Abstract Detail

History of Botany in the Rhode Island Area

Evert, Ray [1], Uhl, Natalie W. [2].

Thoughts on Vernon I. Cheadle.

A distinguished botanist, educator, athlete, and person, Vernon Irvin Cheadle was the personification of excellence and integrity. Vernon was born in Salem, North Dakota on February 6, 1910, and grew up on a farm. Never forgetting his humble beginnings, he had great understanding of everyone from all walks of life. In 1932, he graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Botany from Miami University. While there he lettered in basketball and track. He received an M.S. (1934) and a Ph.D. (1936) from Harvard University. His Ph.D. research dealt with secondary growth in monocotyledons. In 1936 Vernon joined the Department of Botany at Rhode Island State College. From 1942 to l952 he served as Chairman of the department and Director of the Graduate Division, except for a commitment with the Navy in the Pacific Theatre of WWII from 1944 to 1946. While at Rhode Island, Vernon developed international recognition for his research on the vascular system in monocotyledons. After a sabbatical year in 1950-51 at UC-Davis to work with Katherine Esau, Vernon was invited to return as chairman of the Botany Department. While at Davis he collaborated with Dr. Esau on studies of the comparative structure of the secondary phloem in dicotyledons. In 1962, Vernon was appointed Chancellor of the University of California at Santa Barbara. Under his leadership and vision, UCSB developed into a first-class research university. Upon his retirement in 1977, Vernon returned to research. It was while returning home from the laboratory that he suffered a stroke that led to his death on July 23, 1995. Vernon served as President of the Botanical Society in 1961, and received the Merit Award of the Society in 1963. In 1978, he was elected to the Miami Athletic Hall of Fame and, in 1990, he broke the world record in the discus throw for his age group at the Masters Track and Field Meet.

Broader Impacts:

1 - University of Wisconsin Madison, 810 Woodward Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53704, USA
2 - Cornell University, 1504 Hanshaw Rd., Ithaca, New York, 14850, USA

Keywords:
none specified

Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation
Session: SY4
Location: Ballroom B/Convention Center
Date: Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
Time: 11:00 AM
Number: SY4008
Abstract ID:75