Iowa History Daily: On January 25, 1916, Iowa State professor and world-renowned agricultural economist Earl O. Heady was born. An innovative thinker and prolific academic, Heady’s work influenced agriculture around the world.
After graduating from Nebraska, Heady arrived at Iowa State College while also pursuing a PhD. The start of a prodigious career, Heady produced 26 books and roughly 800 journal articles, research bulletins, and monographs. Best known for his 1952 textbook, “Economics of Agricultural Production and Resource Use”, the book grew to be known as "the Bible of Agricultural Economics.”
Over time Heady's emphasis shifted from revitalizing Iowa State's farm management and research programs to assisting individual farmers through computerized linear programming and regression analysis. Heady worked to create models measuring total inputs and production for cost-benefit evaluation and management.
In 1957, Heady started serving as director of the newly created Center for Agricultural Adjustment at Iowa State (later Center for Agricultural and Rural Development or CARD). One of the premier economic research institutions in the world, CARD became Heady's primary arena for research, and its network of consultation and aid grew to encompass more than 40 countries on six continents. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
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