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Zbyszko Tuchołka

Prof. dr Zbyszko Tuchołka
Rector of the Higher School of Agriculture in Poznań

(1965-1972)

BIOGRAPHY

SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY

Zbyszko Tuchołka was born in 1909. In 1928 he graduated from secondary school and was admitted as a student at the Faculty of Agronomy and Forestry at the Poznań University. He studied with interruptions, at the same time completing compulsory military service and taking traineeships at several farming estates. In 1935 he graduated from the university, receiving the degree of Master of Science and Engineer of agronomy. Upon receiving his diploma he found employment at the seed-production farm in Kleszczowo. He fought in the September campaign in 1939 and afterwards spent the entire WWII period as a German POW. After returning to Poland in 1946 he started working at the State Landed Estates of the Lubuskie District. In 1948 he was employed at the position of assistant lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Chemistry of the Poznań University. He took his doctorate in 1951 for his dissertation on “The distribution of different forms of superphosphate in soil and the course of P2O5 immobilization”. In 1955 he was appointed assistant professor and took the position of head of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry, in 1965 he received the title of associate professor and in 1971 - the title of full professor. His outstanding personality predisposed him to serving important functions at the University. In the early 1960’s he was a vice-dean of the Faculty of Agronomy and from 1965 he was its dean. In the years 1965—1972 for three terms he served the most responsible and honourable function — the Rector of the university. In that time, thanks to his initiative, the university received the new Rector’s office building and the new building of the Faculty of Wood Technology. He devoted much of his time to the organisation of a University Branch in Bydgoszcz, which since then has become an independent university.

Professor Zbyszko Tuchołka not only worked diligently for the benefit of science, academic teaching and organisation of the university, but he was also an excellent ambassador of our university, serving numerous honourable functions, such as e.g. a member of the Committee for Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry of the 5th Division of PAS, the Scientific and Engineering Council at the Minister of Agriculture, scientific councils of the Institute of the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, the Institute of Medicinal Plants, Institute of Natural Fibres, director for research at the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation — Branch in Gorzów, chairman of the Museum Board at the Museum of Agriculture in Szreniawa, vice-president of the Poznań branch of the Society of Soil Science, the Polish Economic Society, Polish Botanical Society, member of the Poznań Society of Friends of Learning and member of the Editing Committee of “Poradnik Gospodarski”, the Poznań division of PAS.

SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS

Prof. dr Zbyszko Tuchołka was an outstanding expert in agricultural chemistry and he devoted all his exceptional expertise, theoretical knowledge and practical skills to the development of this field of science. The achievements of Professor Tuchołka are extensive, he published over 120 scientific dissertations, textbooks and course books. It needs to be stressed here that these publications, apart for their importance for pure science, were also characterised by high practical value. Professor Tuchołka was very active popularising science thanks to his numerous personal contacts, speeches he gave on the radio and television and popular lectures. He was an outstanding academic teacher thanks to his exceptional knowledge and at the same formidable character. His lectures were very popular among students. Under his supervision approx. 200 students completed graduate studies receiving M.Sc. degrees. Professor Tuchołka was the scientific supervisor for 20 doctoral students and a reviewer of many post-doctoral dissertations and professor degree nominations.

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Professor Tuchołka received three awards: 1° award of the Minister of Science, Higher Education and Technology, an award of the Minister of Agriculture, Rector of the University as agricultural organisations. In 1976 the Martin Luther University in Halle awarded him with the honorary doctoral degree.

For his research, teaching and organisational activity the Council of State decorated Professor Zbyszko Tuchołka with the Knight’s and Officer’s Crosses of the Polonia Restituta. The Provincial State Councils in Poznań and Bydgoszcz decorated him with medals for his services for the development of these provinces. He was also decorated with Medals of the Commission of National Education, the 30th Anniversary of the People’s Republic of Poland, the Gold Medal of the Polish Teachers’ Union, the Honorary Decoration of the City of Poznań and others.
He died on 6 July 1980.

Source:
70 years of academic students in agronomy and forestry; Poznań 1989;