Perry Greeley Holden was the first professor

Professor

A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

 of agronomy

Agronomy

Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science. Agronomy is the application of a combination of sciences like biology,...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

P. G. Holden was born in Dodge Center, Minnesota

Dodge Center, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,226 people, 824 households, and 588 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,173.8 people per square mile . There were 859 housing units at an average density of 452.9 per square mile...

 and studied at the Michigan State University

Michigan State University

Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...

, where he was awarded an M.S.

Master's degree

A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

 in 1895. Subsequently, he went to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...

, where he became assistant professor for soil physics and the first professor of agronomy of the U.S. from 1896 until 1900. For the next two years, he served as a manager at the Funk Brothers Seed Company, promoting the use of hybrid corn seeds. In 1902, he joined the Iowa State University

Iowa State University

Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...

, first as vice dean

Dean (education)

In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...

 of agriculture and then, as of 1906, as head of the ISU Extension Service. Through his various outreach programs to promote the use of hybrid corn seeds he soon became known as the "corn evangelist". In 1912, he ran for governor of Iowa in the Republican primary; after his defeat, he moved to Michigan again where he became director of International Harvester

International Harvester

International Harvester Company was a United States agricultural machinery, construction equipment, vehicle, commercial truck, and household and commercial products manufacturer. In 1902, J.P...

's Agricultural Extension department. He retired in 1932.

Holden married on November 11, 1892 Carrie Amalia Burnett (b. April 7, 1864). They had four children; one of them died as an infant.

External links

• 1948 Radio transcript of a show on P. G. Holden.