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SEGMENT: COLLEGE EDUCATION, FARM-RELATED WORK, & FAMILY

Dr. Edward Runge>LPL Interviews N-Z>LPL Interviews K-Z, Segment 5

SEGMENT: COLLEGE EDUCATION, FARM-RELATED WORK, & FAMILY,

duration 10:41
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COLLEGE EDUCATION
Lots of colleges have good agricultural education. All land grant colleges. Head of Department, Dr. Pierre. Insisted he go to Iowa State; teach and get PhD. He did not want to work with suggested faculty. Offered him a research associate position two years later, after which he would be faculty. His advisor was also good. Dissertation was a comparison of different soils in SE Iowa. Graduated in 1963. He planned to stay there. Then Illinois asked him back.
FAMILY
Had two children, so location of grandparents from U. of Illinois was good. Wife worked as a nurse part time.
FARM-RELATED WORK
Appointment was teach & conduct research. His first job was a research 30 per cent and an Extension 70%. Then changed to 1/3 teaching, 1/3 research. Liked the Extension to impart new knowledge to farmers. Taught county agents in 1964 in Springfield. Research concerned soil phosphorus. Imperative for plant growth. Soil testing has progressed with mechanicals. Use robots now to run samples. We were idea rich and data poor, but now we are data rich (with computers) to sometimes idea poor.