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w ICHARLES ALBERT SHULL

11

Copyright (c) 2020 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

PLANT Vol. 39 No. 2

PHlYSIOLOGY -March 1964

CHARLES ALBERT SHULL MEMORIAL ISSUE

CHARLES A. SHULL 1879-1962

The death of Charles Albert Shull on September23, 1962, ended the career of a dedicated teacher andscientist; a man who undoubtedly has had more influ-ence than any other on the development of PlantPhysiology in this country. With his brothers GeorgeHarrison Shull, Professor of Botany and Genetics atPrinceton University, and Aaron Franklin Shull,Professor of Zoology at the University of Michigan,he was a major factor in the progress of the biologicalsciences for more than a generation.

Charles Shull was born in Clark County, Ohio onJanuary 19, 1879, the seventh of eight children ofHarrison and Catherine Ryman Shull. He grew up onan Ohio farm and attended country school. Afterteaching in county schools he started at Antioch Col-lege in 1900 at the age of twenty-one. Here heworked as engineer and head janitor while carryinga full academic load. He then transferred to the Uni-versity of Chicago, completed his B.S. in 1905 andcontinued for a year of post graduate study in zoology.

In 1906 Dr. Shull joined the staff of TransylvaniaUniversity at Lexington, Kentucky as Assistant Pro-fessor of Biology. He spent the summer of 1907 atCold Spring Harbor, and was married to Lena MearleLarkin that fall. In 1908 he was promoted to Pro-fessor of Biology and Geology at Transylvania. In1912, Dr. Shull moved to the University of Kansas asAssistant Professor of Botany. He completed hisdoctorate at the University of Chicago in 1915 andreturned to the University of Kansas as an AssociateProfessor of Plant Physiology and Genetics; in 1918he served as Chairman of the Department.

From 1918 to 1921 Dr. Shull was Professor ofPlant Physiology and Head of the Department ofBotany at the University of Kentucky, and in 1921 hejoined the University of Chicago as Professor ofPlant Physiology, filling the position vacated by Dr.William Crocker's resignation to accept the positionof managing director of the Boyce Thompson Insti-tute. Dr. Shull served at the University of Chicagoas an outstanding undergraduate and graduate teacherand a leader in his field until his retirement in 1944 atthe age of sixty-five.

Dr. Shull was beloved by his students, who wereamazed by his ability to quote volume and page refer-ences in all fields of plant physiology. He was amodest, human person. He was enthusiastic in prais-ing the attainments of others, modest and quiet about

his own. He was frugal with the money of others,for years never spending a penny on secretarial helpfor Plant Physiology, doing all his editorial corre-spondence in his small, neat handwriting; but gener-ous with his own money, including financial supportof this journal.

Professor Shull was intensely religious, hlis faithistrengthened by his science, finding no conflict be-tween science and religion. For years he managedthe choir in his church in Homewood, not becausehe was a musician, but because "they neede(d some-one."

Dr. Shull was a devoted husband and close to hisbrothers and their children. Having no chil(dren oftheir own, the Shull's adopted a son, whom they loveddearly, and of whom they were very proud.

The Shull's liked to travel, but could not do muclhtraveling because of her general poor health. In1930 they went to Europe. After the Botanical Con-gress in Cambridge, they traveled extensively on theContinent, saw the Passion Play at Oberanmmiiergau,and "in general had a gorgeous introduction to thegreat art galleries and the famous gardens of Eu-rope." Later they visite(d Hawaii, toured the islandswith former students, enjoying the luxuriant tropicalvegetation and strolling on the beach together in themoonlight.

After retirement, Dr. and Mrs. Shull made theirhome in a small house with a large garden in Ashe-ville, North Carolina. Here Mrs. Shull continuedwith her writing, and he was active in the GardenClub, and for a time wrote a science columin for theCitizen Times of Asheville. Here, Charles aidedLena in forming the Poetry Council of North Caro-lina. He served as financial aid for the Council, andas purchasing agent for "The Lena Mearle Shull Me-morial Library of Poetry," purchasing about 50 vol-umes a year. The stipend he earned by writing hisnewspaper column on interpreting science to the lay-man was devoted to the support of their poetry in-terests.

After the death of his wife, Dr. Shull sold hisAsheville house, and after a while in New Jersey,returned to Asheville where he lived ". . . in the oldSwannanoa Berkeley hotel, built the year I was born.when the railway first breached the mountain walland made Asheville important in that day."

In 1954, Dr. Shull gave a brief address on the

137

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PLANT PHYSIOLOGY

occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the foundingof the American Society of Plant Physiologists. Inthis he told of the founding of the Society, and, mod-estly, of his 20 years of service to it. He pointed outthat, though he had been sympathetic to the idea of aPlant Physiology Society independent of other bota-nists, he was not a founder, having joined the Societyin March of 1924. In midsunmmer of this year he wasnotified of his election as the first president. A suc-cessful Society required a journal, and Dr. Shullstarted planning for this at once. For the journalhe not only contributed time but hard earned financialsupport in liberal quantity. The publication of PlantPhysiology with Dr. Shull as editor was authorizedby the Society at the Kansas City meeting in Decem-ber 1925, and the first number, paid for by Dr. Shull,appeared in April 1926. The editorial quality of thejournal led to its immediate acceptance and assur-ance of its success, but it was not until a decade laterthat financial and other problems could be consideredon the way to solution.

Dr. Shull's fame and his major contributions to thescience of Plant Physiology arise mainly from his23 years at the University of Chicago. His under-graduate teaching was exceptional and resulted inorienting the life work of a large number of PlantPhysiologists. NMany of these undergraduates wereamong the scores who completed their doctorate withDr. Shull. When we consider this teaching load andadd the unlimited time he spent with the affairs of theSociety and the detailed and critical attention he gaveto the journal, we begin to realize the load he carriedand the debt we owe him.A philosophy for the journal and for the Society

was written by Dr. Shull in the Foreword to Volume1, January 1926. It is worthy of being repeated here:

"With this issue, Plant Physiology takes its placeamong the American journals published in the inter-ests of botanical science. The editors conceive theirtask as one of devoted service to the w\hole field ofplant physiology; and it is the hope of those who areguiding the first steps in this service that all plantphysiologists may find this journal a useful mediumfor the publication of important fundamental contri-butions to our knowledge of plant behavior. We takethis occasion to invite constructive criticism and sug-gestions for the improvement of the journal.

"Science is coming to occupy an ever greater andgreater place in the affairs of mankincl. It exists,indeed, solely for the service of humanity, using theterm service in its broadest possible sense; and itschief service is to give a democratic people controlover all the forces of nature for the benefit of societyas a whole.

"Research in plant physiology must proceed intwo general directions. It must continue to spreadout into the practical fields of human service, such asagriculture, horticulture, agronomy, ecology, pathol-ogy, forestry, climatology, etc.; at the same time itmust constantly delve more deeplv into the problemsof developm!ental metabolismii under the lea(lership of

physiologists xvell traine(d in the mlethods of bio-physics and biochemistry.

"Exploratory research, even if it is more super-ficial, is of the utmost inmportance for the practicalfields, for it yields us a broader knowledge of themethods of control of plant behavior and plant pro-duction. But exploratory research alone, must lea(lonly to empiricism, to rule of tlhumiib metlhods of prac-tice. Such exploratory research mlust be followed byan investigation of the fundamental causes of observedbehavior. Exploration lays bare the real problenmswhich challenge the highest intellectual endeavorsof mankind for their solution. It is evident there-fore that these tNwo lines of investigation, practicaland fundamental, mlust always go hand(I in hand.There can never be a logical separation of these twoaspects of our science. Likewise, there can never bea logical separation of the pure physiologists from thepractical physiologists. Our tasks are one, and wemust learn to march together in their performance.

"This journal, therefore, exists for the general ad-vancement of this great field of investigation, for allof the plant sciences w-here a physiological attackmust be employed in the solution of the problems en-countered. It hopes that it may serve as an instru-ment for the integration and unification of all plantphysiologists into a powerful wvorking unit, withoutinterfering with the organized activitv of othergroups, by providing a central mediumii throughI wlhiclhwe can cooperate in the advancemenit of plant physi-ology, and of the welfare of plant physiologists, in allfields of endeavor.

"To this end it invites the support of plant physi-ologists of every (lenomination, fund(lamnentalists and(lmo(lernists, pure physiologists andl appliedl physiolo-gists. It has no other purpose, anld no other desiresthan to be of service, and to promote cooperation illthe common tasks of advancing plant physiology as apure and applied botanical science. We extend thisinvitation with confidence that nmany, hands will len(lthemselves to lighten the burdens which have beenlaid upon the editorial committee."

In closing we quote from a previous dedicatoryvolume (20, 1945), "Despite his edlitorial work, Pro-fessor Shull continued his own exemplary researchcontributions and his proctorship of many youngplant physiologists. Through his farsiglhted and tire-less dlevotion to the American Society of Plant Phvsi-ologists and to its journal, Dr. Shull has given astrong and lasting impetus to the growth of plantphysiology on a worldwide scale. Few scholars havegiven as generously of their time, energy and sub-stance in the interest of their profession and theircolleagues as Professor Shull."

The life of Charles Albert Shull serves as a chal-lenge to work hard professionally, to develop broa(linterests in and beyond the fields of science, and tohelp one another.

\\ALTER E. Loo-l is

CON-STANCE E. HARTT

138

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