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History
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ABOUT OTF > HISTORY
History
During the late fifties, the move to owning a home included a nice lawn, however, little was known about grass problems and solutions to them. For this reason, Dr. Dick Davis, head of the Agronomy Department at Wooster Experiment Station (now known as Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center) organized and conducted a Field Day each September for home owners and professional grounds maintenance people. If you wanted more information, it was necessary to travel out of Ohio. As demand for turf knowledge grew, Ohioans became tired of traveling long distances to attend field days.

After a meeting in early March, 1960 with Dr. Burt Musser of Penn State University, who explained what they had done in Pennsylvania to a group of Ohio turf professionals, it was suggested that a turfgrass council be organized to represent all interested groups from all over Ohio. The inaugural meeting was held in Wooster, March 23, 1960. Following this initial meeting, others were held in April, June, September and December of 1960. On April 24, 1961, the Ohio Turfgrass Council came into formal existence. George Hammond was elected its first President.

The first annual meeting was held December 7, 1961. The Treasurer’s report stated that the General Fund had $150, less expenses of $73.87, leaving a balance of $76.13. The Scholarship Fund had accrued $225. Ken Bader was elected to start a turf program at The Ohio State University’s campus in Columbus, Ohio.

In 1967, it was suggested that a conference and show be started on an annual basis. The Board of Directors approved the start-up funding, and the first conference and show was held in December 1967 at the Sheraton Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio.

Since 1961, the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation (OTF) has contributed more than $3.3 million in research grants, and more than $300,000 in scholarships. In 1996, OTF financed the building of a state-of-the-art research facility on The Ohio State University west campus. The building was then donated to OSU, and the loan was paid off in March 1999.

OTF's membership has grown to exceed 1300 members in 2005. The conference and show has grown to be recognized as the largest regional show of its kind. In 2005 it boasted more than 200 exhibiting companies, occupying nearly 500 booth spaces. More than 90 hours of educational workshops and seminars were offered. More than 4000 turfgrass professionals were in attendance.

In March 2000, an Historical Subcommittee was formed to produce materials that will reflect the rich history of OTF. The Historians committee is currently planning activities and special projects to celebrate OTF's 50th Anniversary in 2011. For more information, please call 888-683-3445.

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