In memoriam

Donald Van Pelt Waddington

ASA Fellow Donald Van Pelt Waddington, 89, of Boalsburg, PA, died on 1 Jan. 2021. He was a member of ASA and SSSA for more than 60 years (and CSSA for more than 40 years).

Dr. Waddington was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving during the Korean War. Born and raised in Norristown, PA, he earned his B.S. from Penn State in 1953, M.S. from Rutgers in 1960, and Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts in 1964. He began teaching at Penn State in 1965 and retired in 1991 as professor emeritus of soil science. While at Penn State, Waddington’s research focused on soil amendments and modification, nutrient availability and uptake, soil test calibration, nitrogen source evaluation, and surface characteristics of athletic fields, including methods to assess impact absorption properties and traction. He and his colleague, the late Dr. John “Jack” Harper, Penn State turf extension specialist, collaborated on groundbreaking, comprehensive studies related to the safety and playability of athletic field surfaces. As a result of this research, he helped to develop athletic field safety and performance standards for the American Society of Testing Materials International, which are now in place in the National Football League.

Waddington published his research in many scientific journals as well as professional and trade magazine articles for the turfgrass industry. He was co-editor of the second turfgrass science monograph (https://bit.ly/3rWqcNw) and co-author of a widely used soil fertility textbook (https://bit.ly/3ddG3TG) by both turfgrass scientists and practitioners.

Waddington served as CSSA Division C05 (Turfgrass Science) chair in 1981. He received CSSA’s Fred V. Grau Award in 1993, the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council’s Distinguished Service Award, and the Sports Turf Managers Association’s Dr. William H. Daniel Award. He is best known for the impact he has had on so many students, teaching more than 1,100 over his career. After retirement, he continued to advise graduate students and teach courses in the two-year program at Penn State, and for several years, he was involved with soil test laboratory certification. The Keystone Athletic Field Managers Organization established a scholarship to honor his contributions to sports turf education along with the late Dr. Jack Harper, called the Waddington/Harper Scholarship.

Waddington was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Caroline Wicker Waddington. He is survived by six children, 12 grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren.

Stanley Ralph Wilkinson

ASA Fellow Dr. Stanley Ralph Wilkinson passed away on 11 Dec. 2020. He was born on 28 March 1931 in West Amboy, NY. He earned a B.S. from Cornell University (1954) and an M.S. (1956) and Ph.D. (1961) from Purdue University. He joined USDA-ARS at the U.S. Regional Pasture Research Laboratory in 1961, transferring the Southern Piedmont Conservation Research Center, in 1965, retiring in 1998 after 37 years as a soil scientist. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1955–1957 and in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve from 1957 to 1964.

Wilkinson’s research interests included determining the nutrient requirements of forages and grass-based rotations and developing sustainable soil-plant-animal production systems that effectively utilize climate and land resources. Much of his research was directed toward safe use of poultry manure in grazed pasture systems, including prevention of nutrient loss in runoff, and animal health problems of cool- and warm-season grasses in sustainable combinations.

Wilkinson was an active team player both as a leader and participant in teams involving animal scientists, chemists, agronomists, and engineers. He was a member of ASA for more than 65 years, the Soil and Water Conservation Society of America for 55 years (where he was also elected Fellow), and SSSA for 45 years.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 59 years, Jean Saye Wilkinson. He was survived by three children, Rachael Parr; Stanley, Jr.; and Augusta (David) Bennett; and eight grandchildren, three great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.