This post is the part of a series commemorating the 100-Year anniversary of the signing of the Smith-Lever Act which officially created the national Cooperative Extension Service.

Read More about the 100-year anniversary of Cooperative Extension.

In 1928, Joseph Valentine, T.L. Gustin, and James Bolton paid a call to Ralph Hetzel, president of The Pennsylvania State College, to ask for research in turfgrass.

No one dreamed that this visit would be the genesis of one of the finest turfgrass management programs in the country. Today, the program’s success is due to the dedication, hard work, and vision of several significant individuals, including turfgrass scientists, golf course superintendents, teachers, and inventors. Each has a story to tell.