A2O-L»nc*sler Fanning, Saturday, May 21,1994
Penn Staters Celebrate
(Continued from Page A 1)
realize this is just the beginihg of a
new era of poultry research and
education at Penn State.”
Lamartine Hood, dean of Penn
State College of Agricultural Sci
ences, called this “an important
milestone to mark what is a new
begining.”
“We now have new capacity to
conduct scientific inquiry in all the
process of producing poultry for
the tables of American citizens.
This fine facility is essential to this
challenge. The on-going labor of
talented scientists to provide the
knowledge to benefit this industry
is so important to our citizens and
the commonwealth.
“It’s clear that the bounty we
enjoy today is based on an on
going committment to agricultural
research by the public sector, a sys
tem that is unparalleled anywhere
in the world, Tlie land grant univer
sities, of which Penn State is Pen
nsylvania’s land grant university,
and USD A conduct 95 percent of
the agricultural research in this
country. It’s been a historical com
mittment and has created a food
These chicks are at home in the new meat bird building.
Large roosters show off in the new breeder building.
system where consumers spend
only 10 cents of each dollar of their
disposable income for food We
have a very cheap and high quality
food supply in this country and it is
clearly a result of the research that
has been carried out over the
years.”
Before introducing Gov. Casey,
President Thomas said the new
poultry education and research
center reflects the University’s his
toric partnership with Pennsylva
nia. “We are delighted that Gover
nor Casey joined us to underscore
the continuing significance of this
relationship,” Thomas said. “This
project was one of the early
releases of funds he in his admi
nistration signed.
‘This reminds me a little of the
age old question which comes first
the chicken or the egg?” Thomas
said. “Because its difficult to tell
which comes first, a vigorous
enterprise or a vigorous institution
of higher education. As the Pen
nsylvania poultry industry and
Penn Stale’s poultry science prog
ram show, the two thrive together.
It’s this mutually supportive rela-
Crowd of Penn Staters at poultry center dedication.
tionship between enterprise and
education we are celebrating here
today.”
Gov. Casey introduced his
remarks with a little humor saying
that probably no one was more
happy than Joe Patemo and the
Penn State football team about the
new facility built at the end of
Neath University Drive further
away from the main campus
because they (Patemo and the
team) have had to live beside the
chickens for 30 years.
But seriously, Casey said “It is a
significant day for poultry produc
tion which is an important compo
nent of our number one industry,
agriculture. This dedication of a
state-of-the-art facility to the
arsenal of this great institution
stands for many things including a
committment to the agricultural
community of our state.
(Turn to Pag* A 39)
Gov. Robert Casey.
History Of Poultry
Science At Penn State
The first instruction in poultry at the Pennsylvania State College
was provided in 1895 by Professor of Agriculture George C.
Watson, who taught part of a five-hour weekly lecture course in
Animal Industry. Professor Watson published a textbook entitled
Farm Poultry in 1901. T. I. Mairs, who was named assistant
professor of animal industry in 1902, taught poultry husbandry
from 1907 to 1909. In 1908, J. W Clark was the first Penn State
professor to be appointed instructor in poultry husbandry,
followed by H. W. Jackson, 1909-1912; D. E. Warner, 1912-13; M. C.
Kilpatrick, 1912-14; F. B. Crooks, 1914-18; and L. G. Kleinschmidt,
1915-19. On September 15,1916, Professor H. C. Knandel
instituted the Poultry Extension Department.
The Department of Poultry Husbandry was established at Penn
State on July 1,1920, by Professor H. Clyde Knandel, who served
as department head until 1944. He established a full course of
undergraduate study in poultry husbandry, as well as annual
eight-week poultry short courses. During his administration,
several laying and colony houses were built for research and
student instruction, culminating on October 27,1938, with the
dedication of a large new service building and instructional laying
house. The Penn State poultry farm at that time represented an
investment of approximately $200,000. In 1958, a separate Turkey
Research Farm was constructed.
Professor Ernest W. "Beanie" Callenbach was named department
head in 1944, serving until 1957, when he was succeeded by Dr.
Arthur J. G. Maw. During Dr. Maw's administration, the
Department of Poultry Husbandry became part of the Division of
Animal Science and Industry along with the Departments of
Animal Science, Dairy Science, Entomology, and Veterinary
Science. In 1963, the Department of Poultry Husbandry was
renamed the Department of Poultry Science.
In 1966, Dr. Kenneth Goodwin assumed the poultry science
department's headship. In that same year. Poultry Extehsion was
integrated into the department, and the Poultry Husbandry
curriculum became part of a newly established Animal Science
and Industry curriculum. Poultry Science was made a cooperative
member of a new Division of Food Science and Industry, which
included Dairy Science, Animal Science, and Horticulture.
When a separate Department of Food Science was created in 1976,
the animal industry curriculum was replaced by separate curricula
offered in the Departments of Dairy and Animal Science,
Veterinary Science, and Poultry Science. These three departments
participated in the newly formed Animal Bioscience curriculum.
In 1978, since faculty members were supervising most of their
doctoral students in the Intercollege Graduate Programs
established in Physiology, Nutrition, Genetics, and Ecology, the
Ph.D. program in Poultry Science was discontinued.
Dr. Herbert S. Siegel became head of the poultry science
department in 1984. Plans were already under way to obtain
funding for construction of the Agricultural Sciences and
Industries Building, including new greenhouses; remodeling and
expansion of the dairy research farm; and the construction of a
new poultry research facility. Contracts were approved in 1991,
and construction of the Poultry Education and Research Center
began in 1992.
Dr. William D. Weaver, Jr., was named head of the department in
1991. Plans are under way to combine undergraduate instructional
programs in poultry, animal, and veterinary sciences into an
Animal Sciences curriculum with Science, Agribusiness, and
Production options. Faculty in the poultry science department will
continue to supervise students in the intercollege graduate
programs in Animal Science, Genetics, Operations Research,
Nutrition, and Physiology.
The poultry industry in Pennsylvania is the leading producer of
poultry and poultry products in the Northeastern United States,
and monetarily is the second leading producer of agricultural
products in the state. The mission of the Department of Poultry
Science is to develop and conduct programs of excellence in
teaching, research, and public service to benefit the citizens of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the nation. These programs
are carried out within the department and in cooperation with
other University units.