For some reason, the author of this article is not named. Based on the highlighted paragraph, I’m guessing it was the distinguished Walter Clay Lowdermilk, one of the unsung heroes of the Jewish people’s restoration of and to the Promised Land.
in reference to:"A central feature of the plan derives from a survey that I conducted in 1938 and 1939 for the U. S. Department of Agriculture and from the proposal, growing out of that survey, of a Jordan Valley Authority to achieve the fullest development of the surface and underground waters of the valley for the entire original Mandate under the League of Nations, including what is now the Kingdom of Jordan as well as Israel."
- 50 Years Ago: The Reclamation of a Man-Made Desert: Scientific American (view on Google Sidewiki)