1961 in the FSU Biological Science History project

1961 In the Department of Biological Science at Florida State University (updated 10 July 2009)

Acording to the November 1961 "Role and Scope Report of the Department of Biological Sciences," in the five years following the department's formation in 1956, the number of faculty increased by 50%, the number of graduate students by 140%, and the number of undergraduate majors by 220%! Research grants for 1961 totaled nearly $500,000, a five-year increase of almost 10-fold. In the same period, the research and teaching collection of plants increased about ninefold, and that of animals about threefold. Space was at a premium in Conradi Building, which the department shared with the Oceanographic Institute (later to become the Department of Oceanography).

In 1961, Biology 105 (General Biology), the forerunner of Biology 1150 and later BSC 1005, enrolled 1600 to 2000 students each year and was the largest science course on campus.

No formal evaluation program allowed students to evaluate faculty teaching. Some faculty members distributed questions to their students at the end of each semester, but the opinions expressed were generally seen only by the instructor concerned.

The role and scope report recommended the adoption of "machine registration" to save time over the manual registration proceedures by which students signed up for courses at the time. It also stressed the need for a science library, because Strozier Library was already overcrowded.

At the first 1961-62 meeting of the FSU chapter of the Phi Sigma Society (5 p.m., Friday, October 13, 1961), A. MacInnis presented "Some notes on a student's scientific society in 18th century Edinburgh."

Administration
Faculty roster
Arrivals
Departures
Awards to faculty, students, staff
Publications
Obituaries

Administration

Department head: Leland Shanor

Arrivals

New Assistant Professor Harry W. Wells

Departures

Assistant Professor Alan Jacobs Kohn, who left to accept a position at the University of Washington
Research Associate Maxwell M. Mozell, who left to accept a faculty position at the State University of New York Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse
Associate Professor Adrian W. Poitras, who left to accept a position at Miami-Dade Community College

Awards

Faculty Awards

Student Awards

Staff Awards

Obituaries

This page is part of the Departmental History Project of the Department of Biological Science at Florida State University. Can you help us fill in the blanks? If you were once a student here, or a member of our faculty or staff, we'd love to hear from you. Send an e-mail to thistle@bio.fsu.edu, a fax to (850) 644-9829, or snail-mail to Dr. Anne B. Thistle, Editor, Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1100. And thanks!