Biographical sketch of Thomas J. Army

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BIOGH

APHICAL

SKETCH

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Thomas J. Army was born June 12, 1923 at Worcester, Massachusetts. He was awarded the B.S. degree in Agronomy by the University of Massachusetts in 1948 after a three

year period ~f service with the U. S. Army during World War II. His M.S. degree in Botany was awarded by the same institution in 1950. The Ph.D. degree in Agronomy was conferred in 1954 by North Carolina State University. His training and experi-ence have centered around research and development in plant nutrition, water relations of plants, and crop pioduction as related to climate and soil variables under irrigated and dryland farming.

For eight years prior to joining International Minerals & Chemical Corporation, Dr. Army was employed by the United States Department of Agriculture as a Soil Scientist and

Investigations Leader. As Investigations Leader in the Soil and Water Research Division, he had technical resl?onsibility for the Non-Irrigated Fertility Research and Moisture Con-servation Research in the Western United States. He joined IMC in 1962 as Senior Research Associate and is now Director of Plant and Soil Sciences.

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-He ·is the author or co-author of numerous technical and educational papers concerned with basic and applied aspects of food and fiber production.

Dr, Army is a member of numerous professional org

ani-zations, including the honorary scholastic frat6rnity, Phi Kappa Phi. He is a Fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society of Agronomy.

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Birtli Date

2805 Weller Lane

Northbrook, Illinois · 60062 (312) 272-7007

Personal Data

June 12, 1923 Worcester, Massachusetts Marital Status

Married, two children - Kent 13, Lori 11

Educati.on

June 1948 B.S. Degree in Agronomy

University of Massachusetts

~nherst, Massachusetts

June 1950 M.S. Degree in Botany

University of I1Iassachusetts

Amherst, Massachusetts

June 1954 Ph.D. Degree in Agronomy

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

June 1943- Basic Engineering Course

May 1944 University of Missouri (U.S. Army)

No degree granted

Personal Interests

Stamp collecting, Civil War history, fishing, paperweight

collecting Military Service

U.S. Army 1943-1945 . European Theatre of Operations . Bronze Star for heroic action in France.

Professional Experience 1967 - Present 1962 - 1967 -1958 :... 1962 1956 1958 1954 - 1956

Director , Plant and Soil Sciences

Growth Sciences Center, International Minerals and Chemical Corporation Libertyville, Illinois 60048 Senior Research Associate

International Minerals and Chemical Corporation

Skokie, Illinois

Research Investigations Leader

Soil and Water Conservation Research

Division, U.S.D.A.

Fort Collins, Colorado

Soil Scientist, Soil and Water

Conservation Research Division U.S.D.A.

Amarillo, Texas

Soil Scientist, Soil and Water

Conservation Research Division U.S.D.A.

Bozeman, Montana

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1950 - 1954 Research Assistant(U.S.D.A.)

three-quarters time while working on Ph.D.

1948 - 1950 Instructor,· Plant Physiology

one-half time while wor~ing on M.S.

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Research at North Carolina involved the mineral nutrition of plants as affected by soil and climatic properties.

Emphasis in the West was directed towards developing an

improved understanding of irrigated and dryland agriculture

in the semi-arid Great Plains. Studies on the effects of

climate and soils on the uptake of nutrient elements by

plants revealed previously unrecognized interactive effects

·betweert clay minerals, cation exchange capacity etc. and gave

rise to improved interpretation of nutrition phenomena and

fertilizer use. At Amarillo, pioneering research was conducted

on evaporation control, chemical fallow and the develo~nent

of new statistical techniques for evaluating yield probabilities

bnder drfland conditions.

As an Investigations Leader, technical responsibility

was assigned for all work in the western area dealing with

moisture conservation and fertility of nonirrigated soils.

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Several disciplines including soil. fertility, chemistry,

physics and microbiology were directed to solutions of

problems involving basic and applied r esearch and field and

laboratory programs. There was extensive contact and cooper-ation with scientists and administrators in all of the

State Universi t ies, private industry and other government

agencies.

International Minerals and Chemical Corporation

As a Senior Research Associate, assistance was given

to.the Vice President Rand D on planning and developing a

comprehensive research program related to fertilizers and

specialty agricultural chemicals . Duties also included technical appraisal of acquisi t ion candidates , liaison with sales and marketing groups and the development of a close working ~elationship with State Universities and Federal Agencies.

In the present capacity of Director of Research, I have full responsibility for all research_and development in the plant and soil areas. Disciplines involved are organic chemistry~ soil chemistry, f~rtilizer evaluation

and application, crop physiolog~ cropping systems and plant physiology. Four managers, one senior agricultural consultant, and one information specialist report to the Director' s

office. The staff includes about 75 technical and support

groups with an operating budget of approximately $1.5 million.

The group is responsible for developing new products and

techniques which can be marketed or used for sales support and market development programs of the Agricultural Chemicals

Division. Products such as nematocides, herbicides , chemical insecticides, fungicides, biological insecticides, and plant

growth regulators and fertilizers are in various stages of

study and field development . There is a continuing and

close association with the Corporat e staff in Skokie on matters

pertaining to new ventures , sales support , technical servi ce

and acquisitions.

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Publications and Other Professional Relationships Publications

_,_ .. ____ A_ _l_i_s_t_ 9f over 5_0 publica_t ions is attached. _ The recent book, "Harvesting the Sun" has been -widely ac la imed as

unique in concept and content - basic information related to applied agriculture;

Professional Recognition

Phi Kappa Phi - honorary scholastic fraternity

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Fellow American Society of Agronomy

Member of the National Academy of Sciences

Swnmcr Study(l967-68) on Space Applications

Member of the Joint Industry/Government Task Force on

Eutrophication(an appointment by former Secretary

of Agriculture, Orville Freeman)

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Chairman of the Committee on Environmental Quality for

the Agricultural Research Institute, National Research

Council of the National Academy of Sciences

Chairman of the Technical Committee of the National

Plant Food Institute

All of these activities result in continuous exposure

to new ideas and concepts. There is a continuing broadening

of my background to strengthen and improve minagerial ability

in t .chnical and commercial development.

References