Oyvind Juul (O.J.) Noer, became known as "Mr. Turf"
Native of Stoughton, born in 1890 to Norwegian immigrants Julius
and Ada Johnson Noer. Graduated from
U.W. Madison as a soil scientist from the Department of Soil Science and went
on to become the State Soil Chemist in 1914.
During and after WWI he served as Captain in the Chemical
Warfare Service. He was called to service on October 16, 1917, served in France Nov. 1918 to July 1919 and was later discharged with the rank of captain Jan. 1920.
“From 1922-24 he was in charge of all investigational and
experimental work in conjunction with determining the agricultural value of
Milorganite under a fellowship grant at the college of Agriculture, University
of Wisconsin.” Milorganite is derived
from Milwaukee Organic Nitrogen.
“He was Head of the Milwaukee Sewage Commission Turf Service
Bureau from 1926-1960.”
Excerpts from O.J. Noer Biography, Turgrass Information Center, Michigan State University
While with the Milwaukee Sewage Commission he became known
as “Mr. Turf”.
“Oyvind Juul (O.J.) Noer
was instrumental in the success of Milorganite as well as in establishing the
turfgrass industry. His achievements were so advantageous he was formally given
the title “Mr. Turf” by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.”
“Since 1926, Milorganite
has been a leader in supplying slow-release nitrogen fertilizer for residential
and professional use. Milorganite production is one of the nation's
longest-running recycling programs, but it’s not the type of recycling we think
of today, such as cans, bottles, and paper. Milorganite’s parent organization, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District (MMSD), reclaims nutrients from wastewater using
large-scale natural processes. The nutrients are converted to a form of
fertilizer that can be safely used to grow vigorous lawns and gardens.”
“In the early 1900s, Milwaukee’s Sewerage Commission established
a fellowship at the University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Agriculture to
investigate the many potential applications of Milorganite as a fertilizer.
Noer led the work and conducted extensive field trials rather than relying on
chemical analysis, which was standard for the day. After experimenting with field crops and vegetables, Noer used
this new slow-release nitrogen fertilizer on golf course turf with superior
results.
As word spread across the country among golf course superintendents
about this new fertilizer, Noer knew he had a commercially viable product.
The soils-testing laboratory established by Noer was the first
of its kind in the United States. Noer developed soil testing protocols and
evaluation tools that were so far beyond his time some of them are still used
today.”
“Throughout his career, Noer extensively spoke at turf
conferences and wrote on the subject of turfgrass and fertilizer, including a
series of articles titled The ABC of Turf Culture, which was later published as
a book and represents one of the earliest comprehensive books on the subject of
turf maintenance.
Noer achieved venerable stature within the turf industry for
his willingness to share his vast knowledge of turfgrass.
During his time with
Milorganite, it’s estimated that he visited more than 80 percent of the golf
courses in the country assisting greenskeepers to diagnose and offer advice on
how to treat turf problems based on research-based knowledge.”
Excerpts quoted from Milorganite About Us History
U.W. Madison named it’s Turfgrass Research and Education Facility after O.J. Noer
