Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
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Table of Contents • Notables • Dean’s address to faculty Vision Credits
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Dr. T.H. “Ted” Johnston, 1917-2006 Dr. T. H. “Ted” Johnston died early Saturday morning, May 20, 2006, at the Butterfield Trail Village retirement facility Health Care Center in Fayetteville after an extended illness. He was born on a farm in Antelope County, Neb., on May 3, 1917, the fourth of ten children. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He served as a field artillery officer in the U.S. Army during World War II. In 1946, he joined the faculty of Oklahoma State University as an Assistant Agronomist in small grains research. While at OSU, he completed his graduate work for a Ph.D. degree in crop breeding from Iowa State University in 1953. Dr. Johnston then moved to Stuttgart as a Research Agronomist with the USDA, Agriculture Research Service, to lead the University of Arkansas cooperative State/Federal rice improvement project at the Rice Research and Extension Center for 30 years. During this time, twelve improved rice varieties were developed, including Starbonnet, Newbonnet, Mars, and Nortai, which added untold millions of dollars in value to rice crops in Arkansas and the southern United States. Starbonnet, first grown commercially in 1967, was rapidly accepted and by 1969 ranked above all other varieties in total production in the United States. By 1972, Starbonnet accounted for an estimated 25 percent of the total rice acreage and production in the United States. Dr. Johnston coordinated the cooperative State/Federal Rice Performance and Disease nurseries for ten years. He was very active in the Rice Technical Working Group (RTWG) for 30 years. He was a leader in RTWG and served as Secretary/Program Chair, Chair, and on many committees. He was the recipient of two prestigious awards from RTWG, the Distinguished Service Award in 1976 and the Distinguished Rice Research and Education Team Award in 1988. He was the Honoree at the International Rice Festival in Crowley, Louisiana in 1977 and later at the Arkansas Rice Festival. He was recognized by rice industry organizations for "outstanding contributions to the Arkansas and American rice industry." Dr. Johnston was a member of the American Society of Agronomy since 1940 and chaired and/or served on several committees of that organization. He was named a Fellow by the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 1979, he received the prestigious Superior Service Award from the USDA. He represented the U.S. State Department and the USDA at numerous international rice conferences in Tokyo, Rome, Tehran, the Philippines, and the United States. He served for six years on the seven-person International Board for the Propagation of Germ Plasm and International Rice Research Institute Advisory Committee. In that capacity, he attended meetings in India, the Philippines, and Washington, D.C. After retiring from the USDA, Dr. Johnston spent four years as a consultant rejuvenating the USDA World Rice Collection. He then moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 1987 and served as an Adjunct Professor, Department of Agronomy, at the University of Arkansas. In that capacity, he helped edit the Rice Research Report series for many years. When asked several months ago about how he would like to be remembered professionally, Dr. Johnston recalled working closely with over 50 federal and state scientists from various scientific disciplines. "I always tried to focus on the "big picture" of rice production rather than just my own narrow specialty of plant breeding." While in Stuttgart, Dr. Johnston was an active member of Grand Avenue United Methodist Church. He sang in the church choir and directed music for services on Sunday evening and Wednesday night. Just before his death, he fondly recalled that he "sang in church choirs for 70 years." He also taught Sunday school and served as a certified Lay Speaker. He was involved with the Boy Scout program for over 25 years and served for a time as Scoutmaster of Grand Avenue's Troop 84. Dr. Johnston was active in the local PTA and worked with the State Legislature to provide driver education in the schools. He served with the Civic Music Association and was a Paul Harris Fellow for the Stuttgart Rotary Club. He was an avid birdwatcher and member of the Audubon Society. He observed and listed over 300 different types of birds during his lifetime. Dr. Johnston is survived by Marian Swanson Johnston, his wife of 63 years; his two sons--Keith E. Johnston of Berkeley, California, and COL Wayne R. Johnston of Conway, Arkansas, and their wives; and three grandchildren--2LT Daniel Johnston and his wife of Indianapolis, Indiana, currently serving on active duty in Kosovo, Elizabeth Johnston of Kansas City, Kansas, and Nicole Johnston of Berkeley, California. He is also survived by two brothers and one sister--Wallace Johnston of Portland, Oregon, John R. Johnston of Chandler, Arizona, and Evelyn Keith of Walnut Creek, California. Memorials may be made to Sequoyah United Methodist Church or American Parkinson's Disease Association Inc., Parkinson’s Plaza, 136 Parkinson’s Ave., Staten Island, New York, NY 10305-1425. |