Iowa State’s department of agronomy is celebrating the 100 years since its creation.

A play and an art exhibit are included in the centennial celebration, called “Celebrating a Century of Excellence and a Foundation for the Future.”

Melea Licht, department communication specialist, said numerous events throughout the year will honor the centennial.

A traveling exhibit detailing the history of ISU agronomy will be appearing across Iowa at agronomy research farm field days, the Farm Progress show, the World Food Prize and numerous association meetings, Licht said. The exhibit has previously been featured at the Iowa State Fair, Veishea, Iowa State Alumni Days and the ISU Farmhouse Museum.

Licht also said the department is sponsoring a play based on the life of Henry A. Wallace, an ISU graduate who became a famous agronomist and statesman. The play, “American Dreamer,” is free and open to the public.

“It will really be a lot of fun,” she said. “It’s a story about one man and his life that is very important to agronomy and to Iowa.”

The department will also be selecting the contents of a time capsule to be filled for commemoration of the centennial during Iowa State’s Agriculture Week, which runs from Oct. 21 to 25.

“We were created in 1902 and we’re still here in 2002,” said John Pesek, distinguished professor of agronomy. “We have been a significant factor in not only the agricultural economy but the economy of the state.”

Licht said the Agronomy department was created in 1902 and originally included crops, soils and agricultural engineering.

She said the department currently offers five majors and one minor for students interested in crop science, soil science and agricultural meteorology.

Bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees are available through the department as well as a Web-based, distance-learning master’s program. In the last century, the university has awarded more than 2,200 bachelor’s degrees, 1,200 master’s degrees, and 1,000 doctorates in agronomy.