GROTH, Aaron Holland 1898-1983

GROTH

Posted By: K. L. Kittleson
Date: 7/11/2006 at 19:38:37

Dr. A. Holland Groth was born on August 29, 1898 in St. Ansgar township, Mitchell County, Iowa. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. H.A. Groth. He attended Spring Valley school and St. Ansgar high school. He graduated from Osage high school in May of 1916. Following graduation he enrolled at Iowa State University and received a B.S. degree in animal husbandry in 1921.

He worked for the Iowa Beef Producers for a year and went to Colorado State University where he was awarded a M.S. degree in animal husbandry in 1923. Dr. Groth then served on the faculty of Texas A & M University until 1927 when he returned to Iowa State University and enrolled in the College of Veterinary Medicine. He received a D.V.M. degree in 1931.

Following graduation, Dr. Groth worked with Minnesota Livestock Sanitary Board in Austin and Faribault, Minnesota until 1934 when he returned to Colorado State University as a faculty member in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

In 1934, Dr. Groth joined the faculty of the Department of Veterinary Science, Louisiana State University. In 1946, he was appointed director of the U.S.D.A. Regional Animal Disease Laboratory in Auburn, Alabama, where he he remained until 1949 at which time he accepted the position of Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia.

He served as Dean for 14 years and retired from the position in 1963, and from the faculty in 1968 as Dean Emeritus. Following his retirement, Dr. and Mrs. Groth moved to Dunedin, Florida for three years and returned to Auburn, Ala. in 1971.

In 1961 Dr. Groth was named Veterinarian of the Year by the Missouri Veterinary Medical Assoc., and in 1975 the Iowa State University Alumni Association presented him with a Distinguished Achievement Citation. The College of Veterinary Medicine, Univ. of Missouri-Columbia presented Dr. Groth with the Distinguished Service Award in 1978.

Dr. Groth was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Zeta, Gamma Sigma Delta, Alpha Sigma Phi, Alpha Psi and Kiwanis club. He served as president of the Louisiana Veterinary Medicine Assoc. and was one of the organizers and past presidents of the Animal Disease Workers on the southern states. He was also a member of the Conference of Research Workers in North America, and the American Veterinary Medical Association.

He was 84 years old, and died on March 24, 1983, at the East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, Alabama. When he died, Dr. Groth was Dean Emeritus, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia.

[ Adapted from St. Ansgar Enterprise -- April 7, 1983 ]