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Fredrick Hardy was one of the first scientists in the world to
realise the relevance of ecology to agriculture, and he
entered the fledgling field of soil science before it
was even considered an independent discipline. He
conducted soil capability reports for Trinidad and
Tobago and a successful Caribbean-wide soil survey. He
also educated hundreds of students over three decades
and played a major part in establishing the institution
that later became the Faculty of Agriculture of
The University of the West Indies (UWI).
Fredrick
Hardy was born on 31st March, 1889 in
England. He attended the Bradford Grammar School and
later studied natural sciences at Cambridge University.
He taught science and agricultural science in Barbados
until 1917 and returned to England during World War I
to work as a chemist in H.M. Factory in Oldsbury until
1919.
Hardy
returned to Cambridge University and obtained a Diploma
in Agriculture in 1920. He served as a chemistry
demonstrator at the university’s School of Agriculture
before returning to Barbados to work as the Soil
Scientist at the Imperial Department of Agriculture.
He was then posted to the Government Laboratory in
Antigua to continue his work on soils. Hardy left his
post at the laboratory in 1922 to lecture in Trinidad
at the West Indian Agricultural College, which would
later become the Imperial College of Tropical
Agriculture (ICTA). He served as Professor of
Chemistry and Soil Science, and Head of the Department
of Chemistry and Soil Science at ICTA for three decades
until his retirement in 1954.
During his
tenure at ICTA, he revolutionised the scope of research
at the organisation. While ICTA focused on projects of
global application, Professor Hardy focused on regional
issues within the newly formed Regional Research Centre
(RRC). Studies were funded by the Commonwealth
Development and Welfare Fund and the RRC gained an
international reputation for excellence.
Professor
Hardy used his ingenuity to overcome lack of resources
by conducting simple but important experiments. He
wrote a land capability report for Trinidad and Tobago,
edited many soil survey reports, and prepared technical
guide sheets on land use for Barbados. He also wrote a
book-sized review of the work of the Department of Soil
Science of UWI covering the first 50 years of its
existence. He conducted a Caribbean-wide soil survey
and an auxiliary soil research programme, which was
noted as the most significant achievement of the RRC
and ICTA for many years.
His
tremendous output helped to build ICTA’s reputation as
a world-class institution - a reputation that the
Faculty of Agriculture was subsequently able to
capitalise on when it was established. In 1956,
Professor Hardy served at the Inter-American Institute
of Agricultural Sciences in Turrialba, Costa Rica. He
returned to Trinidad and Tobago in 1967 and continued
his work at UWI.
He was one
of only two persons awarded an honorary Associateship
of the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (AICTA).
On 2nd January 1950, the Crown inducted him
into the Order of the British Empire as a Commander of
the Civil Division. Today, his legacy to the
university is immortalised by Hardy Drive which runs
through the University housing area, the Frederick
Hardy Building which houses agricultural research and
teaching, and the Frederick Hardy Prize, which is
presented annually to the best final year soil science
student.
Professor
Hardy died on 9th April, 1977.
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