Background
Kirkham, Don was born on February 11, 1908 in Provo, Utah, United States. Son of Francis Washington and Martha Alzina (Robison) Kirkham.
Kirkham, Don was born on February 11, 1908 in Provo, Utah, United States. Son of Francis Washington and Martha Alzina (Robison) Kirkham.
Clarinetist diploma, McCune School Music and Art, Salt Lake City, 1926. Student, University Utah, 1927. AB with honors in physics, Columbia University, 1933.
A.M. in Physics, Columbia University, 1934. Doctor of Philosophy, Columbia University, 1938. Erediplom, University Ghent, Belgium, 1958.
D.Agrl. Sciences (honorary), Royal Agricultural University, Ghent, 1963. Doctor of Science (honorary), Ohio State University, 1994.
Assistant in physics, Columbia University, 1934-1938;
instructor, assistant professor mathematics and physics, also associate, Agricultural Experiment Station, Utah State University, 1937-1940;
hydraulic engineer, Soil Conservation Service, Department Agriculture, 1940;
civilian physicist, Bureau Ordnance, United States Navy, 1940-1946;
associate physics, George Washington University, 1946;
member of faculty, Iowa State University, Ames, since 1946;
Curtiss Distinguished professor agriculture, professor agronomy and physics, Iowa State University, 1959-1978;
professor emeritus, Iowa State University, since 1978. Fulbright professor, The Netherlands, 1950-1951. Guggenheim fellow, Fulbright professor, Fulbright lecturer, Belgium, 1957-1958.
Lecturer U. Vienna, Austria, 1958, Ireland, 1960. Lecturer Göttingen (Federal Republic Germany) U., 1974. Land reclamation adviser Turkish Government, 1959.
Ford Foundation land reclamation consultant The United Arab Republic. Also lecturer Alexandria (Egypt) U., 1961. Guest professor Hohenheim-Stuttgart U., 1982.
Section chairman International Soil Structure Symposium, Belgium, 1958. Panelist International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1960. Lecturer, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, 1964.
Member United States Agency for International Development University Study Team, Argentina, summer 1965. Panelist on land reclamation Food and Agriculture Organization (of the United Nations), Egypt, 1974-1977. Council International Sodic Soil Symposium, Budapest, 1964.
Soil physics delegate to international congresses and symposia, Armenia, 1969, Moscow, 1971, New Delhi, 1971, Belgium, 1973, Madras, India, 1973. Section chairman 7th congress International Soil and Tillage Organisation, Uppsala, Sweden, 1976. Invited lecturer soil physics People's Republic China, 1985.
Invited consultant land reclamation U. Seoul, 1993.
God is literally the father of all human beings. He has a body, and emotions like human beings.
Director Iowa Water Resources Research Council, 1964-1973. Active Boy Scouts American. Member Utah National Guard, 1925-1927.
Fellow American Physical Society, American Society Agronomy. Member American Geophysics Union (award most meritorious paper science hydrology 1952, Robert E. Horton Medal, 1995), Soil Science Society of America (chairman soil physics 1950, Stevenson award 1951, 25th anniversary honor lector 1961, delegate to international meetings in Bucharest 1964, honorary member, Bouyoucos Distinguished Career award 1989), American Mathematics Association, Netherlands Society Agricultural Research, International Soil Science Society (United States vice president 1957-1959), Iowa Academy Society (most meritorious paper mathematics 1948, physics 1949), International Soil Tillage Organization (honorary 1982), S.A.R. (vice president Iowa 1966), International Society Soil Science (honorary 1986), American Water Research Association (honorary 1986), Sigma Xi (honor lecturer University Iowa chapter 1959), Phi Kappa Phi, Gamma Sigma Delta.
Married Mary Elizabeth Erwin, September 2, 1939. Children: Victoria, Mary Beth, Don Collier.