American Phytopathological Society Centennial Session

From left to right: Erik Stromberg; George Lacy portraying Erwin F. Smith, Bureau of Plant Industry, USDA; and Sandra Anagnostokis, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Conn., portraying Flora Patterson, mycologist, Bureau of Plant Industry, USDA

Nearly 1,900 people from 43 countries and 49 states gathered in Minneapolis on July 26-30, 2008, to commemorate the first 100 years of the American Phytopathological Society at its Centennial Celebration. Four centennial sessions addressed both the history and future of APS.

Plant pathology has come a long way in the century since APS was founded, and this was refected in the centennial session "Plant Pathology in 1908/2008." This session included presentations on phytobacteriology and chestnut blight from 1908, followed by 2008 updates on these two topics to illustrate the progress of science in the last 100 years.

Speakers portraying scientists from 1908 presented in period costume using lantern slides. Several PPWS faculty and a former student contributed to this session, which was organized and moderated by Professor Erik Stromberg. Professor Emeritus George Lacy portrayed Erwin F. Smith and presented the 1908 paper "Bacillus phytophthorus Appel." Jeff Jones, former student and current professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, presented "Bacterial Systematics Has Changed From an Intuitive Process to a More Objective Approach." Professor Emeritus Gary Griffin presented "Recent Advances in Research and Management of Chestnut Blight on American Chestnut." From left to right: Erik Stromberg; Ge Lacy portraying Erwin F. Smith, Burea of Plant Industry, USDA; and Sandra Anagnostokis, Connecticut Agricultu Experiment Station, New Haven, Co portraying Flora Patterson, mycologis Bureau of Plant Industry, USDA