Turf Industry Professor/Legend Dr. Jim Beard has passed. He quite literally wrote the book on turfgrass science and influenced countless careers during his time at Michigan State University and Texas A&M. Here’s a very brief bio on his life and career:
James B. Beard, Ph.D.
President, International Sports Turf Institute, Inc.
Dr. James Beard provided extensive leadership concerning research and teaching in the turfgrass physiology and ecology of turfgrass science and culture. He earned a BS summa cum laude from Ohio State University in 1957, and both MS (1959) and Ph.D. (1962) from Purdue University as a National Science Foundation Fellow. He has authored eight books, including the pioneering "Turfgrass: Science and Culture," "Turf Management for Golf Courses," and "Turfgrass Encyclopedia;" along with over 650 scientific and technical papers. He has lectured worldwide. Among his many honors is an Honorary Doctorate degree from Purdue University in 2004 and the Veitch Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society, London, England in 2008. Dr. Beard is currently Director and Chief Scientist of the International Sports Turf Institute, Inc. headquartered in College Station, Texas, and Professor Emeritus of Turfgrass Science, Texas A&M University.