Alfred J. Wojta
Alfred J. Wojta | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 5, 1909 |
| Died | July 21, 1959 (aged 50) Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Agronomy |
Sub-discipline | Soil science |
| Institutions | University of Wisconsin |
Alfred J. Wojta (January 5, 1909 – July 21, 1959) was an American agricultural engineer and professor at the University of Wisconsin. He developed the Wojta system of surface drainage, a land-forming method used to improve drainage and reduce soil erosion on agricultural fields.[1]
Career
Wojta worked in soil conservation and agricultural engineering. In the 1930s, he served as a camp superintendent in Wisconsin soil conservation projects, where practices such as contour farming, strip cropping, and erosion control were implemented.[2][3] In 1954, he served as chairman of the state steering committee for the Wisconsin Farm Progress Field Day, held in Waupaca County.[4]
His system of surface drainage, developed after 1947, used shallow channels and land smoothing to direct water flow across fields.[5] In 1954, Wojta completed a graduate thesis titled Draft Studies of Side-Hitched Implements, examining the mechanics of farm equipment and in 1955, he was promoted from assistant professor to associate professor of agricultural engineering at the University of Wisconsin.[6] In 1958, he served as a consultant on drainage and land development planning for the Pilgrim Park Junior High School site in Wisconsin, advising on tile drainage systems and soil management.[7]
Legacy
Wojta died on July 21, 1959, in Madison, Wisconsin, at the age of 50.[8][9][10] Following Wojta's death, the drainage system that he had developed was described in a 1960 publication by Frank V. Burcalow, Russell F. Johannes, and Arthur Edwin Peterson titled "The Wojta System of Surface Drainage."[1] The Wojta system of surface drainage was subsequently applied in agricultural land management in the Midwestern United States.[5][11]
References
- 1 2 Burcalow, Frank V.; Johannes, Russell F.; Peterson, Arthur Edwin (July 1960). "Land Forming: The Wojta System of Surface Drainage". Circular (587): 1–8. OCLC 13356183.
- ↑ "Camp La Valle Discontinued: Established in 1935, Was Devoted to Soil Conservation". Baraboo News Republic. Baraboo, Wisconsin. December 3, 1937. p. 1.
- ↑ "Get Official Notification to Close Camp La Valle". The Reedsburg Times. Reedsburg, Wisconsin. December 17, 1937. p. 6.
- ↑ "State Field Day Slated Sept. 28". The Journal Times. Racine, Wisconsin. May 6, 1954. p. 15.
- 1 2 "Land Forming Aids Surface Drainage and Stops Erosion". Moline Daily Dispatch. August 9, 1960. p. 15.
- ↑ "Emeritus Status Voted for 12; 128 on Faculty Win Promotion". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. June 17, 1955. p. 4.
- ↑ "Expert Advice Given on Drainage for Pilgrim Park Junior High School Land". The Brookfield News. Brookfield, Wisconsin. March 6, 1958. p. 1.
- ↑ "Prof. Wojta Is Dead at 50; Soil Expert, Ag Engineer". The Capital Times. July 22, 1959. p. 1.
- ↑ "Prof. Wojta, U.W. Soils Expert, Dies". Wisconsin State Journal. July 22, 1959. p. 1.
- ↑ "Alfred Wojta Obituary (1946–2023) - Legacy Remembers". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
- ↑ "Pioneer Agriculturalist Memorialized". The Marshfield News-Herald. August 8, 1960. p. 3.