| The Soil Science Society of
America Journal, and the Soil Survey Horizons publication both
occasionally publish articles on the History of Soil Science and
Scientists. I recommend you get copies of the following articles as a beginning. You asked for a name or two. This list is probably overwhelming. The most intriguing ones by my opinion are Briggs, King, Whitney, Marbut, Kellogg, and Smith. TEKS Grade 3: 112.5.b3E Grade 4: 112.6.b3E Grade 5: 112.7.b3E Grade 6: 112.22.b3E Grade 7: 112.23.b3F Int Phys Chem: 112.42c3E (King, Justus von Liebig and Carl Sprengel, tensiometer, Briggs, Hopkins, for a start) Chem: 112.45c3E (Justus von Liebig and Carl Sprengel, Hopkins, Milton Whitney, et al.) Phys: 112.47c3E (Briggs, tensiometer, et al.) Thanks for the interest, Clay Robinson, Ph.D., CPSSc, P.G., alias Dr. Dirt Tanner, C.B., and R.W. Simonson. 1993. Franklin Hiram King - Pioneer Scientist. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 57:286-292. Amundson, R., and D.H. Yaalon. 1995. E.W. Hilgard and John Wesley Powell: Efforts for a Joint Agricultural and Geological Survey. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 59:4-13. van der Ploeg, R.R., W. Bohm, and M.B. Kirkham. 1999. On the origin of the theory of mineral nutrition of plants and the Law of the Minimum. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 63:1055-1062. discusses the lives of Justus von Liebig and Carl Sprengel and their contributions Brevik, E.C. 1999. George Nelson Coffey, Early American Pedologist. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 63:1485-1493. Or, Dani. 2001. Who invented the tensiometer? Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 65:1-3. Tandarich, J.P., R.G. Darmody, L.R. Follmer, and D.L. Johnson. 2002. Historical development of soil and weathering profile concepts from Europe to the United States of America. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 66:3355-346. Landa, E.R., and J.R. Nimmo. 2003. The life and scientific contributions of Lyman J. Briggs. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 67:681-693. (This is one of the more intriguing people in recent soil science, a fascinating man married to a woman whose name is still on a personality type indicatory!) Brevik, E.C. 2004. Contributions of Edward Elway Free to American Soil Science in the early 1900s. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 68:904-906. Homburg, J.A. 2000. A biographical sketch of John Wesley Powell (1834-1902) and his contributions to the earth sciences. Soil Survey Horizons 41(1):1-6. Fanning, D.S., and M.C.B. Fanning. 2001. Milton Whitney: Soil survey pioneer. Soil Survey Horizons 42(3):83-89. Brevik, E.C. 2001. George Nelson Coffey, early soil surveyor. Soil Survey Horizons 42(4):122-126. Kellogg, R.L. 2003. Remembering Charles Kellogg. Soil Survey Horizons 44(3):86-92. Hans Jenny published "Factors of Soil Formation" in 1941 and changed the way soils have been studied, classified and interpreted. C.G. Hopkins is another influential soil scientist in the early 1900s. The attached PowerPoint presentation gives a brief history of soil classification, and identifies some of the more prominent influences in the last 140 years. In case you cannot read it, the names (without their contribution) are listed below. Russian V.V Dokuchaiev 1880-1910 K.D. Glinka and Sibertsev American E.W. Hilgaard Milton Whitney Coffey C.F. Marbut Charles E. Kellogg Mark Baldwin James Thorp Guy Smith Sara Uttech ASA-CSSA-SSSA wrote: Dr. Dirt, could you answer this question we received here at headquarters? thank you again! Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2004 10:36:50 -0500 |