In February, the department acquired its first IBM Magnetic Card Selectric Typewriter. This forerunner of the electronic word processor stored text on small magnetic cards, each of which could hold 50 100-character lines of text. It was used for repetitive correspondence and other short documents, freeing the MTST, which used magnetic tapes, for larger documents, like grant proposals.
On 15 February 1973, the Biology Unit I laboratory of Dr. Walter R. Tschinkel was severely damaged by fire. The probable cause was a direct electrical short of one or more extension cords connected to a strip of receptacles, which ignited a cardboard box of empty plastic containers.
In August, Dr. William F. Herrnkind sent greetings to the department from his undersea home in the saturation-diving habitat Hydrolab, where he and four students from the department conducted research on spiny lobsters.
In December of 1973, BioNotes (18 months old at the time) was discontinued as a cost-saving measure, but . . .
More news and events of 1973
Administration
Faculty roster
Arrivals
Departures
Awards to faculty, students, staff
Publications
Obituaries
Administration
Chair: Thomas Peter Bennett
Associate Chair for Graduate Studies: Margaret Y. Menzel, then A. Gib DeBusk
Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies: L. Raymond Fox
Arrivals
- new Assistant Professor Lawrence G. Abele, later Associate Professor, Professor, Department Chairman, Dean of Arts and Sciences, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Provost of the University, all at FSU
- new Assistant Professor Norris H. Williams
- new Biology Unit I computer programmer Bill Brink, who transferred from Psychology in August to replace Howard Campbell
- new Fiscal assistant Lionel John Alexandroff, who arrived in November to replace Elease Ray as departmental accountant
- new machinist James Hogg, who transferred from Psychobiology in November to join the department's machine shop.
Departures
- Professor Hans Gaffron retired. In 1940, Dr. Gaffron coined the term "photoreduction" to characterize a part of the photosynthetic pathway. He joined the Department of Biological Science in 1959. His career is outlined in a 2002 article by colleague Peter H. Homann, published in Photosynthesis Research.
- Professor and Associate Director of the Program in Medical Science Henry W. Griffith left the department.
- Assistant professor Charles P. Galt left the department.
- Long-time secretary Myrna Hurst left the departmental clerical office, but only to become secretary to Professor J. Herbert Taylor, director of the Institute of Molecular Biophysics.
- Dorothy Groom, secretary in Biology Unit I, left the department in January of 1973.
- Biology Unit I computer programmer Howard Campbell left in August.
- Departmental accountant Elease Ray left in November.
Awards
Faculty Awards
Dr. T. Peter Bennett was invited to serve on the scientific advisory board of the Inter-Lingual Educational Research Corporation, Alhambra, California.
Dr. Paul R. Elliott was elected National Chairman of the Group on Student Affairs of the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Dr. Harry Lipner was invited to serve a four-year term as a member of the editorial board of Endocrinology, published by the Endocrine Society.
Dr. Anne Pates received the P. R. Edwards Award from the Southeastern Branch of the American Society for Microscopy at the society's annual meeting in November.
Dr. Walter R. Tschinkel was appointed contultant to the Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, on matters concerning the mirex program against the imported fire ant.
Dr. Ralph W. Yerger was invited to become a member of the Special Committee on Fishes of the Florida Committee on Rare and Endangered Plants and Animals.
Dr. Henry M. Stevenson was invited to become a member of the Special Committee on Birds of the Florida Committee on Rare and Endangered Plants and Animals.
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!
