O.J. Noer Research Foundation
The O. J. Noer Research Foundation was a not-for-profit foundation
established in 1958 by O. J. Noer's colleagues and friends dedicated to
financial support of scientific research in turfgrass.
In 2019, the O.J. Noer Foundation was dissolved and
management of the funds and the research grants in Noer’s name were left in the
care of GCSAA and the GCSAA Foundation.
About O.J. Noer
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin with a
degree in Soil Science, O.J. went on to become a Wisconsin state soil chemist.
O.J.’s early success led to his direct involvement with and credit for
establishing the first soil-testing laboratory in the country. During and after
World War I, he went on to serve overseas as a captain of Chemical Warfare
Service.
From 1922 to 1924 and as part of a fellowship with the
College of Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin, O.J. took charge of all
investigational and experimental work in regard to determining the agricultural
value of milogranite.
It was not until his vast experience landed him a job as the
head of the Milwaukee Sewerage Commission Turf Service Bureau that O.J. made a
true name for himself in the golf and turfgrass industries. O.J. proudly
visited approximately 80% of all the golf courses in North America as one of
the most trusted turf grass advisors in the country and was invited to speak at
countless industry conferences and tradeshows. In fact, the demand for his
expertise was so high that in 1928, O.J. published The ABC of Turf Culture –
one of the earliest books ever written about turfgrass.
His tireless dedication did not go unnoticed. O.J. is the
only professional to have ever received the GCSAA Distinguished Service Award three
times (1952, 1959 and 1960), is a proud recipient of the 1963 USGA Green
Section Award for “distinguished service to golf through work with turfgrass”,
and was inducted into the Wisconsin State Golf Association’s Hall of Fame at
the 1985 Wisconsin Golf Turf Symposium.
O.J. Noer passed away on July 12, 1966, but his legacy as a
true turfgrass pioneer lives on. His name now rings a bell for everyone
involved in the industry – and our foundation is proudly based upon his legacy.
Together we pave a bright path for the future of scientific turfgrass research.