Walter Wischmeier's professional career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture spanned 35 years (1940-1975). Erosion Control information and techniques in use today throughout the United States and much of the rest of the world were pioneered under his leadership. His efforts in adapting research knowledge for soil and water conservation have had a tremendous impact on preserving the soil and water resources of our nation.
Walter H. Wischmeier's most widely known and appreciated contribtuion is the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), first published in 1958 (USDA Agriculture Handbook 282). Over the next 20 years, he refined and improved the USLE and published the results of his efforts in 1978 in Agriculture Handbook 537, which is still a standard reference.
Agricultural Handbook 282 and it's revision AH 537 were two of the most widely distributed technical publications the USDA has published. They have been reprinted several times and are found and greatly printed throughout the world as well as the United States. Through his development of the USLE, Walt Wischmeier has become nationally and internationally recognized as one of the formost authorities on erosion research and control. He has recieved requests for technical advice and information from professional soil and water conservationists in at least 50 foreign countries, and many foreign professionals have visited him. Several of his research publications have been translated in part into other languages for application in foreign countries. At a 1988 conference in Thailand, half the papers used the USLE for management of their natural resources.
Walter Wischmeier was Research Investigations leader of a very productive research unit for many years. In the late 1960's he was co-leader of an interregional and multidisciplinary team of ARS researchers to study basic soil erosion principles and processes. Then, essentially all erosion research was cunducted using field-plot experiments and statistical evaluations. Data for further development was not available, and a new approach was needed. Under his leadership, research was planned and conducted to define the fundamental mechanics, physics, and dynamics of soil erosion by water and to mathematically simulate the soil erosion process that has provided major advances in developing physically based models for erosion prediction, control, evaluation, and simulation in recent years. This encouragement to pursue basic research plus appropriate experiments completed the statistical research that he was conducting himself. He also assembled a very capable team of researchers and cooperators at Purdue that have made important contributions as a team, and many have gone on to become leaders in soil erosion research and soil conservation technology.
Mr. Wischmeier has been active in the American Society of Agricultuural Engineers, American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America, and the Soil and Water Conservation Society. Since retirement, he has had special interviews such as the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 1984, and has continued interactions with ageonomy and agricultural engineering departments at Purdue, and with ARS personnel at the National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory. He was "star of the show" on the Panel of Distinguished Scientists during the presentation of the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) to action agencies of USDA at West Lafayette, Indiana, August 31, 1989.
Mr. Wischmeier is a fellow of both the Soil Conservation Society and the Soils Science Society. He was a recipient of the prestigious Hugh Hammond Bennet Award (1977) and twice recieved the USDA Superior Service Award (1958 and 1973). In 1991 he was inducted into the ARS Hall of Fame, in which he holds the honor of being the only soil scientist. He is listed in Who's Who in the Midwest, Who's Who in Government, Who's Who in America, and American Men and Women of Science.
He was recognized as a "Soil Conservation Pioneer," one of those "dedicated, innovative men and women" who "contributed technical, conceptual, and motivational skills" to the soil conservation movement, at the 50th Anniversary Banquet of the USDA, SCS, Washington, D.C., April 27, 1985.
He was presented a USDA, Soil Conservation Service Certificate of Merit "for sustained and outstanding contributions in research and technology transfer of great value to the Soil Conservation Service program throughout the nation," May 26, 1976.
He was recognized for his career of outstanding accomplishments by having the National Conference on Soil Erosion held in his honor on May 24-26, 1976, and having the resulting book Soil Erosion: Prediction and Control dedicated to him as a tribute to his development of the Universal Soil Loss Equation.
He was featured in an interview "The USLE: Some Reflections" in the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, March-April 1984.
He coauthored the article "Mathematical Simulation of the Process of Soil Erosion by Water" that was selected for inclusion in Benchmark Papers in Soil Sciences: Soil Erosion. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. (R.P.C. Morgan, Ed.), 1984.
His illustrious achievements in the reduction of soil ersosion loss were instrumental in the establishment of the ARS National Soil Erosion Laboratory. This laboratory continues to lead research on soil erosion prediction and control and in development of improved methods for conservation and land management.