Family: Joe Burton (son) US Distinguished Federal Civilian Service Award EO10717

Glenn W. Burton (May 5, 1910 near Clatonia,

Gage County, Nebraska Gage County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 21,704. Its county seat is Beatrice. The county was created in 1855 and organized in 1857. It was formed from land taken from the Oto ...

– November 22, 2005

Tifton, Georgia Tifton is a city in Tift County, Georgia, United States. The population was 17,045 at the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Tift County. The area's public schools are administered by the Tift County School District. Abraham Baldwin Agr ...

) was an American

agricultural scientist An agriculturist, agriculturalist, agrologist, or agronomist (abbreviated as agr.), is a professional in the science, practice, and management of agriculture and agribusiness. It is a regulated profession in Canada, India, the Philippines, the U ...

Hallauer, Arnel R
Glenn Willard Burton.
National Academy of Sciences: National Academies Press. 91:93.Dr. Glenn W. Burton, pioneer in plant breeding
Michigan State University. notable for his pioneering work in plant breeding, development of pearl millet in 1956 and for other contributions that helped increase world

food production The food industry is a complex, global network of diverse businesses that supplies most of the food consumed by the world's population. The food industry today has become highly diversified, with manufacturing ranging from small, traditiona ...

.Kral, E. A
Glenn W. Burton: Agronomist thought to have saved millions from starvation.
Burton was also known for the development of

bermuda grass ''Cynodon dactylon'', commonly known as Bermuda grass, is a grass found worldwide. It is native to Europe, Africa, Australia and much of Asia. It has been introduced to the Americas. Although it is not native to Bermuda, it is an abundant invasiv ...

es used on

athletic field A pitch or a sports ground is an outdoor playing area for various sports. The term ''pitch'' is most commonly used in British English, while the comparable term in American and Canadian English is playing field or sports field. For most sports t ...

s. Of these, his Tifton 419 was the most widely used bermuda grass in the world as of 2006.Werden, Lincoln A. (January 30, 1965
Greenskeepers Urged to Obtain Water Supply on Golf Property.
''New York Times'' Section: Food Fashions Family Furnishings. p. 3. Burton received the

National Medal of Science The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social scienc ...

from President Ronald Reagan: "For outstanding contributions to the

biological science Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary ...

s that have helped to feed the hungry, protect and beautify the environment, and provide recreation for millions."Glenn W. Burton.
The President's National Medal of Science. Burton was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and chair of the Agronomic Science Foundation.

Education

Burton received his bachelor's degree from the

University of Nebraska-Lincoln 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, th ...

in 1932. He received his master's degree in 1933 and Ph.D. in 1936 from

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

Awards

His notable awards, honors and distinctions included: * 1949 -

American Society of Agronomy The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) is a scientific and professional society of agronomists and scientists of related disciplines, principally in the United States but with many non-U.S. members as well. About It was founded December 13, 190 ...

Stevenson Award * 1949 - Fellow,

* 1955 - Honorary D.Sc. degree from

* 1962 - Honorary D.Sc. degree from

University of Nebraska 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, ...

* 1968 - Agricultural Institute of Canada Recognition Award * 1973 - DuPont Foundation Medal for Distinguished Service to Man * 1975 - Elected to the National Academy of Sciences * 1979 - DeKalb Crop Science Distinguished Career Award * 1980 -

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

Distinguished Service Award * 1980 - Southern Turfgrass Association Honorary Member Award * 1981 -

President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service Established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on 27 June 1957 by , the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service was created to allow the President to recognize civilian officers or employees of the federal government who have ...

* 1982 -

Alumni Achievement Award * 1982 -

Master Alumni Award * 1982 -

, presented by President Reagan * 1984 - Elected into

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

Agricultural Alumni Hall of Fame * 1985 - Fellow,

Crop Science Society of America The Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) is a scientific and professional society of plant biologists and crop scientists based in the United States. About The Crop Science Society of America was founded in 1956 as a daughter society of the ...

* 1988 - The

Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 17696 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, naturalist, explorer, and proponent of Romantic philosophy and science. He was the younger brother of the Prussian minister, ...

Foundation Award * 1988 - Honorary membership in the Grassland Society of Southern Africa * 1994 - Inducted into Georgia Turfgrass Hall of Fame * 1995 - Inducted into Georgia Golf Hall of Fame * 1997 - Inducted into Georgia Cattlemen's Hall of Fame * 1997 - Crop Science Society of America Presidential Award

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burton, Glenn W American agriculturalists Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences 1910 births 2005 deaths National Medal of Science laureates Recipients of the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service Presidents of the American Society of Agronomy 20th-century agronomists