G. William Longenecker

George William “Bill” Longenecker (August 19, 1899 – February 25, 1969) was a landscape architect, educator, and executive director and co-creator of one of the Midwest's premier arboretums, the University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum. His career lasted from 1926 to 1965. Born in 1899 in Nielsville, WI, his parents homesteaded in North Dakota and Utah before settling back in Wisconsin in Bill's teenage years. After earning his degree in landscape architecture, he became a professor in the subject and then the Chairman of the Landscape Architecture Department at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He loved fishing, his family, and his dogs. He took up watercolor painting later in life.

Early Years

Born 1899, August 19, in Neillsville, Wi, the son of the late Rev. and Mrs. George Washington Longenecker. G William's (Bill) father was George Washington Longenecker, who was born Grofdale, Pa.

Before Bill was born, George Washington Longenecker, and his parents (Bill's Grandparents) moved to central Michigan as a young man, where he met Rose. George studied at Oberlin College, in Oberlin, Ohio. Rev George (a Congregational Minister) and Rose moved to the logging camps in Northern Wisconsin to do mission work and start a church. Bill was born in Neilsville during this time. The family moved to Berthold, N Dakota, homesteaded there, and then moved to Minot, ND and Provo, Utah. The family took the train out to Utah, then on the return trip, decided to take the wagon route, and engaged 2 horses, a mule and mountain wagon to travel back to Wisconsin in Bill's early years, taking 3 months for the journey. Rose wrote an extensive diary of their time homesteading and traveling. George, Bill's father, was the pastor of the Neilsville Congregational Church for 38 years.

Family

Longenecker's parents were George Washington and Rose Longenecker. He had a brother, Ernst, and two sisters, Lois and Gladys. He married Sarah Schuyler Stebbins (born Aug 11, 1905) on June 22, 1926.

His son George, also a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, was a professor of landscape architecture at West Virginia University, and founded the West Virginia Botanic Garden.

Around 1950, Longenecker and his wife purchased property along the Wisconsin River between Mazomanie and Sauk City, and built a cottage from an old CCC building that had been on Arboretum property. He loved fishing both in the lakes in Northern Wisconsin, and spending time with family every summer on the Wisconsin river. When his health declined in the 60's, he retired, a light-filled studio was added with a drafting table built in, and he continued his watercolor paintings.

Education

He was graduated from Neilsville High School. He then attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, from which he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1924, and earned a Master of Science in horticulture in 1929.

Professional career

Before he was married, Bill worked at a nursery, possibly in Nevada, Missouri, or Hannibal, MO and went by train all over the place. He worked in the Pittsburgh area, and did a planting design north of Pittsburgh.

At the time of his death, it was reported in the Wisconsin State Journal in an article about him, listing the various organizations he was or had been associated with, including the American Society of Landscape Architects, the American Society of Botanical Gardens and Arboretums, The Association of Wisconsin Planners, the Wisconsin Parks and Recreation Society, the Wisconsin Friends of our Native Landscape (as Director), Wisconsin Development Council (advisor), the Madison Silde and Movie Club (President), the Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts and Letters (vice-president), and the Farmhouse Fraternity, also known as Delta Theta Sigma.

UW Madison

He joined the faculty at UW-Madison in 1928 in the school of Agriculture. He was promoted from instructor to assistant professor in 1933, to associate professor in 1936, and to full professor in 1947.

In the first few decades, Professor Longenecker and Professor Aust facilitated notable guest lectures for students, including lectures by Jens Jensen and Frank Lloyd Wright

He served as the university's landscape architect. He was also responsible for UW campus landscape design, supervision of installation, and overseeing of maintenance 1926 to 1965.

He started and served as chairman of the UW-Madison Landscape Architecture Department in 1964 until his retirement in 1967, and the department received accreditation under his leadership.

Arboretum at UW Madison

He was named the executive director of the Arboretum at the UW-Madison in 1933, and served as executive director until 1958. He was responsible for all Arboretum planning, design and layout. He designed and planted the Lilac 'rooms' in the Horticultural Garden in the mid-30's. He directed the activities of the arboretum superintendent and his maintenance crews. He was responsible for the selection of the plants in the horticultural gardens. In 1967, the horticulture gardens were named after him, thereafter known as the Longenecker Horticultural Gardens. He provided vision for the restoration of prairie which later was named the Curtis Prairie. He was referred to as the 'Father of the Arboretum' in the 1960s at the time of his passing.

Wisconsin State Appointments

Longenecker was appointed in February 1932 to confer with the state historical society regard-in preservation of Indian mounds which are being jeopardized or endangered by the 're-location of highways.

Wisconsin Governor Knowles appointed Professor Longenecker to be on the State Natural Beauty Committee and also a special advisory committee regarding the design oh the Landscape along I-94 between Madison and Milwaukee.

Professional involvement in Neilsville, WI

Although he had been away from Neilsville for many years, Prof. Longenecker was always anxious to help his old hometown in its efforts to create through landscaping things of beauty. He gave assistance to Kurt Listeman in the planning of the Listeman Arboretum there, and had undertaken the planning and design work for a section of the local arboretum on which no work has as yet been done. This is called “the University Section,” and anticipates some formal plantings of unusual trees and shrubbery.

He also assisted in the layout and design of the American Legion Park, with work at Schuster Park and other similar efforts here.

Influence of contemporaries

Longenecker collaborated with Aldo Leopold as both were leaders of the UW Arboretum.

Legacy

His finest legacy is the large and complete university arboretum. For his service to the famed “nature laboratory” an entire horticultural area, including lilac and ornamental crab apple areas, was named the G. William Longenecker Gardens.

He also introduced the Autumn Purple White Ash into the professional nursery trade.

References

1. Pioneers of Ecological Restoration: The People and the Legacy of the University of Wisconsin Arboretum by Franklin E. Court
2. Lilac Collection Celebrates 85 Years
3. Obituary from Neillsville, WI
4. Our First 50 Years, History of the Arboretum at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
5. William H. Tishler, “‘The Wisconsin Idea’ Takes a New Turn,” Landscape Architecture Magazine 57, no. 3 (April 1967): 232

Additional External Links

https://www.pbs.org/video/university-place-pioneers-ecological-restoration/

Photo of G William Longenecker at the Lilac Gardens

The Arb through the ages: The birthplace of ecological restoration was once a farm

https://www.channel3000.com/madison-magazine/books-authors/rediscovering-the-uw-arboretum-and-its-rich-history/article_ec5dc7a3-ca45-5ba0-a16f-b98189ba7692.html

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/201853121/george-william-longenecker

Copyrighted Photo of Professor Longenecker