Martin Mortensen (academic)

Martin Mortensen (May 29, 1872 – March 12, 1953) was a Danish-born American professor who headed of the Department of Dairy Industry at Iowa State College in Ames, Iowa.[1]

Martin Mortensen
BornMay 29, 1872
DiedMarch 12, 1953 (aged 80)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Children2
Academic background
EducationIowa State College (BA)
Kansas State College (LLD)
Academic work
DisciplineAgriculture
Sub-disciplineDiary studies
InstitutionsIowa State College

Early life and education edit

Martin Mortensen was born on North Jutlandic Island in Sindal, Denmark. He was the son of Peder Christian Mortensen (1821–1902) and Juliane Marie (née Larsen) Mortensen (1827–1904). He completed a three-year course at the Royal Teachers Seminary and then emigrated to the United States in 1893. After working in and managing dairies in the Midwest and on the Pacific Coast, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in agriculture at Iowa State College (1908) and a LLD (1934) from Kansas State College.

Career edit

Mortensen became head of the Dairy Industry Department at Iowa State College in 1909 until 1938, and remained as a professor until 1953. He authored text books and also bulletins on dairy research. He was the past president, vice-president and secretary-treasurer of the American Dairy Science Association.[2] [3]

Personal life edit

He married Amelia Christensen (1878–1945) of Royal, Iowa, and had two children. In 1927, he was made a knight of the Order of the Dannebrog and in 1950 received the Commander's Cross of the Order of Dannebrog.[4]

Selected works edit

  • Management of Dairy Plants (Macmillan; 1921)

References edit

  1. ^ "Mortensen House". Iowa State University Campus and Buildings. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
  2. ^ Martin Mortensen (Iowa State University of Science and Technology) Archived 2009-05-25 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Martin Mortensen, Professor of Dairy Manufacturing-Iowa State University". National Dairy Shrine Visitors' Center and Museum. 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
  4. ^ "Martin Mortensen (29.5.1872-12.3.1953)". Den Store Danske. 18 July 2011. Retrieved December 25, 2015.

External links edit