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SAND MOUNTAIN AG RESEARCH LEADER RETIRING FROM AU
CROSSVILLE, Ala.__-- Auburn University and Sand Mountain area agriculture
will lose one of its leaders with the Sept. 1 retirement of John Eason,
who is superintendent of the 536-acre Sand Mountain Substation in Crossville.
Eason came to the Substation in 1970, and became superintendent in 1974.
Under his leadership, the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station research
facility has diversified its research program and annually conducts
55-60 experiments aimed at providing technological information needed
by the state's agricultural enterprises.
By today's standards John Eason fought and won against heavy odds to
get two college degrees and complete a career as one of Auburn University's
most respected research leaders. For example, he joined the National
Guard in his junior year in high school to be able to afford to buy
a senior class ring. Despite a heavy work load on the farm, he was valedictorian
of his high school class in Coosa County and president of the school's
4-H Club.
Following high school, he entered Auburn University, with intentions
of being a veterinarian, thanks to a $300 Sears and Roebuck scholarship.
His high school ring came back to haunt him in 1961, when he was called
up for military duty as part of the Berlin Crisis. As a result, Eason
spent his first fall quarter of college at Fort Polk in the Louisiana
swamps.
When he returned to Auburn, Eason switched from animal science to agronomy,
thanks in large part to the wisdom and kindness of Dr. Joe Hood, professor
emeritus in the Department of Agronomy and Soils. "Dr. Hood is
one of the most intelligent people I've run across. Despite his heavy
work load, he always had time to talk with you, and to encourage you,
which appealed to me and many other students in agriculture," Eason
stated.
By the summer of 1969, Eason had finished a master's degree in agronomy
and was working full time in the AU Soil Testing Laboratory. Hoping
to make the Soil Testing Lab a career, fate stepped in, and by 1970
he was assistant superintendent of the Sand Mountain Substation. Four
years later he was superintendent, the position from which he retired
Sept. 1.
As a young graduate student, Eason often worked long hours, and during
one of these sessions in 1966 he made one of his greatest discoveries.
He discovered Gail Spellman, an elementary education major struggling
with a science course in Funchess Hall. In 1967, they were married and
28 years later--they still are.
John and Gail have two children; Jai, who is a financial analyst for
Production Credit Association in Cullman, and Cynthia, who is a speech
pathology teacher in Marshall County.
When Eason came to the Sand Mountain Substation in 1970, cotton and
corn research were dominant. Soybeans replaced most of the cotton work
and small grains in large part replaced corn. In 1980, a vegetable research
center was established in cooperation with the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Now, the Sand Mountain Substation has one of the most diverse research
programs in the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station system.
In the future, Eason says budgetary restraints are likely to mandate
that research stations, such as the one in Crossville, will have to
reduce the total number of projects and specialize in certain commodity
areas.
During his tenure at the Sand Mountain Substation, Eason has worked
with some of the top swine researchers in the world. He considers the
establishment of a wetlands project in 1989 to be among his top achievement.
The project designed to utilize waste from a swine operation on the
substation, has been visited by people from 40 states and 10 foreign
countries.
"Our work with feeding broiler litter to cattle has probably had
as much impact on both commodities as any single project," Eason
noted. "Another project that has tremendous potential for the cattle
industry is a study of the interactions of Ivomectin-treated cattle
and fungus infected fescue," Eason said.
After retirement from Auburn, Eason will begin a new career--he just
isn't sure what that will be, or where it will be at this point. He
has a small cattle operation and some plans for expansion that may even
include raising freshwater lobster and shrimp.
Whatever the future holds, it's for certain John Eason will work hard
to make it successful.
-30-
By:
Roy Roberson
8/30/31
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