Since 1981 STMA has been serving the sports turf industry and its members. Over the years STMA has acquired a large historical collection from turfgrass researchers, members and Dr. Kent Kurtz, STMA’s first executive director and historian. With nearly 100 years of history in its archives, STMA is converting its collection to a digital version so that the industry can enjoy the rich history of the profession and the association.
With a generous donation from Pioneer Athletics, this is will soon become a reality. Its president, Doug Schattinger, is committed to preserving the past. “The history of STMA and our industry provides us a solid understanding of where we’ve been and how far we’ve come. I believe that it is of great importance to safeguard this collection for future generations” says Schattinger.
More than 16,000 slides have been sent to be digitized, and they will be available for STMA’s use later in March. Look for a historical feature in each issue of SportsTurf and ultimately an accessible on-line archive.