N. P. Neal

The first award of the Medal to an Old Student in recognition of work carried out beyond New Zealand has been made to Norman P. Neal (16-19). In discussing the award with Viscount Bledisloe he expressed his desire that work carried on outside New Zealand be recognised provided the general terms of the award be satisfied, that is " . .. an Old Student of the College who, in the opinion of the

Board of Governors, has as a result of his training at the College materially assisted farming in New Zealand, or has otherwise advanced the country's interests.

Born and educated in Marlborough, N. P. Neal took the combined diploma and degree courses, his course being broken by a short service period towards the end of World War I. In 1921 he took the B.Agr. and B.Sc. degrees and then was on the College staff for two years, working with Dr. F. W. Hilgendorf on his pioneer wheat improvement programme. In 1924 he went to the University of Wisconsin, Madison, U.S.A. where he has remained since then. His academic and professional progress at Madison has featured Master of Science (1927), Ph.D. (1935), research assistant in genetics and agronomy (1928-31), instructor in genetics and agronomy (1932-36), assistant professor (1936-41), associate professor (1941-43), professor of agronomy and genetics (1943).

Over the years the development of hybrid corn strains has been his main work. The first release of material was made in 1935 and now hybrid corn of the Wisconsin strains are grown all over the world. The Wisconsin programme involves not only the breeding of adapted hybrids but also the production each year of foundation parental seed stocks needed by commercial seed growers. This work which Dr Neal now guides has to provide seed for two and a half million acres of hybrid corn in the State of Wisconsin alone, while in the United States some 90 million acres are now grown.

Beyond the U.S.A. Dr Neal's services have been placed at the disposal of South America and Europe in an advisory capacity. In 1943 he went as a special mission to the Government of Uruguay to advise in the establishment of a corn improvement programme. In 1952 he undertook work for the French Government and under the auspices of the Mutual Security administration of the U.S.A. he undertook technical missions to Morocco, Algeria, France.

For many years he has been active in. the influential American Society of Agronomy and is at present a member of the Budget and Finance Committee of that organisation. He is also a member of the Soil Science Society of America.