Dr. Blair Janson, Professor Emeritus, served the Department of Plant Pathology for over 25 years. In 2008, Dr. Janson established the Blair F. Janson and Wilmer G. Stover Scholarship Fund to support travel grants for undergraduate and graduate students. Wilmer G. Stover was a faculty member in Columbus from 1910-1952 and an advisor and teacher to numerous students, including Dr. Janson.
Janson was a special guest of the department on July 24, 2008, to commemorate the establishment of the Blair F. Janson and Wilmer G. Stover Scholarship Fund (far right).
Near left photo, Janson in the field (left) and Stover in Fremont, Ohio (1947).
After earning his BS degree from Ohio State in 1940, Dr. Janson served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, then returned to earn his MS (1947) and PhD (1950).
Dr. Janson was asubsequently appointed to the faculty in the Columbus department and assumed the role of Extension plant pathologist. For a number of years, had responsibility for all plant pathology Extension programs in Ohio, with a large focus on fruit and vegetable diseases. "If there was a plant disease in Ohio, I had the responsibility for it," Dr. Janson once said, adding that solving the "puzzles" of various crop problems over the years made his job interesting. "No two days were ever the same," Dr. Janson acknowledged.
Dr. Janson and colleagues in plant pathology and entomology produced numerous Extension publications, including yearly recommendations for disease and insect control of fruit crops for both commercial growers and homeowners. He also worked closely with research faculty. Dr. Janson retired in 1976 and resided in the Columbus area until his passing on October 5, 2010.
