King Hall 1901

Soils Building 1915

Land Acknowledgement Statement: The University of Wisconsin-Madison occupies Ho-Chunk Land, a place their nation has called Teejop (Day-JOPE) since time immemorial. In an 1832 treaty, the Ho-Chunk were forced to cede this territory. Decades of ethnic cleansing followed when both the federal and state government repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, sought to forcibly remove the Ho-Chunk from Wisconsin.

This history of colonization informs our shared future of collaboration and innovation. Today, UW-Madison respects the inherent sovereignty of the Ho-Chunk Nation, along with the eleven other First Nations of Wisconsin.

F.H. King’s Department of Agricultural Physics was recognized at UW-Madison in 1889, and from this emerged the Department of Soils, later renamed the Department of Soil Science. Effective July 2024, the department’s name was re-envisioned once again to incorporate the changing landscape of the science. The Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences seeks to address the ever-changing and ever-growing needs of the soil and the environment. As a cornerstone of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (originally the College of Agriculture), Soil Science has been a part of UW-Madison for over 130 years! Also in 1889, the first phase of what was later to be named King Hall opened. The Soils Building was added in 1915.

The Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences employs and houses active and emeritus faculty, administrative and academic staff, researchers, scientists, and students of all levels. Our main location is in the Soils Building, which is physically connected to King Hall. Across the courtyard, research faculty, staff, and students also take up residence in the Hiram Smith Annex.

Historical Figures and Other Information

Francis D. Hole, 1913-2002

Emerit Professor of soil science and geography, University of Wisconsin

Jaya G. Iyer, 1934-2012

Emerit Professor, University of Wisconsin

Marion L. Jackson, 1914-2002

Emerit Professor, University of Wisconsin

Franklin H. King, 1848-1911

Pioneer Scientist

Gerhard B. Lee, 1917-2006

Emerit Professor of soil science, University of Wisconsin

Champ B. Tanner, 1920-1990

First soil scientist elected to the National Academy of Sciences (1981)

Emil Truog, 1884-1981

Emerit Professor, University of Wisconsin

Sergei A. “Doc” Wilde, 1889-1981

Professor of soil science and forestry, University of Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin Digital Collection

Soils of Wisconsin, by F.D. Hole
Hole, Francis Doan, 1913-2002
Soils of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 1979