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Virginia Turfgrass Council – History of the Turfgrass Program at Virginia Tech, Part One
VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL: Richard “Dick” Schmidt, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus and Mike Goatley, Ph.D., Professor & Extension Turfgrass Specialist
In preparation for the 50th anniversary of Field Days at the Virginia Tech Turfgrass Research Center on August 28–29, 2023, we present a brief synopsis of the history of the VT Turfgrass program in two parts. Part one covers the founding of the VT Turfgrass program in the 1950s through the early 2000s.
The Early Days of VT Turfgrass Programs
Both Professor John Shoulders and Dr. Roy Blaser were forage specialists in the Department of Agronomy at Virginia Tech in the mid 1950’s who had foresight concerning the value of a turfgrass research and teaching program at Virginia Tech. Dr. Blaser obtained grants for graduate students supporting turfgrass research with the Department of Highways in Virginia and West Virginia, and Professor John Shoulders “boot-legged” extension information to the professional turf growers in Virginia. They were instrumental in building a nine-hole golf course at Virginia Tech with different varieties of bentgrass cultivars on greens and tees for students to observe. Yes, tees – that was deemed revolutionary at the time.
Professor Shoulders essentially ‘recruited’ Dick Schmidt to Virginia Tech while John was meeting with Dr. Burt Musser on a visit to Penn State. A grant was obtained from DuPont Corporation to sponsor a doctoral graduate student position which was offered to Richard Schmidt, who had recently obtained his master’s degree at Penn State. He fulfilled the faculty position that mainly comprised of leading the turfgrass physiology graduate studies and conducting research (it wasn’t a bad investment in personnel: Schmidt spent his entire academic career at Virginia Tech and was awarded Professor Emeritus status after forty years of service!) Within a year of Schmidt’s hiring at Virginia Tech, a Turfgrass Ecology course was developed, and John Shoulders became the first Virginia turfgrass extension specialist. A state Turfgrass Council was formed in 1960, and for the first time, there were coordinated university and industry efforts with support from leading turfgrass industry members and firms, including the United States Golf Association.
More on Early VT Turfgrass Team Members
Dr. Houston Couch, renowned over the years for his expertise in turfgrass pathology and as a popular and entertaining speaker on the turf industry circuit, arrived from Penn State. Couch replaced Dr. Al Williams and became one of the country’s first full-time pathologists hired to conduct turfgrass disease research, and in particular to update the professional golf course management industry on new fungicides arriving on the market. Houston made quite a name for himself both nationally and internationally with the publication of one of the industry’s standard textbooks in turfgrass pathology called “Diseases of Turfgrasses”. Houston’s list of achievements was long and extensive, including the Golf Course Superintendent’s Association of America’s Col. John Morley Award in 2002 and the United States Golf Association’s Green Section Award in 2003.
Weed scientist Dr. Bill Chappell initiated the evaluation of the first preemergent crabgrass herbicides in the late 1950s and in 1961, Wayne Bingham came to Virginia Tech where he worked for the next 35 years. Wayne’s program addressed weed control in fine turf, and made advancements in highway rights of way weed management and the first generation of plant growth regulators. He expanded the turfgrass weed control research program in all areas for the turfgrass industry. Bingham was succeeded by Dr. Shawn Askew who arrived in the early 2000s to continue the growth of both applied and basic research programs in turfgrass weed science that span fine turf management to highway rights of way turf.
A.J. Powell, Jr.
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VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL: Richard “Dick” Schmidt, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus and Mike Goatley, Ph.D., Professor & Extension Turfgrass Specialist
In preparation for the 50th anniversary of Field Days at the Virginia Tech Turfgrass Research Center on August 28–29, 2023, we present a brief synopsis of the history of the VT Turfgrass program in two parts. Part one covers the founding of the VT Turfgrass program in the 1950s through the early 2000s.
The Early Days of VT Turfgrass Programs
Both Professor John Shoulders and Dr. Roy Blaser were forage specialists in the Department of Agronomy at Virginia Tech in the mid 1950’s who had foresight concerning the value of a turfgrass research and teaching program at Virginia Tech. Dr. Blaser obtained grants for graduate students supporting turfgrass research with the Department of Highways in Virginia and West Virginia, and Professor John Shoulders “boot-legged” extension information to the professional turf growers in Virginia. They were instrumental in building a nine-hole golf course at Virginia Tech with different varieties of bentgrass cultivars on greens and tees for students to observe. Yes, tees – that was deemed revolutionary at the time.
Professor Shoulders essentially ‘recruited’ Dick Schmidt to Virginia Tech while John was meeting with Dr. Burt Musser on a visit to Penn State. A grant was obtained from DuPont Corporation to sponsor a doctoral graduate student position which was offered to Richard Schmidt, who had recently obtained his master’s degree at Penn State. He fulfilled the faculty position that mainly comprised of leading the turfgrass physiology graduate studies and conducting research (it wasn’t a bad investment in personnel: Schmidt spent his entire academic career at Virginia Tech and was awarded Professor Emeritus status after forty years of service!) Within a year of Schmidt’s hiring at Virginia Tech, a Turfgrass Ecology course was developed, and John Shoulders became the first Virginia turfgrass extension specialist. A state Turfgrass Council was formed in 1960, and for the first time, there were coordinated university and industry efforts with support from leading turfgrass industry members and firms, including the United States Golf Association.
More on Early VT Turfgrass Team Members
Dr. Houston Couch, renowned over the years for his expertise in turfgrass pathology and as a popular and entertaining speaker on the turf industry circuit, arrived from Penn State. Couch replaced Dr. Al Williams and became one of the country’s first full-time pathologists hired to conduct turfgrass disease research, and in particular to update the professional golf course management industry on new fungicides arriving on the market. Houston made quite a name for himself both nationally and internationally with the publication of one of the industry’s standard textbooks in turfgrass pathology called “Diseases of Turfgrasses”. Houston’s list of achievements was long and extensive, including the Golf Course Superintendent’s Association of America’s Col. John Morley Award in 2002 and the United States Golf Association’s Green Section Award in 2003.
Weed scientist Dr. Bill Chappell initiated the evaluation of the first preemergent crabgrass herbicides in the late 1950s and in 1961, Wayne Bingham came to Virginia Tech where he worked for the next 35 years. Wayne’s program addressed weed control in fine turf, and made advancements in highway rights of way weed management and the first generation of plant growth regulators. He expanded the turfgrass weed control research program in all areas for the turfgrass industry. Bingham was succeeded by Dr. Shawn Askew who arrived in the early 2000s to continue the growth of both applied and basic research programs in turfgrass weed science that span fine turf management to highway rights of way turf.
A.J. Powell, Jr.