Hugh Hammond Bennett
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Hugh Hammond Bennett (April 15, 1881 – July 7, 1960) was a pioneer in the field of soil conservation in the United States of America. He founded and headed the Soil Conservation Service, a federal agency now referred to as the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
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[edit] Biography
Bennett was born near Wadesboro in Anson County, North Carolina and graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1903. Immediately upon graduation, he became a soil surveyor, and conducted soil studies both in the United States and in other countries that eventually convinced him that soil erosion was a serious problem facing the planet.
[edit] Conservationism
By the 1920's, Bennett was actively writing about soil erosion for popular magazines and scientific journals, with works appearing in publications like Country Gentleman and Scientific Monthly. He co-wrote a United States Department of Agriculture publication in 1928 titled Soil Erosion: A National Menace, which was regarded as his most influential work and garnered the attention of Representative James P. Buchanan of Texas. Buchanan, who was a member of the United States House Committee on Appropriations, helped obtain funding in 1929 for soil erosion studies in the United States. Bennett was also instrumental in the formation of the Soil Conservation Society of America.
[edit] Government service
When the Soil Erosion Service was established as part of the United States Department of the Interior, he became the director in September of 1933. He continued to speak out on soil conservation issues, especially through the Dust Bowl years, and eventually influenced the passage of the soil conservation act of April 27, 1935, which created the Soil Conservation Service at the USDA. He remained at the head of that organization until he retired in 1951.
[edit] Recognition
Bennett received many awards and honors for his work during his lifetime, including:
- President of the Association of American Geographers in 1943
- The Frances K. Hutchinson Award from the Garden Club of America in 1944
- The Cullum Geographical Medal by the American Geographical Society in 1948
- The Distinguished Service Medal by the USDA in 1947
- The Audubon Medal by the National Audubon Society in 1947
In addition, Bennett was named a charter inductee into the USDA Hall of Heroes in 2000.
[edit] References
- Biography of Hugh Hammond Bennett. National Resources Conservation Service. Retrieved on 2006-06-05.
- Hugh Hammond Bennett. Surviving the Dust Bowl. Retrieved on 2006-06-05.
