The Grand Old Man of Purdue University and Indiana Agriculture: A Biography of William Carroll Latte

William Carol Latta was the 13th member of the Purdue faculty. He became the driving force behind Purdue's world-famous School of Agriculture and initiated extension services that have lasted for more than a century. In 1890, he laid out the first permanent soil fertility field experiments, inaugurating a system of research considered one of the best in the country at that time. He administered Purdue's School of Agriculture until 1907.

Frederick Whitford works for the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service in the College of Agriculture. He received a BS in wildlife management from Louisiana Tech University, and an MS and PhD in entomology from Iowa State University. He has authored more than 250 research, extension, and regulatory publications, and has delivered at least 4,000 presentations to a wide array of audiences. He has written several other books about the history of Indiana agriculture, all published by Purdue University Press. Dr. Andrew Martin is a training specialist with the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, where he manages Indiana's commercial pesticide applicator training program. He received his bachelor's degree in soil and crop science, his master's degree in soil management, and his Ph.D. in education, all from Purdue University. Martin's professional interests include instruction in ethics and pesticide use, the history of pesticide applicator certification and training, and program evaluation. He resides in Delphi, Indiana, with his wife, Joyce, and children, Ruth, Andrew, and Daniel.