Helhus, Irving E., 1881-1969.

Irving E. Melhus was born to Ole and Enger Risting Melhus on April 2, 1881, in Creston, Illinois. He received his B.S. (1906) from Iowa State College (University) and his Ph.D. (1912) in plant pathology from the University of Wisconsin.

He first taught at the Burlington (Iowa) HIgh School (1907) and then was an Assistant (1908-1909) and Instructor (1910-1911) at the University of Wisconsin. He worked as a plant pathologist (1912-1916) with the United States Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Plant Industry. Melhus was appointed Associate Professor (1916-1917) of plant pathology at Iowa State College (University) and was promoted to Professor (1917-1951) and Head (1930-1946) of the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology. He also organized and directed the Guatemala Tropical Research Center at Antigua, Guatemala (1946-1953). He was named Emeritus Professor of Plant Pathology in 1952.

Melhus' research interests included studying the diseases of many farm crops and vegetables including corn and other cereal grains, potatoes, and melons. He co-authored a book with G.C. Kent, Elements of Plant Pathology (1937; Archives call no. SB731 M484e) which was used as a textbook in plant pathology courses for many years. While directing research at the Guatemala Tropical Research Center, Melhus focused his efforts on studying teosinte, an ancestor of the modern corn plant, for desirable traits that could be crossed with modern corn. His long-term active interest in corn led to a significant improvement in corn grown in Guatemala and Indonesia as well as the United States.

Melhus was a member of several professional and honor societies including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Sigma Xi, Phi Kappa Phi, Gamma Sigma Delta, the Botanical Society of America, the Crop Protection Institute, and the American Phytopathological Society (President, 1926).

Irving E. Melhus married Elizabeth Williamson on December 26, 1907. They had two daughters, Sarah (Hoyman) and Janet (Wallin). He died November 10, 1969, in Ames, Iowa.