Wolf Prize in Agriculture (1157 Pages)

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Wolf Prize in Agriculture

CURRICULUM VITA

Date and place of Birth:

January 3, 1896, Shambaugh, Iowa

Q

UALIFICATIONS

 

OF

  N

OMINEE

:

a) Degrees received

Kansas State College

B.S.

1916

Kansas State College

M.S. 1918

University of Wisconsin Ph.D. 1921

b) Membership in Honorary Academic Societies

Phi Kappa Phi

Sigma Xi

Gamma Sigma Delta

Foreign Member of:

Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture

Norwegian Academy of Sciences

Genetics Society of South Africa

National Academy of Sciences

National Medal of Sciences

c) Honors and Awards Received

1946 - Morrison Award, American Society of Animal Production

1956 - Portrait painted and hung, Saddle and Sirloin Club, Chicago, Illinois

1956 - Iowa State University, Outstanding Faculty Citation

1957 - American Society of Animal Production, Honor Guest

1957 - Royal Agricultural College, Sweden, Honorary Doctor of Agriculture

1957 - University of Giessen, Germany, Honorary Ph.D.

1957 - Iowa State University, Curtiss Distinguished Professor of Agriculture

1958 - Medal for Mathematics and Biology, Oslo, Norway

1958 - American Society of Animal Science, Honorary Fellow

1958 - Royal  Danish Veterinary and Agricultural College, Copenhagen,

Denmark, Honorary Doctor of Agriculture

1958 - American Dairy Science Association, Borden Award

1960 - German Society of Animal Breeding, von Nathusius Medal

1964 - Michigan State University, Honorary L. L. D.

1965 - Mendel Memorial Symposium, Brno, Czechoslovakia, Mendel Medal

1965 - Order of Merit, Republic of Italy

1965 - American Society of Animal Science, Genetics Award

1966 - Distinguished Service Award, American Dairy Science Association

1966 - Italian Republic, Official Knight of the Order of Merit

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Jay L. Lush

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1967 - Member, National Academy of Sciences

1968 - National Medal of Science Award

1969 - University of Illinois, Honorary Doctorate

1969 - Portrait hung in Dairy Shrine Club

1969 - Citation of Excellence, Poultry Breeders of America

1970 - University of Wisconsin, Honorary Doctorate

1971 - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Honorary Doctorate

1973 - Beef Improvement Federation, Beef Research Pioneer

1975 - Agricultural University of Norway, Honorary Doctorate

d) Professional Positions Held

1917-18

Kansas State College

Fellow

1919-21

University of  Wisconsin

Research Assistant

1921-29

Texas A & N College

Animal Husbandman

1930-57

Iowa State University

Professor

1957-

Iowa State University

Distinguished Professor

e) See Bibliography Attached

f) Education Contributions Other than Publications

Dr. Jay L. Lush was a pioneer in the application of genetics and statistics to animal

breeding problems. He established a graduate program in animal breeding at Iowa

State University beginning in 1930 which attracted students from many countries.

His graduates have become leaders in education, in research, in industry, and in

university administration. His book, “Animal Breeding Plans”, first published in

1937, was the standard collegiate text for many years and remains the classic text

in the field. His mimeographed notes, “The Genetics of  Population” have been

widely used for graduate teaching all over the world since 1948.

Educational contributions made in short-time commitments away from Iowa

State University are as follows:

1941 - Brazil. Lecturing on population genetics and biometry at Vicosa.

1951 - Colombia, Chile, Peru. Survey of teaching and research in animal production

for Rockefeller Foundation.

1954 - India. Lecturing at New Delhi on biometrical techniques useful in

agriculture.

1966 - Argentina. Teaching and advising agricultural research workers.

g) Development or Improvement of Programs, Practices, and Products for the

Improvement of Food Sources

Dr. Lush can properly be called the father of modern animal breeding. Dr. Lush

made a primary contribution in clarifying the breeding systems and practices

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Wolf Prize in Agriculture

which permit maximum rates of  genetic improvement in farm animals. His clear

insight into the roles of heredity, gene action and interaction, and the effects of

environment permitted him to develop methods of  measuring the relative

importance of these sources. These results have been applied to poultry, swine,

beef cattle and dairy cattle in ways most suitable to the particular species and to

the economically important traits of each species. For example, family selection

has been of considerable use in improving egg production, progeny testing, and

artificial insemination in milk production, individual selection in growth rate for

beef and swine.

Dr. Lush has worked closely with breed organizations and public institutions in

developing plans for improved animal production. Some of the foreign assignments

to which he has devoted time and effort are as follows:

1934 - Denmark. Study and Analysis of the Danish Pig Progeny Testing System.

1948 - Great Britain. Survey of research in genetics and animal husbandry for

U.S.D.A.

1948 - Australia. Survey of research in animal production for C.S.I.R.O.

1951 - Paraguay. Developed cattle breeding plans in Paraguay for A.I.D.

1961 - Argentina. Survey and plans for more efficient beef industry in Argentina.

h) Other Professional Contributions

Dr. Lush has served in an advisory capacity to U.S.D.A., to breed organizations, to

artificial insemination centers, and to many privately owned seed stock organizations

concerning problems of genetic improvement.

He has served as advisor to the Poultry Breeders Roundtable since its foundation

in 1952. This is an organization of  commercial poultry seedstock producers which

meets annually to discuss genetic problems.

He became advisor to the American Hereford Association when dwarfism became

a problem in the U.S. beef  industry in the early 1950’s. His suggestions and

recommendations were instrumental in bringing the problem under control without

greatly upsetting beef production.

His studies of the Danish Pig Testing System were important in establishing pig

testing systems which operated efficiently in the U.S., for example, averages from

the Iowa Swine Testing Station in operation at Ames since 1958 indicate that ham

and loin as a percent of carcass weight has increased about three quarters of one

percent per year.

i) Service to Organized Groups Related to Food and Agriculture

Dr. Lush has served in official capacity with many national and private organizations

in positions involving responsibility to agriculture. These include U.S.D.A., Rockefeller

Foundation, C.S.I.R.O. in Australia, A.I.D. foreign agriculture, United Nations, F.A.O.,

C.A.F.A.D.E. in Argentina, Poultry Breeders Roundtable, American Hereford

Association, Hoistein-Friesian Record Association, and Ayshire Cattle Club.

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