Twelve presidents and deans came in and out of SUNY-ESF during its past 100 years on campus. Each one brought a new aspect to the college and helped shape it into its present state, said Hugh Canham, professor emeritus at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

William Bray was the first acting dean in 1911. Bray was also the head of the botany department at Syracuse University while acting as dean. He served as dean for four months and was heavily involved in searching for a replacement. The school had 52 students and two faculty members at this time.

Hugh Baker followed Bray and served as dean from 1912-20, then again from 1930-33. In his two different terms, he enlarged the faculty from two members to nine, established the Ranger School in the Adirondacks and helped the college acquire more than 3,000 acres of land for experiments and instructions. Both Marshall Hall and the pulp and paper lab were completed during his tenure.

‘Baker certainly set the tone of the college,’ Canham said. ‘Not only the physical plant, but he set the philosophy of the college by some of his earlier statements.’

F. Franklin Moon continued working on the structure Baker laid down while he served as dean. Moon served the school from 1920-26 and again from 1927-29. The faculty and student body increased in size, and the first permanent structure was constructed at the Ranger School. Moon went along with the changes of the times and kept moving ESF in the direction it was already headed, Canham said.

Nelson Brown secured funding for Marshall Hall and acquired the acorn that grew into Robin Hood Oak, the tree behind Bray Hall. The acorn came from the oak that sheltered Robin Hood and his men in Sherwood Forest. Brown acted as the dean between 1926-27 and 1929-30. The tree is now 10 feet in diameter and 1000 years old, according to a sign posted on the tree.

‘Some people wanted to cut it down at one point, it was decided to save it — a lot of physiological things done to make sure the tree thrives since it’s not in a good spot for an oak tree,’ Canham said.

Samuel Spring then took over the dean position and served from 1933-44. Under Spring’s service, Marshall Hall — complete with a 500-seat auditorium and the F. Franklin Moon library — opened. Spring also recommended that the structure referred to as ‘the forestry building’ be named Bray Hall. Similar to Moon, Spring continued to advance ESF with the times of the world, Canham said.

Then the dean’s position was turned over to Joseph Illick from 1944-51. Illick negotiated the increased enrollment during the return of World War II veterans. The college became part of the State University of New York system while Illick was in charge.

‘He was important because he recognized the changes taking place in the world as a whole, and Dean Illick really expanded the horizons of forestry and the breadth of forestry,’ Canham said.

Hardy Shirley revised the standards and procedures for graduate work at ESF and oversaw the formation of the Cellulose Research Institute, a molecular biology institute, and the Syracuse Pulp and Paper Foundation in his term as dean from 1952-67. Canham said Shirley was an effective administrator for the school at that time.

Edwin Jahn was the first ESF alumnus to hold the dean position, having graduated in 1925. Jahn was the dean from 1967-69. He is credited for raising the profile of the college’s research program. While Jahn was only dean for a short period of time, Canham said he stepped in at a necessary time for ESF.

Edward Palmer was ESF’s first president, as the chief administrative officer was formerly the dean. Palmer was president from 1969-83. During his time, he strengthened the public service commitments with industries and public agencies. While Palmer was president, ESF was renamed again, which remains today. It was the first time SU was not included in the college’s official title. Palmer was not from a forestry background, but rather a political science background.

‘He brought change to the College of Environmental Science and Forestry,’ Canham said. ‘The school had been doing the things but had not gotten the recognition for it — he foresaw that change and made it happen.’

Murray Block served as the acting president from 1983-84. Block came from the central SUNY administration, Canham said, after Palmer retired quickly. Block served as a tool so candidates who wanted to be considered for presidency of the school didn’t have to serve as the acting president, which would eliminate them from the running, Canham said.

Ross Whaley was the ESF president for 15 years, from 1984-99. The Edwin C. Jahn laboratory was completed during his tenure, and there were significant renovations made to the Ranger School in Wanakena and the Hugh P. Baker Laboratory. Whaley expanded the academic programs to include writing, computing, biotechnology, renewable resources and science education. Sponsored research expenditures doubled to $6.2 million for the 1997-98 fiscal year. Other than the current president, Whaley is the only living ESF president.

‘One of the longest running presidents, (he) shepherded the college through a time of great change in the last 30 years; there’s been all kinds of changes in the world, socially, biophysically and whatnot, and Whaley saw those things,’ Canham said.

ESF’s first residence Hall — Centennial Hall — was erected under the leadership of Cornelius Murphy, the school’s president since 1999. Murphy also put the school on track toward carbon neutrality by 2015. Murphy has helped increase enrollment and expanded the academic programs.

Canham said: ‘He’s been important. Although he’s had a short tenure so far, he’s done some very important things as far as the 21st century goes.’

medelane@syr.edu

Published on September 21, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Meghin: medelane@syr.edu | @meghinwithani