Dr. Major Mereland Goodman

RALEIGH - Dr. Major Mereland Goodman, William Neal Reynolds and Distinguished University professor of crop science at N.C. State University, 87, died March 29, 2026.

Major was considered one of the leading experts on maize genetics, and he made numerous pioneering contributions to the field, especially in the areas of plant breeding and genetic diversity. He was once called the "world authority on maize germplasm resources and their utilization in breeding," and his work has helped ensure the future of corn as a food source by providing for its protection from disease, pests, and drought. He served as the head of the Maize Breeding and Genetics Program in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at N.C. State until his retirement at the end of 2021, after serving on the NC State faculty for nearly 55 years.

Major was born September 13, 1938, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Jarrett and Mabel Goodman. He was the last of seven children, born when his mother was 47. He spent his early years on his parents' farm in Johnston, Iowa. Johnston was home to the Pioneer Hi-Bred International Seed Company, and early in life Major encountered several leading figures in the history of corn breeding. One of them, Dr. William Brown, who ultimately became Pioneer's President/CEO, influenced Major's decision to attend college and graduate school, and remained a strong positive influence throughout Major's life.

Major earned a National Merit Scholarship and, upon his graduation from Johnston High School in 1956, enrolled at Iowa State University. He graduated with a BS in mathematics in 1960. He obtained a National Science Foundation Cooperative Graduate Fellowship and began MS studies in genetics at what was then North Carolina State College, in May 1960. His thesis was "A Study of the Genetic Variability in Divergent and Closely Interbred Populations of Maize." After completing an MS in January 1963, Major began his PhD studies and in 1965 produced a study of classification, correlation, and the structure of cotton populations, which garnered the Phi Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi awards for outstanding dissertations at what by then was North Carolina State University. This work reflects many of the themes that would later characterize his career in maize genetics and breeding: crop evolution, classification, statistical genetics, multivariate statistics, and their application to applied plant breeding.

From 1965 to 1967, a National Science Foundation-funded postdoctoral appointment allowed Major to work with Dr. Ernesto Paterniani of the Escola Superior de Agricultura in Piracicaba, Brazil. Their work produced a ground-breaking book on the diversity of races of maize in Brazil and adjacent areas. Major always spoke very fondly of his experiences in Brazil.

In 1967, Major became a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Statistics at NC State as part of an NIH training grant in statistical genetics managed by Dr. Clark Cockerham, who became an early mentor to him. In 1968, he became an assistant professor, then was promoted to associate professor in 1970 and full professor in 1976. He would eventually move to what was then the Department of Crop Science in 1983.

In 1970, Major married Sheila Balfour Dail. Sheila had two young sons by a previous marriage, Sean and Scot Dail, whom Major raised as his own. He often lovingly referred to them as "my two delinquents" - and had it not been for Major's guidance, as well as the example he set, they might well have become just that. He was critical to their success in life.

In 1979, Major began recognizing the dire state of maize germplasm collections in the U.S. and worldwide. From 1981 to 1986, he served as chair of the USDA Maize Crop Advisory Committee, with responsibility for planning the acquisition of approximately 20,000 maize accessions into the US germplasm system. He also led efforts to rescue several thousand critical Latin American accessions by funding and managing seed increases in their home countries as well as efforts to back up existing seed accessions at the National Seed Storage Lab (now the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation) in Fort Collins, Colorado. The vastly improved state of maize germplasm resources today owes much to Major's efforts.

In 1986, Major was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. He served in both the Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences Section and the Plant Biology Section. Major and Sheila regularly traveled to Washington DC in the spring for the Academy's annual meeting.

The next year, Major received the O. Max Gardner Award, which the UNC Board of Governors bestows upon faculty members who "have made the greatest contribution to the welfare of the human race." And in 2006, maize breeders and geneticists from around the world gathered at NC State for a symposium in honor of Major's contributions. He was presented with a commemorative issue of the Journal "Maydica" containing a ten-page summation of his life and accomplishments. As was often the case with Major, he expressed genuine surprise at all the attention.

In addition to his research and other responsibilities at NC State, Major also served enthusiastically on the Board of the University of North Carolina Press from 1988 until 2001. He remained supportive of the Press in later years through financial gifts and attendance at reunions of former Board members.

Upon meeting Major, many were at first misled by his serious demeanor, but soon learned that he had an almost impish sense of humor and a tendency toward light sarcasm that often took people by surprise. He would even occasionally make vaguely inappropriate remarks, primarily just to elicit a response.

While he spent all of his post-collegiate life in North Carolina, Major never lost his love for his home state. Sheila vividly remembered the night she and Major went to see Field of Dreams when it debuted in theatres. At one point in the film, Shoeless Joe asks, "Is this Heaven?" and Kevin Costner's character replies, "No, it's Iowa!" Major's eyes filled with tears.

Major and Sheila traveled extensively during their marriage. They attended conferences throughout the U.S., and also in Mexico, Peru, Italy, Germany, and Serbia, among others. They also made numerous trips to Great Britain to visit Sheila's many relatives in England and Scotland. Sheila predeceased him in 2019.

Major mentored a long line of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom went on to establish themselves as leaders of plant genetics and breeding programs. He and Sheila often hosted these students at their home and made a point of assisting them in any way possible. In 2023, the Major and Sheila Goodman Fellowship in Plant Breeding endowment was established to provide funding for graduate students in plant breeding at NC State, with a preference for those working on maize research.

Major is survived by his son, Sean Balfour Dail, and wife Maryann; his son, Andrew Scot Dail, and wife Robin; his grandchildren, Scot's son Josh and daughter Lindsey; his nephew, John Balfour, Jr., and wife Suzanne; and John and Suzanne's sons, Jonathan and Glenn and their families. All of Major's six siblings predeceased him, but he leaves 19 surviving Goodman family nieces and nephews, including Linda Goodman Benson of Plano, Texas, who stayed in close contact with him over the years.

A private service will be held at a later date. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, a memorial donation be made in support of the Major and Sheila Goodman Fellowship in Plant Breeding to the NC Agricultural Foundation, Campus Box 7645, NC State, Raleigh, NC 27695-7645 or online at go.ncsu.edu/goodmanfellowship; please include "Major Goodman" in the memo line of the check or note online. You might also choose to donate to the Dementia Alliance of North Carolina in Major's name.

A service of Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, Raleigh. Online condolences may be made at www.bryan-leefuneralhome.com