Perry Adkisson

Perry L. Adkisson was Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. His academic work is known for his research on integrated pest management methods which allowed for a 50% reduction of insecticide use in U.S. agriculture.

Early life and education

Adkisson was born on his family's cotton/soybean farm in Blytheville, Arkansas. He was the second of two children born to Robert and Imogene Adkisson. He graduated valedictorian from Armorel High School.
Adkisson attended the University of Arkansas where he earned his bachelor's degree in agriculture in 1950 and a master's degree in agronomy in 1954. He received a doctorate in entomology from Kansas State University in 1956. He also did his postdoctoral studies at Harvard University.

Army

He was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1951 during the Korean War, and released from service in 1953, and returned to University of Arkansas to study for his master's degree.

Career

After a short time teaching at the University of Missouri, he began his career as a professor of entomology at Texas A&M University in 1958. He later became head of the department, and went on to become chancellor of the A&M University System from 1986 until 1990. He also served as deputy chancellor, vice president for agriculture and renewable resources and the head of the Department of Entomology. He retired from Texas A&M in 1994. Adkisson was also named Regents of entomology, Chancellor Emeritus and Distinguished Emeritus.
In 2001, he received a Doctor of Letters from Texas A&M for his work in IPM.

Research

As part of the Huffaker Project, a collaborative project between multiple universities and government agencies, Adkisson joined with Ray F. Smith of the University of California to further their similar research in the field of sustainable insect control, resulting in what is now known as integrated pest management.

Bush Presidential Library Center

Adkisson began working to have President George H.W. Bush and the U.S. National Archives to locate the presidential library on the campus of Texas A&M as soon as Bush was elected. Later, Adkisson was named as executive director of the Bush Presidential Library and the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation.

Awards and recognition

Adkisson received what are considered the three most important international awards in agriculture: Adkisson and Smith were jointly awarded the World Food Prize in 1997 for this achievement. Adkisson was also awarded the Wolf Prize in Agriculture in 1994 and the 1980 Alexander von Humboldt Award for his achievements in agriculture. In 1998, he was inducted into the Texas Heritage Hall of Honor at the State Fair of Texas. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and was the president of the Entomological Society of America.