Howard Emerson Conklin of Longview, Bella Vista Drive, Ithaca, New York, died November 2, 2006, at Oak Hill Manor.
Howard was born January 23, 1917 in Allegany County, N.Y., on a small dairy farm he would later characterize as "hard scrabble" - or jokingly as having "hardpan up to the second rail of the fence." He was the eldest son of the late Monroe Conklin and Mabel (Nottingham) Conklin of Cuba, New York.
Howard grew up amidst what would now be labeled poverty, but his parents firmly believed that education is the way to a better life. So he took seriously his assignments (including being janitor) at the one-room schoolhouse on Union Hill within a half mile of his home.
The educational challenge became sterner when the year for attending high school arrived, however, for it now became five miles to be negotiated - and school buses were yet years away. Howard sometimes caught rides with others to get to high school, sometimes walked, and at times lived with a family that resided much closer to town. His persistence and scholarship was rewarded by being named valedictorian of the graduating class of 1933.
At the tender age of 16 (grade skipping was allowed in some elementary schools back then.) Howard embarked on a new and at times intimidating chapter of life at Cornell University's College of Agriculture. As one who had never been to a restaurant or far from home in his life up to that point, he was challenged to quickly learn much outside as well as inside the classroom. His social and academic development at Cornell was much enhanced by association with other members of the Alpha Zeta fraternity.
So learn he did, and in 1937 graduated in the top academic echelon of his class. His thirst for knowledge remained compelling, and the University of California beckoned with the added sweetener of a graduate assistantship so he could simultaneously earn and learn. He earned an MS degree in 1939, followed by two more years in the Golden State as an employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Now it was Cornell's turn early in 1941 to offer its native son an attractive assistantship if he would return to Ithaca to pursue a doctoral degree-which Howard did.
Clouds of war were already darkening Europe and parts of Asia-soon to engulf the United States. Howard enlisted in the US Army Signal Corps in 1942 and was called to active duty in 1943. He became an instructor in radio and long-line telephone communication, and breathed a sign of relief when impending orders that would have sent millions of soldiers toward Japan were cancelled in 1945.
Following the war, Howard returned to Cornell to complete his PhD and launch a career as an agricultural economist focused on people and social action rather than production processes. He became prime mover in developing a land classification map of the entire Empire State that depicted the economic viability of agricultural land. And his ideas culminated in state legislation authorizing the creation of Agricultural Districts where farming would be encouraged and by real-estate tax abatement and minimization of urban pressure.
Internationally, Howard worked in Central and South America in attempts to help governments there develop more constructive land-use policies and evaluate alternative agricultural enterprises. He encouraged his own children to think globally, and two became involved with the Peace Corps over a combined six years.
During his work in Latin America Howard eventually concluded that social culture, not lack of technology....imposes the real limitations on productivity there. Most of those countries he believed, involve highly stratified and polarized social and economic systems that are usually very slow to change unless armed conflict plays an active role. Economic development, he found, is extremely slow where inflexible social cultures are in place-regardless of technology available.
Perhaps Howard's most satisfying professional activity was working with, and being an advisor to undergraduate and graduate students from all over the world-and observing their development across a wide spectrum of professional achievement in government, business, agriculture and academe. If a person's net worth were to be measured by the number and geographic dispersion of his friends, then Howard would have been rich indeed.
In later years, Howard described his profession as that of an "itinerant scholar" - one who traveled widely in the process of gathering information about people, social economic cultures, development toward brighter (and sometimes dimmer) futures. Even in advancing years, he asked the hard questions (and thereby upset some devotees of the status quo), but his lifetime mission remained constant to the end-the enhancement of abundance, so meager in his own early years.
Survivors include his wife, Mary; sons Lawrence (Emily) of Longmont, Colorado and Glenn (Kathy) of Fremont, Michigan and daughter Nancy (Richard) Brittain of White River Junction, Vermont; sister Cecile Mapes of Moravia, New York; brother Gordon of Ithaca, New York, 5 grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister Doris Logan of West Chester, PA.
obituary courtesy of the Ithaca Journal
Howard was born January 23, 1917 in Allegany County, N.Y., on a small dairy farm he would later characterize as "hard scrabble" - or jokingly as having "hardpan up to the second rail of the fence." He was the eldest son of the late Monroe Conklin and Mabel (Nottingham) Conklin of Cuba, New York.
Howard grew up amidst what would now be labeled poverty, but his parents firmly believed that education is the way to a better life. So he took seriously his assignments (including being janitor) at the one-room schoolhouse on Union Hill within a half mile of his home.
The educational challenge became sterner when the year for attending high school arrived, however, for it now became five miles to be negotiated - and school buses were yet years away. Howard sometimes caught rides with others to get to high school, sometimes walked, and at times lived with a family that resided much closer to town. His persistence and scholarship was rewarded by being named valedictorian of the graduating class of 1933.
At the tender age of 16 (grade skipping was allowed in some elementary schools back then.) Howard embarked on a new and at times intimidating chapter of life at Cornell University's College of Agriculture. As one who had never been to a restaurant or far from home in his life up to that point, he was challenged to quickly learn much outside as well as inside the classroom. His social and academic development at Cornell was much enhanced by association with other members of the Alpha Zeta fraternity.
So learn he did, and in 1937 graduated in the top academic echelon of his class. His thirst for knowledge remained compelling, and the University of California beckoned with the added sweetener of a graduate assistantship so he could simultaneously earn and learn. He earned an MS degree in 1939, followed by two more years in the Golden State as an employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Now it was Cornell's turn early in 1941 to offer its native son an attractive assistantship if he would return to Ithaca to pursue a doctoral degree-which Howard did.
Clouds of war were already darkening Europe and parts of Asia-soon to engulf the United States. Howard enlisted in the US Army Signal Corps in 1942 and was called to active duty in 1943. He became an instructor in radio and long-line telephone communication, and breathed a sign of relief when impending orders that would have sent millions of soldiers toward Japan were cancelled in 1945.
Following the war, Howard returned to Cornell to complete his PhD and launch a career as an agricultural economist focused on people and social action rather than production processes. He became prime mover in developing a land classification map of the entire Empire State that depicted the economic viability of agricultural land. And his ideas culminated in state legislation authorizing the creation of Agricultural Districts where farming would be encouraged and by real-estate tax abatement and minimization of urban pressure.
Internationally, Howard worked in Central and South America in attempts to help governments there develop more constructive land-use policies and evaluate alternative agricultural enterprises. He encouraged his own children to think globally, and two became involved with the Peace Corps over a combined six years.
During his work in Latin America Howard eventually concluded that social culture, not lack of technology....imposes the real limitations on productivity there. Most of those countries he believed, involve highly stratified and polarized social and economic systems that are usually very slow to change unless armed conflict plays an active role. Economic development, he found, is extremely slow where inflexible social cultures are in place-regardless of technology available.
Perhaps Howard's most satisfying professional activity was working with, and being an advisor to undergraduate and graduate students from all over the world-and observing their development across a wide spectrum of professional achievement in government, business, agriculture and academe. If a person's net worth were to be measured by the number and geographic dispersion of his friends, then Howard would have been rich indeed.
In later years, Howard described his profession as that of an "itinerant scholar" - one who traveled widely in the process of gathering information about people, social economic cultures, development toward brighter (and sometimes dimmer) futures. Even in advancing years, he asked the hard questions (and thereby upset some devotees of the status quo), but his lifetime mission remained constant to the end-the enhancement of abundance, so meager in his own early years.
Survivors include his wife, Mary; sons Lawrence (Emily) of Longmont, Colorado and Glenn (Kathy) of Fremont, Michigan and daughter Nancy (Richard) Brittain of White River Junction, Vermont; sister Cecile Mapes of Moravia, New York; brother Gordon of Ithaca, New York, 5 grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister Doris Logan of West Chester, PA.
obituary courtesy of the Ithaca Journal
Howard Emerson Conklin of Longview, Bella Vista Drive, Ithaca, New York, died November 2, 2006, at Oak Hill Manor.
Howard was born January 23, 1917 in Allegany County, N.Y., on a small dairy farm he would later characterize as "hard scrabble" - or jokingly as having "hardpan up to the second rail of the fence." He was the eldest son of the late Monroe Conklin and Mabel (Nottingham) Conklin of Cuba, New York.
Howard grew up amidst what would now be labeled poverty, but his parents firmly believed that education is the way to a better life. So he took seriously his assignments (including being janitor) at the one-room schoolhouse on Union Hill within a half mile of his home.
The educational challenge became sterner when the year for attending high school arrived, however, for it now became five miles to be negotiated - and school buses were yet years away. Howard sometimes caught rides with others to get to high school, sometimes walked, and at times lived with a family that resided much closer to town. His persistence and scholarship was rewarded by being named valedictorian of the graduating class of 1933.
At the tender age of 16 (grade skipping was allowed in some elementary schools back then.) Howard embarked on a new and at times intimidating chapter of life at Cornell University's College of Agriculture. As one who had never been to a restaurant or far from home in his life up to that point, he was challenged to quickly learn much outside as well as inside the classroom. His social and academic development at Cornell was much enhanced by association with other members of the Alpha Zeta fraternity.
So learn he did, and in 1937 graduated in the top academic echelon of his class. His thirst for knowledge remained compelling, and the University of California beckoned with the added sweetener of a graduate assistantship so he could simultaneously earn and learn. He earned an MS degree in 1939, followed by two more years in the Golden State as an employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Now it was Cornell's turn early in 1941 to offer its native son an attractive assistantship if he would return to Ithaca to pursue a doctoral degree-which Howard did.
Clouds of war were already darkening Europe and parts of Asia-soon to engulf the United States. Howard enlisted in the US Army Signal Corps in 1942 and was called to active duty in 1943. He became an instructor in radio and long-line telephone communication, and breathed a sign of relief when impending orders that would have sent millions of soldiers toward Japan were cancelled in 1945.
Following the war, Howard returned to Cornell to complete his PhD and launch a career as an agricultural economist focused on people and social action rather than production processes. He became prime mover in developing a land classification map of the entire Empire State that depicted the economic viability of agricultural land. And his ideas culminated in state legislation authorizing the creation of Agricultural Districts where farming would be encouraged and by real-estate tax abatement and minimization of urban pressure.
Internationally, Howard worked in Central and South America in attempts to help governments there develop more constructive land-use policies and evaluate alternative agricultural enterprises. He encouraged his own children to think globally, and two became involved with the Peace Corps over a combined six years.
During his work in Latin America Howard eventually concluded that social culture, not lack of technology....imposes the real limitations on productivity there. Most of those countries he believed, involve highly stratified and polarized social and economic systems that are usually very slow to change unless armed conflict plays an active role. Economic development, he found, is extremely slow where inflexible social cultures are in place-regardless of technology available.
Perhaps Howard's most satisfying professional activity was working with, and being an advisor to undergraduate and graduate students from all over the world-and observing their development across a wide spectrum of professional achievement in government, business, agriculture and academe. If a person's net worth were to be measured by the number and geographic dispersion of his friends, then Howard would have been rich indeed.
In later years, Howard described his profession as that of an "itinerant scholar" - one who traveled widely in the process of gathering information about people, social economic cultures, development toward brighter (and sometimes dimmer) futures. Even in advancing years, he asked the hard questions (and thereby upset some devotees of the status quo), but his lifetime mission remained constant to the end-the enhancement of abundance, so meager in his own early years.
Survivors include his wife, Mary; sons Lawrence (Emily) of Longmont, Colorado and Glenn (Kathy) of Fremont, Michigan and daughter Nancy (Richard) Brittain of White River Junction, Vermont; sister Cecile Mapes of Moravia, New York; brother Gordon of Ithaca, New York, 5 grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister Doris Logan of West Chester, PA.
obituary courtesy of the Ithaca Journal
Howard was born January 23, 1917 in Allegany County, N.Y., on a small dairy farm he would later characterize as "hard scrabble" - or jokingly as having "hardpan up to the second rail of the fence." He was the eldest son of the late Monroe Conklin and Mabel (Nottingham) Conklin of Cuba, New York.
Howard grew up amidst what would now be labeled poverty, but his parents firmly believed that education is the way to a better life. So he took seriously his assignments (including being janitor) at the one-room schoolhouse on Union Hill within a half mile of his home.
The educational challenge became sterner when the year for attending high school arrived, however, for it now became five miles to be negotiated - and school buses were yet years away. Howard sometimes caught rides with others to get to high school, sometimes walked, and at times lived with a family that resided much closer to town. His persistence and scholarship was rewarded by being named valedictorian of the graduating class of 1933.
At the tender age of 16 (grade skipping was allowed in some elementary schools back then.) Howard embarked on a new and at times intimidating chapter of life at Cornell University's College of Agriculture. As one who had never been to a restaurant or far from home in his life up to that point, he was challenged to quickly learn much outside as well as inside the classroom. His social and academic development at Cornell was much enhanced by association with other members of the Alpha Zeta fraternity.
So learn he did, and in 1937 graduated in the top academic echelon of his class. His thirst for knowledge remained compelling, and the University of California beckoned with the added sweetener of a graduate assistantship so he could simultaneously earn and learn. He earned an MS degree in 1939, followed by two more years in the Golden State as an employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Now it was Cornell's turn early in 1941 to offer its native son an attractive assistantship if he would return to Ithaca to pursue a doctoral degree-which Howard did.
Clouds of war were already darkening Europe and parts of Asia-soon to engulf the United States. Howard enlisted in the US Army Signal Corps in 1942 and was called to active duty in 1943. He became an instructor in radio and long-line telephone communication, and breathed a sign of relief when impending orders that would have sent millions of soldiers toward Japan were cancelled in 1945.
Following the war, Howard returned to Cornell to complete his PhD and launch a career as an agricultural economist focused on people and social action rather than production processes. He became prime mover in developing a land classification map of the entire Empire State that depicted the economic viability of agricultural land. And his ideas culminated in state legislation authorizing the creation of Agricultural Districts where farming would be encouraged and by real-estate tax abatement and minimization of urban pressure.
Internationally, Howard worked in Central and South America in attempts to help governments there develop more constructive land-use policies and evaluate alternative agricultural enterprises. He encouraged his own children to think globally, and two became involved with the Peace Corps over a combined six years.
During his work in Latin America Howard eventually concluded that social culture, not lack of technology....imposes the real limitations on productivity there. Most of those countries he believed, involve highly stratified and polarized social and economic systems that are usually very slow to change unless armed conflict plays an active role. Economic development, he found, is extremely slow where inflexible social cultures are in place-regardless of technology available.
Perhaps Howard's most satisfying professional activity was working with, and being an advisor to undergraduate and graduate students from all over the world-and observing their development across a wide spectrum of professional achievement in government, business, agriculture and academe. If a person's net worth were to be measured by the number and geographic dispersion of his friends, then Howard would have been rich indeed.
In later years, Howard described his profession as that of an "itinerant scholar" - one who traveled widely in the process of gathering information about people, social economic cultures, development toward brighter (and sometimes dimmer) futures. Even in advancing years, he asked the hard questions (and thereby upset some devotees of the status quo), but his lifetime mission remained constant to the end-the enhancement of abundance, so meager in his own early years.
Survivors include his wife, Mary; sons Lawrence (Emily) of Longmont, Colorado and Glenn (Kathy) of Fremont, Michigan and daughter Nancy (Richard) Brittain of White River Junction, Vermont; sister Cecile Mapes of Moravia, New York; brother Gordon of Ithaca, New York, 5 grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister Doris Logan of West Chester, PA.
obituary courtesy of the Ithaca Journal
