Hugh Hammond Bennett

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.

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.

Conservationism

By the 1920s, Bennett was actively writing about soil erosion for popular magazines and scientific journals, with works appearing in publications like "Country Gentleman" and "Scientific Monthly". [Bennett, H.H. 1934. Soil erosion - A national menace. The Scientific Monthly 39(5):385-404.] [Bennett, H.H. 1935. Facing the erosion problem. Science 81(2101):321-326.] [Bennett, H.H. 1936. Waste by wind and water. The Scientific Monthly 42(2):172-176.] [Bennett, H.H. 1938. Emergency and permanent control of wind erosion in the Great Plains. The Scientific Monthly 47(5):381-399. ] 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. [Bennett, H.H. and Chapline, W.R. 1928. Soil erosion: a national menace. United States Department of Agriculture, Circular 033, 36 pp.] 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.

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 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.

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
* A fellow of the American Society of Agronomy in 1947

In addition, Bennett was named a charter inductee into the USDA Hall of Heroes in 2000.

References

External links

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