08/30/1991

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.

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By:
Roy Roberson