The loss of a true turfgrass legend
Roy Goss, Ph.D., a longtime turfgrass specialist at Washington State University and one of the pioneers of the Northwest Turfgrass Association, died Oct. 10, after a brief battle with cancer. Goss, 89, won the GCSAA’s Distinguished Service Award in 1978 and the USGA Green Section Award in 1988.
Our Managing Editor, Mike Seaton recalls 'As a turfgrass student in the early Eighties, Roy Goss was an inspirational authority and his research and books gave hours of vital reading and up to date knowledge on turfgrass and disease.'
Seaton added 'When our college lecturer came into the class room with a hand out or document that he had obtained from the USA, our eyes lit up ad their level of research appeared to be way above ours in the UK. This was all pre intrnet when you relied on the postal service to be sent papers over to the UK.'
He spent 30 years at Washington State, where he researched, among other topics, the use of sand as a base for greens and sports fields. This research established a standard used today. He also was recognized for his work on the management of fertilizer applications to control disease. The R.L. Goss Research Farm at Washington State’s Puyallup campus is named after him.
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