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Malden Nesheim PhDMalden Nesheim, PhDProfessor Emeritus
Division of Nutritional SciencesProvost EmeritusCornell University
February 7, 2011
The Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University: A History and Personal Reflections
http://hdl.handle.net/1813/14711
Malden C Nesheim
NY State College of Agriculture1904
Henry Wing
Elmer Savage
L A MaynardLeo Norris
Rice Hall
Clive McCay
Wing Hall
Hired by Wing in 1910 as assistant Professor
Professor Elmer Savage1884‐1943
The Grange League Federation GLF
Farmers Cooperative in North East
Funds for Savage Hall
Babcock Professorship
Howard E Babcock
General ManagerGLFCooperative 1922‐1937
Chairman Cornell Board of Trustees 1940‐1947
Babcock Professorship
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Wesleyan University A.B. 1911
Chemistry Major‐studied with W P BradleyOne of Atwater’s students
Cornell PhD 1915
Appointed Asst Prof‐ Cornell 1915 Retired 1956
L A Maynard 1887‐1972
Retired 1956
THE EFFECT OF RETARDED GROWTH UPON THE LENGTH OF LIFE SPAN AND UPON THE ULTIMATE BODY SIZE.
C. M. McCAY, MARY P. CROWELL AND L. A. MAYNARD
Animal Nutrition Laboratory, Cornell University, IthacaNY. J. Nutrition 10: 63‐79, 1935 NY. J. Nutrition 10: 63 79, 1935
Clive McCay 1898‐1967
Nutrition Program in Poultry ScienceDepartment
Leo Norris 1891‐1986
First Secretary of the School of Nutrition
Holley Shared Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1968 with:
H Gobind KhoranaMarshal Nirenberg
Nucleotide Structure of RNA
US Plant Soil and Nutrition Labfounded 1940
Now named the Robert W. HolleyCenter for Agriculture and Health
Department of Home ll f
Martha van Rensselaer Hall
1933
School of Home Economics New York State College of
Farmers’WivesWinter courses
Economics in College of Agriculture 1907
School of Home Economics College of Agriculture 1919
New York State College ofHome Economics 1925
NY State College of Human Ecology 1969
Department of Foodsand Nutrition
Department of Institution Management
School of Hotel Administration 1954 Martha van Rensselaer
1864‐1932Flora Rose1874‐1959
Co‐Directors of the College of Home EconomicsFirst women with title of Professor at Cornell
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Professor of Food and Nutrition
1901‐1984
Francis Johnston Grace Steiniger Hazel Hauck
1901‐1966 1900‐1964Professors in Dept ofFoods and Nutrition
Chair‐DepartmentOf Human Nutrition and Food1944‐1966
Catherine Personius 1904‐1994
Formation of the School of Nutrition
June 3 1941‐ Luncheon James McConnell General Manager of GLFFor Paul Manning of Peebles company in San Francisco‐Manning suggested that Cornell should establish a school for nutrition
McConnell writes to H. E. Babcock Passed on the suggestionAnd heartily endorsed it. Babcock agreed and wrote to President Day y g y
Idea discussed by Day at University Faculty Meeting June 11, 1941Faculty agreed to set up a 5 person committee to discuss proposal withThe President and the trustees
President and Babcock bring proposal to Board of Trustees on June 16, 1941The Board authorized the President to establish a School of Nutrition
Thirteen days from the idea to the reality
The Dean reported informally on recent proposals that somenew organization, possibly a School, be set up in the general field of Nutrition.
In conclusion he moved that the President be requested to appoint a committee of five to confer with the President and the Trustees in connection with this proposal.
The Emeritus Professor of Economics and Statistics, Professor Willcox, suggested that this Committee might be empowered to act for the Faculty before the nextmeeting of the Faculty in October; after that date the Committee willbe expected to report recommendations for action by the Faculty.
The Dean's motion, with this amendment, was carried by voice vote.
Cornell University Faculty minutesJune 11, 1941
School of Nutrition
Faculty from 5 Colleges and 7 departments over 45 listed
3 Nobel prize winners listed as members of the initial faculty
Debye, duVignaud, Sumner
Five year Degree program for Master of Nutritional ScienceDegree
Not part of State supported colleges ‐yet students paid StatutoryCollege tuition
Provided NY with state funds to assist Dept of Health
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L. A. “Stub” Maynard
• First Prof of Nutrition
• First Director of US Plant Soiland Nutrition Laboratory
• Director of School of Nutrition
• First Head of Biochemistry Dept
• Member of National Academyof Sciences
J B Sumner
1887‐1955Nobel Prize In Chemistry1946 for crystallizingthe enzyme ureasein 1926in 1926
Member of CornellMedical School Ithacain Dept of Physiologyand Biochemistry
Savage Hall, Completed 1947 at cost of $405,000‐ $200,000 from GLF, $123,500 to equip biochemistry department, rest from Cornell. Dedication of Savage Hall 1947‐ Speech by Governor Thomas E Dewey
Science 106: 10 Oct 1947
Herrell DeGraff1908‐1986
First BabcockChair of FoodEconomics
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Charlotte Young 1910‐1979
DeanGraduate School of Nutrition
•Research interest innutrition and behavior
Richard H. Barnes 1911‐1978
National figure in nutrition
The Barnes Years
The School of Nutrition became the Graduate School of Nutrition
Granted MNS and MFS degrees
Core faculty expanded‐ 4 biochemists Zilversmit, Wright, McCormickGayor
Established clinical research facility in Sage Hospital
Jamison Professor
Expanded Savage Hall
Began International Nutrition Program
Hired David LevitskyAndre VanVeen 1903‐1986
First Professor of International Nutrition
Nutrition at Cornell in 1970
•Home Economics just changed name to Human Ecology
•New Dean , David Knapp with mandate to change
•Graduate School of Nutrition more like a department
•Human Nutrition and Food also human nutrition unit
•Three graduate fields of nutrition
•Barnes wished to leave deanship of GSN
•F & N department needed new chair
•Knapp proposed GSN and F & N department merge in Human Ecology
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1971 Agriculture, Human Ecology, Graduate School of Nutrition
Appointed study committees to recommend action
All suggested some kind of consolidation but not in the same way.
Keith Kennedy David Knapp Dale Corson
In May 1973, Knapp proposed that a new academic unit be formedReporting to Deans of the College of Agriculture and Human EcologyKennedy agreed.
Search For Director began in July 1973Set off new round of letters to Deans
“There are as many prima donnas in nutrition as there are in
In March 1974, Nesheim was asked to be Director
There are as many prima donnas in nutrition as there are inhumanities and that’s going quite a distance!” ( David Knapp)
March 14 1974 Board of Trustees voted to abolish School of Nutritionand Department of Human Nutrition and Food
•Establish new intercollege unit reporting to Deans of Human Ecology and ALSmade up of faculty from GSN and HNF. Faculty would be members of both Colleges
•Faculty would decide on name of the new unit
•Undergraduates would be admitted through college of Human Ecology
•Unit responsible for extension programs in nutrition
•Unit would receive research grant overhead income
•Appointed Nesheim Director
March 15 1974, Faculty of new unit met, adopted the name:
Division of Nutritional Sciences
Di i i i d f F l f GSNDivision consisted of 9 Faculty from GSN22 Faculty from HNF2 from other departments
Several positions were vacant
US Plant soil and Nutrition Lab 1940
Louis Livingston Seamon class of 1872