George D. Preston 

George was a World War II veteran.

He obtained a BS in Agriculture from the University of Missouri in 1950.

He worked with NRCS/SCS in Indiana from 1954-1965,  then in Missouri from 1965-1983.

In Missouri he worked in Lafayette, Cass, Vernon, Platte, Clay, Ray, Jackson, and Carroll Counties.

He was Project Leader in all but Lafayette and Cass.  So he was Project Leader for about 2.3 million acres of Missouri.

He was Project Leader in Jackson, Platte, and Clay/Ray surveys simultaneously.  Imagine managing 4 counties and 3 soil surveys at the same time! 

As with many of our predecessors he helped develop the series, concepts, and ideas that we still use today. 

He supervised Richard McBee, Les Tobin, and myself at the same time.  Anyone that had a cross to bear like that deserves an award.

He was a charter member of MAPSS. 

I worked with George in Clay and Ray Counties from 1978 to 1982.

George taught me most of what I know about the soils in North Missouri.  As I prepared for this award it occurred to me that I had not learned much on my own about soils.  Indeed most of what I know I was taught by soil scientists like George.

He also taught me how to conduct a review.  Just before our first one together George gave me some instructions that went something like this….Mike, you keep quite unless I say ain’t that right Mike and then you say Yes.

Each spring we took several soil sampling bags and remapped the local game wardens farm.  We never failed to come back with all the mushrooms we could carry.  George was ahead of time trying to figure out Productivity Index especially for morel mushrooms.

I truly learned more from George than anyone I’ve worked with. 

by:  Mike Cook