developed for the 40th Anniversary of TPI. Reviewing the decades covered in that publication reveals the depth of assistance Dr. Beard provided. He became TPI’s second Honorary Member in 1975. Dr. Indyk was the first in 1973.


Part of the “academic assistance” Dr. Beard orchestrated included sod production research at the original MSU sod farm. Sod strength and transplant rooting were new concepts. Dr. Beard’s MSU team established the criteria for both and developed the measurement techniques for them. Tey were the first to research the heating of sod during shipping.


Tributes Capture


His Passion Following Dr. Beard’s death, tributes to him were issued throughout the turfgrass industry. Tose included in this tributes section are excerpts from an article by John Reitman in Turfnet.com and an article by Howard Richman in GCMOnline. com. To read these articles as they originally appeared, go to: https://www.turfnet.com/news.html/_/ beard-brought-the-science-to-turfgrass- science-r1052 and http://www.gcmonline.com/ turf/2018/05/15/james-beard


Joe Vargas, PhD, launched his career 50 years ago as a researcher at MSU. Vargas says, “Before him, we were spray-and-pray guys. Dr. Beard was the first real scientist to understand why things were happening, such as why there is stress in the plant. He did the research. Te main thing he taught me was how to be a critical researcher and not just jump into something. I would go talk to somebody, which usually was him.”


Dr. Beard demanded excellence and attention to detail, and that was reflected in how he ran field days and the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation annual conference. Al Turgeon, PhD, professor emeritus at Penn State University, remembers that, during his days as a graduate student at MSU, field days included a practice session in advance of the live event. "Everyone had a job and we practiced it," Turgeon said. "It was very professional."


TPI Turf News July/August 2018


“He was focused, congenial, respectful. He was a visionary when it came to building a strong research program across the board,” says Paul Rieke, PhD, an authority on turfgrass soil and nutrition in his own right and a colleague of Beard’s at MSU. “He was a very precise scientist. He clearly challenged the status quo.”


"Dr. Beard influenced generations of students and young scientists with his many books, papers and presentations, as well as his encyclopedic knowledge of Turfgrass Science," said Bruce Clarke, PhD, of Rutgers University. "He was a good friend, mentor, and role model who set the bar exceptionally high. He will be sorely missed."


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