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December 5, 2002
Contact: Linda
McCandless, 315.787.2417
HIGHLAND, NY: John Fredrick Schadt, who was employed as a technician for 38 years at Cornell University's Hudson Valley Laboratory, in Highland, NY, has given $500,000 to the laboratory. Schadt died on Feb. 2, 2000, at the age of 88. In settling his estate, the law firm of McCabe & Mack has announced Schadt's gift, and his stipulation that the monies be used in the entomology section at the lab.
"The tremendous gift John Schadt bequeathed specifically to entomology at this facility is completely unexpected and a bit overwhelming," said Richard Straub, Cornell professor of entomology at the Hudson Lab. "I imagine it to be, in spirit, a gift to all who have worked at this research laboratory since its establishment some 75 years ago, and a statement of thanks to the Hudson Valley apple growers with whom he so enjoyed working. Such generosity reminds me again, just how privileged we are to do what we do for a living."
"The loyalty of staff frequently is not fully recognized and is often quite humbling when it is expressed," said James E. Hunter, director of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY, that oversees the Hudson Valley Lab. "John Schadt's generosity has made a lasting impression on all of us, and reminds us of the dedication of many of the staff who work for the Experiment Station."
Straub remembers Schadt as a "salt of the earth" guy, with strong European characteristics and values. "Inevitably, he arrived each day in a shiny, late model automobile, wearing the identical uniform-khaki shirt with matching pants. John was very regimented, thorough, and hard-working," said Straub.
Schadt was hired as a part-time laborer at the Hudson Valley Lab during the summers from April 1936 until 1942, and appointed full-time custodian and laborer in December, 1942. He assisted in maintaining research orchards, collecting data, helping with the more technical aspects of biological research, and caring for laboratory and field equipment. He was reclassified as an experimentalist I in 1959, and retired from the lab in March 1974.
The entomology section at the Hudson Valley Lab has earmarked some of the funds to replace an aging tractor and high-clearance sprayer for the vegetable entomology program. They have also made tentative plans to perform serious renovations in the fruit entomology lab as a memorial to Mr. Schadt. Most of the gift will be reserved in a secure account to insure the continuance of the vital support position that Mr. Schadt once held, according to Straub.
Schadt was born on October 12, 1911, the son of Frederick John Schadt and Annie (Garten) Schadt. He lived on Wagner Road, in Lagrange, NY, his entire life. His father was employed by Vassar College in Poughkeepsie as a cook, and his mother took in laundry. He was educated in the Arlington School system in Poughkeepsie, and played semi-pro baseball. In the 1930s, he went to work for the New York Central Railroad as a deliveryman, then part-time for the State of New York, and eventually full-time for the Hudson Valley Lab.
The Hudson Valley Lab is one of two field stations of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY, which is part of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences of Cornell University. The lab was established by the New York legislature in 1923. Cornell University faculty and staff at the lab conduct research to improve the production of fruit and vegetable crops grown in eastern New York. Research-based information from the lab is provided to growers throughout the state in educational programs organized by Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE).
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