Walter C. Lowdermilk
Encyclopedia
Walter Clay Lowdermilk was a soil conservationist
who worked in countries throughout the world to help protect and reclaim lands
in order to better feed their population. Lowdermilk worked with the Belgian Relief Effort
after World War I, in China in the 1920s to help avert famine, with the Soil Conservation Service
in the United States, and in Palestine planning land and water use in support of the formation of Israel.
in 1911, attending Oxford
after his undergraduate education at the University of Arizona
. He married Inez Marks in August 1922. They had two children: Winifred Esther Lowdermilk (married Wilmot N. Hess
) and William Francis Lowdermilk (deceased). Lowdermilk received his PhD from the University of California
in 1929.
""The Eleventh Commandment" written and broadcast over the radio by Dr. Lowdermilk in Jerusalem during June 1939 was dedicated to the Palestinian Jewish villages whose good stewardship of the earth inspired this idea."
Fellow
American Geophysical Union, 1962.
Soil conservation
Soil conservation is a set of management strategies for prevention of soil being eroded from the Earth’s surface or becoming chemically altered by overuse, acidification, salinization or other chemical soil contamination...
who worked in countries throughout the world to help protect and reclaim lands
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
in order to better feed their population. Lowdermilk worked with the Belgian Relief Effort
Committee for Relief in Belgium
The Commission for Relief in Belgium or C.R.B. − known also as just Belgian Relief − was an international organization that arranged for the supply of food to German-occupied Belgium and northern France during the First World War.Its leading figure was chairman Herbert Hoover .- Origins :When the...
after World War I, in China in the 1920s to help avert famine, with the Soil Conservation Service
Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Natural Resources Conservation Service , formerly known as the Soil Conservation Service , is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that provides technical assistance to farmers and other private landowners and managers.Its name was changed in 1994 during the Presidency of...
in the United States, and in Palestine planning land and water use in support of the formation of Israel.
Early life and education
Walter Clay Lowdermilk was born July 1, 1888 and died May 6, 1974 at the age of 85. He was named a Rhodes ScholarRhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
in 1911, attending Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
after his undergraduate education at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. He married Inez Marks in August 1922. They had two children: Winifred Esther Lowdermilk (married Wilmot N. Hess
Wilmot N. Hess
Wilmot N. Hess was an American physicist. He was involved with many ambitious scientific projects of the 20th century including the Plowshares project, the NASA Apollo moon missions, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hurricane research and oil spill cleanup research, the...
) and William Francis Lowdermilk (deceased). Lowdermilk received his PhD from the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
in 1929.
Career
- Served in World War I as an engineer.
- Belgian Relief Commission (1917 - 1918)
- Flood controlFlood controlIn communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...
engineer and scientist, China. (1920s) - Assistant Chief, U.S. Soil Conservation Service, US Department of Agriculture
- President, American Geophysical UnionAmerican Geophysical UnionThe American Geophysical Union is a nonprofit organization of geophysicists, consisting of over 50,000 members from over 135 countries. AGU's activities are focused on the organization and dissemination of scientific information in the interdisciplinary and international field of geophysics...
(1941-1944).
"The Eleventh Commandment"
"Thou shalt inherit the holy earth as a faithful steward conserving its resources and productivity from generation to generation. Thou shalt safeguard thy fields from soil erosion, thy living waters from drying up, thy forests from desolation, and protect thy hills from overgrazing by the herds, that thy descendants may have abundance forever. If any shall fail in this stewardship of the land, thy fruitful fields shall become sterile stony ground or wasting gullies, and thy descendants shall decrease and live in poverty or perish from off the face of the earth.""The Eleventh Commandment" written and broadcast over the radio by Dr. Lowdermilk in Jerusalem during June 1939 was dedicated to the Palestinian Jewish villages whose good stewardship of the earth inspired this idea."
Honors
Lowdermilk Department of Agricultural Engineering at Technion University in Israel is named in his honor, "the world-renowned American expert on soil conservation, who supported the development of the State of Israel, and guided and inspired this Department from its first days."Fellow
Research fellow
The title of research fellow is used to denote a research position at a university or similar institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a principal investigator...
American Geophysical Union, 1962.
External links
- http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/about/history/?&cid=nrcs143_021442 Walter Lowdermilk's Journey: Forester to Land Conservationist
- http://www.jbooks.com/interviews/index/IP_Radosh.htm Lowdermilk Makes the Case
- http://www.jswconline.org/content/43/4/286.extract A centennial profile: Walter Clay Lowdermilk