and thatch biodegradation. Other research emphases have included the ecology of grass communities, roadside establishment, winter overseeding, sod productuion, sports field mesh-root zone stabilization and safety, and weed control. Teaching activities have included four college undergraduate turfgrass courses, plus graduate grass ecology and stress physiology courses. Jim has been active in graduate and undergraduate curricula development, undergraduate student advising, and has served as major professor to 46 graduate students. Previously he was involved in extension acctivities, and now lectures widely thoughout North America and internationally. Jim is the author of 257 scientific papers and 382 popular technical articles. He authored, in collaboration with his wife, Harriet, five books and one laboratory manual. Jim also provided the vision and leadership in the formation of the Noer Turfgrass Collection at Michigan State University, the International Turfgrass Research Conference, and the USGA Research Fund. He has presented numerous invitational papers at international conferences and symposia and served as a techinical advisor to turfgrass organizations in the U.S. , Argentina, Canada, England, Europe, Far East, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and South Africa. Jim was elected President of the Crop Science Society of America and the International Turfgrass Society. He has served on many national committees including Roadside Development Committee/National Research Council, Research Advisory Committee of the O. J. Noer Research Foundation, Musser Foundation Board of Directors, and Southern Regional Task Force on Plants to Enhance Man's Environment. Books Authored: Turfgras: Science and Culture. 1973. Prentice Hall Inc., 658 pp. Turfgrass Science and Culture-Laboratory Manual. 1979. Burgess Publishing Co. 200 pp. Turf Management for Golf Courses. 1982. Second edition, 1999, Ann Arbor Press. How to Have a Beautiful Lawn. 1975, rev. 1979, 1983, 1988 & 1993. Beard Books 113 pp. Turfgrass Bibliography from 1672 to 1972. 1977. Michigan State University. 730 pp. Color Atlas of Turfgrass Diseases. 1997 (with T. Tani) Ann Arbor Press. 245pp. Honors and Awards: Jim is the recipient of many awards and honors as delineated below. (My wife Ruth and I were privileged to be present when Jim received the distinguished alumni award from OSU. - ed.) Donald Rossi Award, Golf Course Builders Association, 1999 James and Harriet Beard Fellowship established at Michigan State University, 1999 Founders Award, Sports Turf Managers Association, 1998 Distinguished Alumni Award, Ohio State University, 1995 Honorary Member, O. J. Noer Research Foundation, 1995 Walter Wilkie Lectureship, Michigan State University, 1994 Presidential Award, Turfgrass Council of North Carolina, 1994 Distinguished Service Award, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, 1993 Crop Science Research Award, Crop Science Society of America, 1991 Presidents Outstanding Service Award, Nebraska Turfgrass Association, 1991 Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1990 Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars, 1990 Green Section Award, United States Golf Association, 1989 Distinguished Service Award, Massachusetts Turfgrass Association, 1989 Turfgrass Science Award of Crop Science Society of America, 1988 Texas A&M Faculty Distinguished Achievment Award in Research, 1987 Turf Master Award, Grounds Maintenance, 1987 Oberly Award, American Library Association, 1978 Meritorious Service Award, Michigan Turfgrass Foundation, 1978 Service Recognition Award, American Sod Producers Association, 1975 Distinguished Service Award, International Turfgrass Society, 1973 Fellow, American Society of Agronomy and Crop Science Society of America, 1971 National Science Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of California-Riverside, 1969-70 National Science Foundation Travel Study Grant on Desert Biology, 1966 Sigma Xi National Scientific Honorary Society, 1960 National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow, Purdue University, 1959-61 Ohio State University Alumni-Outstanding Senior Award, 1957 Gamma Sigma Delta Honor Society, 1957 Friberg Foundation Fellow, Ohio State University, 1956-57 Summary of Service: Jim has an extensive record of service to the many organizations that he has been associated with. He has held positons of President, Board of Directors, Historian Lecturerer, etc. He still occupies many of these positions. He has also served on numerous committees with these organizations. The organizations include Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), American Society of Agronomy (ASA), International Turfgrass Society (ITS), and Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST). |
The James Beard Story by Ron Seas |
This page was last updated on: February 21, 2004
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Jim Beard |
