Essays on the College of Agriculture's History
The Department of Horticulture
by Charles V. Hall
Charles V. Hall
Editor’s note: Charles V. Hall served for 26 years as a faculty member and 16 years as head of the horticulture department from 1974-1990. Hall is an emeritus professor in horticulture who also served eight years as an Iowa State University diplomat. Hall wrote about his time in the horticulture department and the changes and growth that occurred.
I was appointed head of the department on Sept. 1, 1974. I had previously served as a professor of horticulture at Kansas State University, a plant science teacher, vegetable specialist, watermelon breeder and named by the graduate college to represent K State as the first MASUA Biological Science Lecturer on the subject of genetics and biochemistry of insect and disease resistance in Cucurbitaceous plants.
Horticulture has been at Iowa Sate College from the first day and was the first named department in agriculture as horticulture and forestry. Professors Welch and Bessey were hired as the first teachers for landscape gardening, horticulture and botany, respectively. From that date forward to 1974 the faculty and staff made many important contributions to horticultural science and industry in Iowa and the United States. At the turn of the century the department was one of the top four horticulture departments in the nation. (See pre-1974 history on the horticulture department Website - www.hort.iastate.edu).
From the WWII era until 1974 the departmental on campus facilities for teaching, research and extension programs were not current with advances in the educational and research technological needs of the times. Therefore, the first challenge as a new department head was to seek financial support for modernization of the facilities, recruiting new faculty and overall financial support. Fortunately, the administrative support from President Parks’ office on down supported the departmental efforts to modernize the department. With industry financial support a feasibility study by Brooks-Borg Architects was conducted in 1975 with the recommendation to raze the 1885 structure, completely remodel the 1915 structure and a new wing with added classrooms, research and teaching labs essential for all programs. Faculty, staff and administrative offices, were planned in the new wing. All new service and support facilities were integrated throughout. Also, a new greenhouse section was to be added. All faculties and staff were involved in the planning process by defining specifications and the necessary equipment for each space.
In 1976 the Facilities and Planning Committee approved and assigned a priority for seeking funds, approved by the Regents and submitted to the Iowa Legislature for funding.
The Iowa Legislature appropriated $2.46 million and in 1977 and an additional $1.56 million for equipping the new facility which was completed and occupied in 1980. Since each room in the overall facility was planned for a specific function, including the necessary equipment, it was the first new ISU building to have a detailed equipment budget rather having a budget based on a formula.
Concurrently with the planning of new facilities a complete review of courses, curricula, research programs, graduate studies along with faculty, staff and service personnel needs was conducted. The following faculty and support staff members were hired:
| 1974 | Specialty |
| Paul Domoto | Pomologist |
| Mel Garber | Ornamental Horticulture |
| 1975 | Specialty |
| Henry Taber | Vegetable (Extension & Research) |
| 1976 | Specialty |
| William Knoop | Turf Management |
| Gary Kling | Turf Associate |
| William Summers | Vegetables |
| 1977 | Specialty |
| Loras Friberger | Pesticide Management Associate |
| Linda Naeve | Extension Associate |
| 1978 | Specialty |
| Richard Gladon | Plant Physics |
| Dennis Sopp | Plant Physics |
| Jeff Nuss | Turf Associate |
| Leo LaSota | Floriculture Extension |
| 1979 | Specialty |
| Marcia Durso | Floriculture |
| Nick Christians | Turf (Teaching & Research) |
| Wayne Hefley | Landscape Horticulture |
| 1980 | Specialty |
| Ellen Sutter | Tissue Culture |
| 1981 | Specialty |
| James Midcap | Ornamentals Extension |
| 1982 | Specialty |
| Dave Koranski | Floriculture |
| Vince Lawson | Vegetables & Muscatine Station |
| Loren Stephens | Tissue Cultures & Genetics |
| Mark Leonard | Vegetables Associate |
| Norman Hummel | Turf Extension |
| 1983 | Specialty |
| Kenneth Diesburg | Turf Associate |
| 1984 | Specialty |
| Richard Jauron | Extension Associate |
| Carlos Fear | Fruit Crops |
| David DeBuchananne | Vegetables & Small Fruits |
| Sheryl Krell | Floral Design |
| Michael Agnew | Turf |
| 1985 | Specialty |
| Nancy Agnew | Floriculture |
| Gail Nonnecke | Small Fruits |
| 1986 | Specialty |
| Mike Gaul | Home Horticulture |
| 1987 | Specialty |
| Young Joo | Turf Associate |
| David Hannapal | Molecular Genetics |
| Jeff Iles | Ornamental Horticulture |
| 1988 | Specialty |
| Richard Moore | Turf Associate |
| 1989 | Specialty |
| Harrison Flint | Landscape Horticulture |
| 1990 | Specialty |
| Carolyn Prince | Sustainable Agriculture |
| Harvey Lang | Floriculture |
Many of the individuals named above were either temporary, or have moved to other careers, but those who have established careers in the department as of 1990 are Domoto, Taber, Gladon, Christians, Stephens, Jauron, Nonnecke, Hannapal and Iles. All of those members prior to 1974 have since retired or are deceased.
As of 1968 field programs was moved from the campus to a new 229-acre farm east of Gilbert to encompass research, teaching and extension programs. On the site were all new buildings, laboratories and a 12-acre lake to supply irrigation water to be delivered through an underground irrigation system.
Upon my arrival as department head in 1974 the farm was being developed. One unique system designed by agricultural engineer Thamon Hazen, the first of its kind, was a complete pesticide management system, including storage, safety, and waste disposal (See photo). The system was constructed of reinforced concrete, filled with three layers (gravel, oil and gravel) and protected from rainfall by a top automated by a rain sensor. All pesticide waste was placed in the system from spraying operations.
In 1976, I organized a team consisting of a chemist, microbiologist, agronomist, agriculture engineer, entomology and horticulture specialist to determine the fate of deposited residues and the environmental safety of the system. A proposal was submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and was funded at $1.1 million for five years. Research findings from the study resulted in conferences in Washington D.C., St. Louis, Cincinnati and Ames. Results proved the system was environmentally safe, was used by other states and resulted in a number of nationally recognized publications and recognition for the ISU research.
Pesticide management system
By 1980 the horticulture department had become recognized as one of the leading departments in the United States and a major support to the Iowa industries. The department hosted the annual meeting of the American Society for Horticultural Science in 1982. I served as the society’s Vice President for Education and Chairman of the Science Priorities Committee. All faculty and staff participated in hosting the meeting, which was reported as being one of the most successful in history.
The department was involved in Iowa’s agricultural diversification efforts, which resulted in support for farmers’ markets, the master gardener program and educational support for vocational agriculture and extension service programs for industries. By the end of 1990, the ISU faculty was nationally recognized in the fields of fruit crops, vegetable crop management, turfgrass technology and management, post- harvest physiology, ornamental horticulture, floriculture and vegetable breeding. Student enrollment had reached an all time high and scholarship support has multiplied many times over.
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