Stephen C. Mason, professor emeritus of agronomy and horticulture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, died June 15 in Lincoln from complications of pneumonia and Parkinson’s disease. He was 76.
Mason retired Sept. 5, 2017, after 33 years of teaching and research in crop production and management in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture. Admired by his students and respected by colleagues at Nebraska and abroad, Mason was a passionate teacher, adviser, mentor and researcher who generously shared his time and expertise.
“Dr. Mason was widely recognized as one of the most dedicated and impactful teaching faculty members in our department,” Martha Mamo, department head of agronomy and horticulture, said. “He had a deep commitment to agronomy education and made lasting contributions through his teaching, mentorship and service.”
The oldest of five children, Mason was born Aug. 24, 1949, in Chillicothe, Missouri, to Frank and Martha (Deaton) Mason. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education from the University of Missouri in 1971 and a master’s degree and doctorate in agronomy from Purdue University in 1976 and 1983, respectively.
He met his wife, Nora E. D’Croz, while they were both studying for their master’s at Purdue. They married in Colombia in 1979 and moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1984.
He began his career at Nebraska as an assistant professor in crop production and management with a 75% teaching and 25% research appointment. He moved to a 50/50 appointment in the early 1990s and was promoted to full professor in 1994.
Mason instructed all undergraduate grain-crop production courses at the university, co-taught several other courses and co-led College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Education Study Tours to Argentina with his wife, D’Croz, an adjunct assistant professor of agronomy and horticulture.
He greatly enjoyed teaching and working with graduate students. Working with the International Sorghum and Millet program gave him the opportunity to conduct research mutually beneficial to developing countries and Nebraska, mentor graduate students and work with them after they returned to their home countries — many of whom made meaningful contributions to academia, research and agricultural development.
He was the principal investigator for the INTSORMIL Collaborative Research Support Program from 1986–2007 and regional coordinator for INTSORMIL Central America Program for seven years. He was a member of a four-year research project in Burkina Faso and served as the IANR point person for collaboration with the University of Zagreb in Croatia for numerous years.
Mason’s research at Nebraska focused on production practices and environmental effects on grain quality of maize and grain sorghum, dryland production practices for maize and grain sorghum including plant population and planting date, yield component analysis, grain sorghum/soybean rotation, production practices for pearl millet as an alternate grain crop as well as international research in Africa and Latin America.
Mason received numerous honors and awards; he was named a Fellow of the National American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture in 1990, American Society of Agronomy in 1998 and Crop Science Society of America in 2006. He was honored with CASNR and university undergraduate teaching and advising awards, the Nelson Outstanding Graduate Student Advising Award and outstanding teaching awards from ASA and CSSA. He also authored or co-authored more than 90 peer-reviewed journal publications, four book chapters and one book.
“His work significantly advanced the mission of the department, the university and Nebraska agriculture,” Mamo said. “Many of us had the privilege of working alongside Dr. Mason and benefitted from his collegiality, wisdom and unwavering commitment to student success and agricultural education.”
Having played basketball in high school, Mason continued pickup games with fellow university professors until his shoulders no longer allowed it. A devoted Husker volleyball fan, he attended nearly every home match beginning in the mid-1990s and greatly enjoyed traveling, especially with his family.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Linda Dale. He is survived by his wife, Nora; his brothers, Mark and Larry Mason; his sister, Ann Bach; his son and daughter-in-law, Daniel Mason-D’Croz and Ximena Alvis Gonzales; his son and daughter-in-law, Michael Mason-D’Croz and Lisa Mason-D’Croz; and his granddaughters, Gabriela and Camila Mason-D’Croz.
A celebration of life will be held Aug. 24 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Arbor Suite in the Nebraska East Union.
