Gary Carl Steinhardt

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Professor Steinhardt was born September 13, 1944 in Lansing, Michigan to Carl Frank Steinhardt and Doris Alzina Steinhardt (Sibley). He grew up on the family farm in Olive Township, Clinton County, Michigan. He completed kindergarten through eighth grade at Lemm School, one of the last remaining one-room country schools in the state. He was a ten-year 4-H member and was ever grateful for the opportunities that experience provided him. He completed high school in 1962 at Saint Johns, Michigan. In the fall of 1962, he entered Michigan State University where he received a B.S. degree in Agriculture with Honor from the Honors College in 1966. During summer vacations he began his career in soil science by mapping soils in Shiawassee, Livingston, Clinton and St. Clair counties in Michigan as an employee of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station. Professor Steinhardt was a member of Beta Zeta Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity. He enrolled in graduate school at Michigan State University where he received the M.S. degree in Soil Science in 1968 under the direction of Dr. Eugene P. Whiteside.
Professor Steinhardt had enrolled in the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Michigan State and with his degree he received a commission as a Second Lieutenant, Corps of Engineers in the United States Army Reserve. He served for two years on active duty from 1968 to 1970 including a tour of duty in Vietnam. He served in the Second Civil Affairs Company assigned to Military Assistance Command Vietnam Advisory Team 98 in Tan Uyen District, Bien Hoa Province. He was assigned to a unit in the United States Army Reserve upon his return to the United States. He completed his service obligation, but continued serving in the Army Reserve in a variety of command and staff positions. He served a second period of active duty when he commanded the 480th Military Intelligence Detachment when it was mobilized in 1990 to support Desert Shield/Storm. He retired as a Colonel in 1996 with thirty years of service. Colonel Steinhardt was an Outstanding Graduate of the Associate Studies Program of the Air War College. His decorations include: Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and Defense Meritorious Service Medals. He was inducted into the Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame in 2019.
Professor Steinhardt enrolled in graduate school at Purdue University in 1971. During his graduate education, he formed and headed the Purdue Soil Survey Laboratory. Three of his student employees later received PhD degrees and went on to highly successful careers. In 1973, he married Nguyen Thi Thinh at Faith Presbyterian Church in West Lafayette, Indiana. His daughter Angela was born in 1976 which is also when he received his Ph.D. in Agronomy under the direction of Dr. Donald P. Franzmeier.
Dr. Steinhardt began his career as Assistant Professor in the Agronomy Department, Purdue University in 1976. His assignment was primarily as an Extension Specialist in Soils and Land Use. He continued work began by Professor Harry Galloway and Dr. Joseph Yahner utilizing soil survey information to assist local officials in making better land use decisions. He was much involved in the effort to bring to the attention of the public the need to preserve prime agricultural land for future generations.
During "trouble shooting" on-farm visits with farmers who were observing "tall corn/short corn" variable early growth and ragged emergence, he identified soil compaction as the likely problem by observing soil properties in the field. This was controversial at the time because there was little research on the effects of soil compaction in the Midwest. More challenging was the research suggested it was not much of a concern. He developed studies with graduate students and Dr. Gary Krutz to show the potential impact of soil compaction which is now recognized as a severe problem in the Midwest. His daughter Sarah was born in 1979. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1982 and to Full Professor in 1990.
Professor Steinhardt was experienced in identifying properties that impact use of land for various purposes. His clientele included everyone from middle school to seasoned professionals. He coordinated the 4-H/FFA Soil Judging program for many years which involved thousands of young people. He also coached the Purdue Soils Team. During this period Purdue was competitive at regional and national level. For many years, he coordinated field exercises for the Indiana Registry of Soil Science.
Dr. Steinhardt received the following honors: Fellow, Indiana Academy of Science, 1983. Fellow, Soil and Water Conservation Society, 1996; The North American Colleges and Teachers awarded him the NACTA Judging and Student Service Award, 2017. Purdue College of Agriculture awarded him the David C. Pfendler Outstanding Undergraduate Counselor Award, 2015. The Purdue College of Agriculture and Indiana Prairie Farmer Magazine named him an Honorary Master Farmer, 2022. He received Outstanding Service Award, Indiana Onsite Wastewater Professionals Association, 2022. From the FFA, he received the FFA Distinguished Service Award and Golden Shovel, 2025.
He authored over 30 scientific publications and over 100 Extension bulletins plus numerous magazine articles and news stories during his career. He has held membership in numerous professional organizations including American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America, Soil and Water Conservation Society, Indiana Academy of Science, Indiana Environmental Health Association, Indiana Onsite Wastewater Professionals Association, President 2010 and the Indiana Association of Professional Soil Classifiers, President 2023. He served on the Board of the Soil and Water Conservation Society for nine years and was twice elected President of the Society. He is an Indiana Registered Soil Scientist No. 15 and served for six years on the Board of the Indiana Registry of Soil Science. He was a member of the following honorary organizations: Sigma Xi; Alpha Zeta, Faculty Adviser 2005 – 2023; Phi Kappa Phi, President Purdue Chapter 1984-86: Gamma Sigma Delta, President Purdue Chapter 2000-2001; Omicron Delta Kappa, Blue Key, Excalibur and Epsilon Sigma Phi.
During his professional career and continuing into retirement, Dr. Steinhardt was active in community affairs. He was a long-time member of the Lafayette Noon Kiwanis Club. He joined the club in 1982. He twice served on the Board of Directors and was designated a Distinguished President in 2008. He was a member of the Federated Church of West Lafayette serving on numerous boards and committees over the years as well as an adult Sunday school teacher. He was one of the original members of the Priory of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin of the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem and served as Prior 2. He was a Freemason and Past Master of Sojourners Lodge 768. In addition, he was a member of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Valley of Indianapolis, as well as a member of The York Rite of Freemasonry. For his service to the York Rite, he was recognized as a Knight of York Cross of Honor and awarded the highest honor, the Order of the Purple Cross. He was a member of Shriners International, Grottoes International and the High Twelve International. He has been an American Red Cross volunteer since 1996 and has been a Central Indiana Chapter Board member since 2019. He was involved in Hoosier Boys State in various roles over multiple years.
Dr. Steinhardt enjoyed extensive involvement in veterans' groups including the American Legion Post 38, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1154, La Societe des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux, the Reserve Officers Association of the United States, the Tippecanoe County Veterans Council, Disabled American Veterans Mary T. Klinker Chapter, and the Military Officers Association of America. He was a member of the Military Intelligence Corps Association and received the Knowlton Award in 1999.
For his service to community, he was awarded the following honors: the Marquis de Lafayette Award, 2025, The Circle of Corydon Award, 2025, Jefferson Award, 2019, George T. Kilavos Alumni Award from Theta Chi Fraternity, 2018, Daughters of the American Revolution Medal of Honor, 2014, and the WLFI TV-18 Making a Difference Award, 2012.
He has two daughters, Dr. Angela A. Steinhardt, MD (husband: Jonathan Sobieski) of Milton, Massachusetts, and Dr. Sarah Steinhardt Reiger, PharmD, JD, MS (husband: Curtis) of Martinsville, Indiana and four grandchildren, Jolie Aimee Sobieski, Jacqueline Nguyen Sobieski, Jonathan Edward Sobieski Jr, and Joel Steinhardt Sobieski.
Donations in Dr. Steinhardt's memory may be made to American Legion Post 38, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1154, Voiture 364 – the Forty and Eight, Tippecanoe County Shrine Club, Tippecanoe County 4-H, Purdue Agronomy, the Soil & Water Conservation Society or any of the organizations listed above in which he served so passionately during his lifetime.