Henry Vernon Atherton (November 12, 1923 – March 1, 2016) was a Professor of

Animal Science Animal science is described as "studying the biology of animals that are under the control of humankind". It can also be described as the production and management of farm animals. Historically, the degree was called animal husbandry and the ...

at the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...

Extension, WWII veteran and pioneer in the dairy industry.

Early years

Born in

Eden, Vermont Eden is a New England town, town in Lamoille County, Vermont, Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,338 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Geography Eden is one of the largest towns in Vermont by area. Accordi ...

on November 12, 1923, the third and youngest son of Phineas Alger Atherton (1907–1974) and Maude Lillian Marckres (1885–1980). His family were farmers in the

Vermont dairy industry Dairy is a primary source of agricultural output in the state of Vermont. , the state had 568 dairy farms milking cattle, sheep, and/or Goat, goats which produced 2.5 billion pounds of milk annually. Vermont ranks 15th in the Dairy industry in the ...

. Atherton graduated from

Barton Academy Barton Academy is a historic Greek Revival school building located on Government Street in Mobile, Alabama, United States. It was under construction from 1836 to 1839 and was designed by architects James H. Dakin, Charles B. Dakin, and James G ...

as class valedictorian in 1941; received a B.S. degree, cum laude, in dairy manufacturing in 1948, and an M.S. degree in 1950, both from the

; and a PhD in dairy technology from

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...

in 1953.

Career

Atherton became a pioneering investigator on the influence of bulk-milk cooling on the quality of milk and dairy products. He is considered to be a leading researcher in a 100-year history of the

American Dairy Science Association The American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) is a non-profit professional organization for the advancement of dairy science. ADSA is headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. Consisting of 4500 members, ADSA is involved in research, education, and in ...

. As a renowned dairy scientist, he promoted broader knowledge of cheeses consumed by American consumers. Atherton was a founding member of the Dairy Practices Council, and president of the Vermont Dairy Industry Association, and served on several national boards in the dairy industry. He worked with the Department of the Interior and the

Environmental Protection Agency A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...

to establish farm water quality criteria. Atherton was a professor of animal and dairy husbandry at the University of Vermont. He retired in 1989, and in 2010 he received the Sinclair Cup Award for lifetime achievement, and was elected to the Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame. The University of Vermont holds a historical account of his life and academic career, including audio interviews

Personal

Atherton married to Phyllis Marie Hardy (1924–2017), the daughter of Wayland and Alice Hardy, on August 24, 1947. They had 3 children; William, Larry and Robert Atherton. 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. He died in

Burlington, Vermont Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located south of the Canada–United States border and south of Montreal. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 44,743. It ...

on March 1, 2016.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atherton, Henry Vernon 1923 births 2016 deaths American agriculturalists Agriculture educators American food scientists Dairy educators People from Eden, Vermont Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences alumni University of Vermont alumni University of Vermont faculty American military personnel of World War II