OBITUARIES

Donald N. Duvick

Donald N. Duvick, 81, of Johnston, Iowa, died Tuesday, May 23, 2006, at Mercy Hospice in Johnston after a brief illness. Donald was born in Sandwich, Illinois, on December 18, 1924, the eldest son of Florence (Appel) and Nelson Duvick. He grew up on a dairy farm and attended Sandy Bluff Elementary School and the Sandwich Schools. After serving in the U.S. Army in World War II in the European theater, he received a BS in agriculture from the University of Illinois in 1948 and earned a PhD in botany and genetics from Washington University (St. Louis) in 1951.

In 1950 he married Selma Nelson, of Palmerton, Pennsylvania, with whom he had two sons, Daniel and Jonathan, and a daughter, Randa.

In 1951, Don began his career with Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. He held a number of positions at Pioneer, including geneticist/ corn breeder, director of plant breeding, and finally senior vice president for research, the position he held on his retirement in 1990.

After retirement, he was appointed affiliate professor of plant breeding at Iowa State University, a position he held until his death. Don was active in global agriculture affairs, particularly in the areas of plant breeding methods, germplasm conservation, and intellectual property. He also continued to carry out field research that significantly advanced a genetic understanding of the role that plant breeders have played in improving the productivity of corn during the history of corn hybrid agriculture from the 1930s to today.

Don was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a distinguished fellow of the Iowa Academy of Science. He was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society of Agronomy, and the Crop Science Society of America. In 2006 he received the President’s Award from the Crop Science Society and was posthumously recognized by a special issue of the journal MAYDICA.

Throughout his career, he held numerous offices in scientific societies, including as president of the Crop Science Society, the American Society of Agronomy, and the National Council of Plant Breeders. He also served as trustee for the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines and for the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico. He served on a number of advisory boards through the years, including the National Research Council, the National Germplasm Resources Board, and the McKnight Foundation’s Collaborative Crop Research Program. He published widely on plant genetic resources, hybrid improvement, and plant breeding.

Don’s public service also included membership in and service on the board of the Nature Conservancy of Iowa (1982–2005), from whom he received a Distinguished Service Award. He served on the committee of World War II veterans that was responsible for the creation of the World War II memorial on the grounds of the Iowa capitol. Don was active in the Johnston Historical Society and served his church, the Urbandale United Church of Christ, in a number of capacities over the years, including more than 50 years in the choir. He had many interests, including vocal and instrumental music, conservation, prairie restoration, field botany, history, literature, and gardening.

Don is survived by his wife Selma, sons Daniel (and wife Susan) of rural Madrid, Iowa, and Jonathan (and wife Carol Hendrick) of Des Moines; daughter Randa (and husband David Grosnick) of Valparaiso, Indiana; and grandchildren Alex and Makenzie Duvick. His brothers Jack (and wife Darlene) of Tipton, Indiana; Edward of Sandwich, Illinois; and Richard (and wife Donna) of Worthington, Ohio, also survive.

This article was contributed by Jon Duvick and Stephen Smith.