George Henry Hepting (September 1, 1907 – April 29, 1988) was an American
forest scientist and
plant pathologist
Plant pathology (also phytopathology) is the scientific study of diseases in plants caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Organisms that cause infectious disease include fungus, fung ...
.
[National Academies Press:Biographical Memoirs V.76 (1999), George Henry Hepting](_blank)
/ref> He was educated at Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
with an undergraduate degree in 1929 and a Ph.D. in 1933.
US Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...
called Hepting a "pioneer leader in forest pathology".[US Forest Service, Southern Research Station, George Henry Hepting: Pioneer Leader in Forest Pathology](_blank)
/ref>
He conducted seminal research on the role of ozone
Ozone (), or trioxygen, is an inorganic molecule with the chemical formula . It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope , breaking down in the lo ...
as causes of diseases in forests.
He was also noted for creation of the first computerized system for information retrieval in forestry.
Hepting was Chief Plant Pathologist
Plant pathology (also phytopathology) is the scientific study of diseases in plants caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Organisms that cause infectious disease include fungus, fung ...
at Southeastern Forest Experiment Station of US Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...
and a member of the National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...
Awards and distinctions
* 1969 - the first forester elected to the National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...
* 1954 - the Superior Service Award of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
* 1963 - the Barrington Moore Award for outstanding achievements in forestry research
* 1965 - Fellow of the Society of American Foresters
The Society of American Foresters (SAF) is a professional organization representing the forestry industry in the United States. Its mission statement declares that it seeks to "advance the science, education, and practice of forestry; to enhance t ...
* 1966 - Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society
The American Phytopathological Society (APS) is an international scientific organization devoted to the study of plant diseases (phytopathology). APS promotes the advancement of modern concepts in the science of plant pathology and in plant healt ...
* 1974 - the Weyerhaeuser Award for Outstanding Historical Writing from the Forest History Society
The Forest History Society is an American non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of forest and conservation history."Forest History Society." Echo Project. Center for History and New Media, George Mason University. http://echo.gmu. ...
References
External links
Guide to the George Henry Hepting Papers 1902-1993
1907 births
1988 deaths
Cornell University alumni
American foresters
American phytopathologists
Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
Forestry researchers
20th-century American botanists
20th-century agronomists
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