Leslie Denis Swindale
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Leslie Denis Swindale (16 March 1928 – 25 September 2022) was a New Zealand-born soil scientist, agriculturist, writer and a former chairman of the Department Agronomy and Soil Science of the University of Hawaii. He was the author of several books on soil and agricultural sciences and was a part of the ''
Freedom from Hunger Freedom from Hunger (established in 1946, and now part of the Grameen Foundation) is an international development organization working in nineteen different countries. Rather than provide food aid, Freedom from Hunger focuses on providing small ...
Campaign'' of the
Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...
. He was a Fellow of New Zealand Institute of Chemistry, American Society of Agronomy and a foreign fellow of the
National Academy of Agricultural Sciences The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) is a Government of India funded agency, established in 1990, is a research platform in the fields of crop husbandry, animal husbandry, fisheries and agro-forestry. It acts as a research base for ...
. The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 1991, for his contributions to science, making him one of the few non-Indians to receive the award.


Biography

Swindale was born to Anne Walder and Ernest Swindale on 16 March 1928 in
Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
. He completed his graduate (1948) and master's (1950) degrees at
Victoria University, Wellington Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well know ...
before securing a doctoral degree from the
University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
in 1955. He started his career as a physical chemist at the New Zealand Soil Bureau and held several notable positions which included Director of New Zealand Pottery and Ceramics Research Association,
Lower Hutt Lower Hutt ( mi, Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai) is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand. Administered by the Hutt City Council, it is one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington metropolitan area. It is New Zealand's sixth most p ...
(1960–1963), Professor and chairman of department of agronomy and soil science at the University of Hawaii (1963–1968), Chief of Soil Resources Development and Consultant with the
Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...
(1968–1970), Associate director of Hawaii Agricultural Experimental Station, Honolulu (1970–1976), Director General of the
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is an international organization which conducts agricultural research for rural development, headquartered in Patancheru (Hyderabad, Telangana, India) with several r ...
, Patancheru, India (1977–1989) before becoming the Chairman of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research at
Patancheru Patancheru is located in the north western end of Hyderabad. It is an industrial zone located about 32 km from the city centre on the Hyderabad-Solapur highway, and around 18 km from HITEC City. Earlier, it was the headquarters of Bi ...
(1989–1990) He was the author of several books on soil and agricultural sciences and was a part of the ''
Freedom from Hunger Freedom from Hunger (established in 1946, and now part of the Grameen Foundation) is an international development organization working in nineteen different countries. Rather than provide food aid, Freedom from Hunger focuses on providing small ...
Campaign'' of the
Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...
. He is a Fellow of New Zealand Institute of Chemistry, American Society of Agronomy and the
National Academy of Agricultural Sciences The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) is a Government of India funded agency, established in 1990, is a research platform in the fields of crop husbandry, animal husbandry, fisheries and agro-forestry. It acts as a research base for ...
and a member of institutions and societies such as Society for International Development, Soil Science Society of America, International Union of Soil Sciences, New Zealand Society of Soil Science, Royal Society of New Zealand, New Zealand Geological Society, Indian Society of Soil Science, Clay Mineral Society of India and
Gamma Sigma Delta Gamma Sigma Delta (), or more fully, the Honor Society of Agriculture, Gamma Sigma Delta, is an honor society for Agriculture students and those in related fields. Founded in 1913, it is the oldest and largest such society for its academic discipl ...
. In 1991, he became one of among the few foreign nationals to be honored by the Government of India, when he was selected for the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, for his contributions to science. Swindale was married to Delle Sprinza Natelson and the couple had two sons and a daughter. He died at his home in
Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
on 25 September 2022, aged 94.


Selected bibliography

* * * * * * * *


See also

* Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research *
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is an international organization which conducts agricultural research for rural development, headquartered in Patancheru (Hyderabad, Telangana, India) with several r ...
* List of University of Wisconsin–Madison people * List of University of Hawaii alumni


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swindale, Leslie Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in science & engineering 1928 births 2022 deaths Scientists from Wellington City Victoria University of Wellington alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni University of Hawaiʻi faculty Food and Agriculture Organization officials Fellows of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences New Zealand soil scientists New Zealand academics New Zealand officials of the United Nations