Reinhart Hugo Michael Langer (17 January 1921 – 3 August 2018) was a New Zealand
botanist. He was an academic at
Lincoln College (now Lincoln University) for over 25 years, and served as its acting principal from 1984 to 1985.
Early life, family, and education
Born in
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia ( pl, Górny Śląsk; szl, Gůrny Ślůnsk, Gōrny Ślōnsk; cs, Horní Slezsko; german: Oberschlesien; Silesian German: ; la, Silesia Superior) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, locate ...
(at that time part of Germany, now in Poland) on 17 January 1921, Langer grew up in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
where he moved with his mother and two siblings after the death of his father, a judge, when Reinhart was aged three years.
In 1939, Langer fled to England with his sister.
He worked as a veterinary assistant in
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury ( ) is a medieval market town and civil parish in the north of Gloucestershire, England. The town has significant history in the Wars of the Roses and grew since the building of Tewkesbury Abbey. It stands at the confluence of the Ri ...
,
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean.
The county town is the city of Gl ...
, for a year, before spending the remainder of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
working on a mixed cropping dairy farm.
Langer won a scholarship to the
University of Durham
Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charte ...
, and began studying agricultural science there in late 1945.
After graduating
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
with honours, he continued on to doctoral studies, completing his
PhD in 1951.
He was then appointed to a research position at the
Grassland Research Institute (GRI), where he had spent time as a research assistant during his university studies.
It was at GRI that Langer met his future wife, Hilary Joan Wilton, a
biometrician
Biostatistics (also known as biometry) are the development and application of statistical methods to a wide range of topics in biology. It encompasses the design of biological experiments, the collection and analysis of data from those experimen ...
, and they wed in September 1951.
The couple went on to have three children.
Academic career
In late 1958, Langer was appointed to the faculty of Lincoln College, near
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
, in New Zealand, where his research in the plant science department centred on increasing yields from crop and pasture plants.
He was particularly interested in plants suited to
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...
's dry summers, including
white clover
''Trifolium repens'', the white clover, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the bean family Fabaceae (otherwise known as Leguminosae). It is native to Europe, including the British Isles,Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. and Warburg., E.F. 1968. ''Excursio ...
,
subterranean clover
''Trifolium subterraneum'', the subterranean clover (often shortened to sub clover), subterranean trefoil, is a species of clover native to Europe, Southwest Asia, Northwest Africa and Macaronesia. The plant's name comes from its underground s ...
, and
lucerne.
He also conducted research into wheat, and served as a member and chair of the national Wheat Research Committee.
Langer was the foundation professor in plant science at Lincoln, and authored more than 60 books and scientific papers.
With
George Hill he wrote the book ''Agricultural Plants'', published in 1982, that became a standard text for the teaching of plant science.
He was also active in the administration of Lincoln College, serving as vice-principal, and as acting principal for 15 months in 1984 and 1985 between the tenures of Sir James Stewart and Bruce Ross.
Langer served on the
University Grants Committee, and was appointed Lincoln's public orator in 1978.
When he retired from Lincoln in March 1985, Langer was conferred the title of
professor emeritus
''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...
.
Later life and death
Following his retirement, Langer acted as a consultant for the establishment of forestry and agricultural polytechnic institutes in Indonesia.
He died in Christchurch on 3 August 2018.
Honours and awards
In 1972, Langer was elected a
Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
,
and in 1978, he received the
Leonard Cockayne Lecture Award from the Royal Society of New Zealand. Following his retirement from Lincoln, Langer was appointed an
Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the
1985 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to agricultural education. In 2005, Langer was conferred an honorary
DSc DSC may refer to:
Academia
* Doctor of Science (D.Sc.)
* District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India
* Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine
Educational institutions
* Dalton State Col ...
by Lincoln University.
He was also a fellow of both the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science, and the
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Langer, Reinhart
1921 births
2018 deaths
German emigrants to England
German emigrants to New Zealand
20th-century New Zealand botanists
Plant physiologists
Lincoln University (New Zealand) faculty
Fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand
New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Alumni of King's College, Newcastle
People from the Province of Upper Silesia