John King remembered as kind, caring teacher
By the U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Oct. 4, 2024
Fast facts
- King remembered as ‘extremely kind and humble’
- Even in retirement, he stayed connected to the industry
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — John William King took turf seriously, as a researcher, teacher and resource for managing parks and athletic fields in the City of Fayetteville, as well as for golf courses as far away as Bolivia.
King, an associate professor with a specialization in turfgrass research at the University of Arkansas, passed away at his home in Auburn, Indiana, on Sept. 11. He was 86.
Between 1970 and 1998, King conducted research for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture through its Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. He contributed to the growth and development of the Arkansas turfgrass industry through service with the Golf Course Superintendents Association, the Arkansas Turfgrass Association, the City of Fayetteville and many other organizations and projects.
“John was just an extremely kind and humble man that gave his best to the university and the turfgrass industry in Arkansas,” said Mike Richardson, professor-horticulture for the Division of Agriculture and Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.
“John was a very caring teacher and was at his best when he had students gathered around him providing hands-on learning,” Richardson said. “John trained a number of graduate students during his time at Arkansas and, one of his most famous students, Trey Rogers of Fort Smith.”
Rogers went on to become a turfgrass faculty member at Michigan State University and was the lead turfgrass consultant for the 1994 World Cup that was hosted in the United States. “He is once again the lead consultant for the upcoming 2025 World Cup,” Richardson said.
Richardson said King was a significant influence on his own research, even though Richardson started at Arkansas as King was winding down his career.
“John worked on a lot of different problems during his career at Arkansas, but one thing that stood out to me and other scientists in the region was a unique method he developed to study shade tolerance of grasses,” Richardson said. “Exposure to this work piqued my interest in shade research that would ultimately, and continues to be, a significant part of my research program.”
For King, a major advising accomplishment was for the Malla Silla Golf Club in La Paz, Bolivia. He also owned his own lawn care business for eight years.
Love of agriculture
He was born on March 31, 1938, in Butler, Indiana, and attended a one-room schoolhouse in Franklin Township before graduating as salutatorian from Butler High School in 1956.
King’s love of agriculture started on the farm in Butler. He was very active in farm work, 4-H, and FFA, serving as the state FFA president his senior year.
King would go on to earn a Bachelor of Science in agriculture degree from Purdue University, a master’s degree in turfgrass from the University of Rhode Island, and a Ph.D. in crop science from Michigan State University.
Active locally
King was active in local issues related to turfgrass management, Richardson said.
“He worked with the Fayetteville city council to develop safe and effective management programs for local parks and athletic facilities,” Richardson said. “This was during a time when chemical and fertilizer use was being heavily scrutinized by the local public and John provided a wealth of science-based information to help guide that process.”
King was an avid gardener and a member of the Washington County Master. His gardens were once showcased during the annual Home Gardens Show. He loved developing and tending landscapes to bring in their natural qualities; planting thousands of bulbs over the years.
King was an avid and award-winning photographer who traveled extensively and doted on his grandchildren.
However, he never strayed far from turf.
“John remained active with our turf program for years after his retirement, always attending field days and the Arkansas Turfgrass Association, providing seminars and commentary and occasionally valuable critique on the work that we were doing,” Richardson said.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension
Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research,
visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division
of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen
agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption
of best practices. The Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work
within the nation’s historic land grant education system through the Agricultural
Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas
System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension
and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex,
gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital
or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and
is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media contact: Mary Hightower
mhightower@uada.edu