Harold Hume
Encyclopedia
Hardrada Harold Hume was a Canadian-born American university professor, administrator and horticulturalist. Hume was a native of Ontario
, and earned bachelor's
and master's degree
s before embarking on a career as a research botanist, horticulturalist and professor. After working as an academic administrator, Hume later served as the interim president of the University of Florida
, serving during September 1947.
, Canada
. He attended Ontario Agricultural College
in Guelph, Ontario
, and graduated from Iowa State College
in Ames, Iowa
, where he earned his bachelor of science
and master of science
degree
s in 1899 and 1901, respectively.
and horticulture at the Florida Agricultural College
in Lake City, Florida
, one of the University of Florida's four predecessor institutions, and thereafter held the same position at the modern University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
. During his time as a professor, Hume also served as the horticulturalist and botanist with the university-affiliated Florida Agricultural Experiment Station. He was a published author and recognized expert on the cultivation of citrus fruits and pecan
s. Hume left the Florida Experiment Station after five years to accept a similar position with the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station in Raleigh, North Carolina
.
Hume returned to Florida to accept a position as the general manager of the Glen St. Mary Nurseries Company, a leading grower of citrus trees. He remained with the company from 1917 to 1929, later serving as the company's president and then the chairman of its board of directors. Hume continued to write and publish articles during this time, notably including The Cultivation of Citrus Fruits (1926), which became a standard reference in the field.
He rejoined the faculty
of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
in 1930, was appointed dean
of the College of Agriculture
in 1938, and became the provost
for agriculture in 1943. During the early 1930s, He was one of the key researchers working on methods to eradicate the Mediterranean fruit fly infestation that was threatening Florida's citrus industry.
Hume was appointed the university's interim president when president John J. Tigert
resigned in 1947, and he continued to serve as the dean of the College of Agriculture at the same time. He was known for spending ten hours a day in his office, keeping up with his duties as president as well as dean of the agriculture college. Hume enjoyed spending his lunch hours talking with faculty members and students alike.
After his permanent successor, J. Hillis Miller
, was selected in 1947, Hume continued his work in agriculture, and was later named chairman of the administrative committee of the Inter-American Institute of Agricultural Sciences. Clemson University
awarded him an honorary
doctor of science
degree in recognition of his achievements in agricultural science.
articles on his favorite horticulture topics, including citrus fruits, azalea
s and camellia
s. Hume died four months following his ninetieth birthday, on October 10, 1965, and was affectionately eulogized
by his colleagues as the "Grand Old Man of Agriculture."
In recognition of his long service to the University of Florida, Hume Hall
, one of the university's student residence hall
complexes was named for him. The original Hume Hall was later razed to make room for the new Honors Residential College at Hume Hall, which was completed and opened for use in 2002.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, and earned bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
and master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
s before embarking on a career as a research botanist, horticulturalist and professor. After working as an academic administrator, Hume later served as the interim president of the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, serving during September 1947.
Early life and education
Hume was born and raised in Russell, OntarioRussell, Ontario
The Township of Russell is a municipal township, located south-east of Canada's capital of Ottawa in eastern Ontario, in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, on the Castor River...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He attended Ontario Agricultural College
Ontario Agricultural College
The Ontario Agricultural College originated at the agricultural laboratories of the Toronto Normal School, and was officially founded in 1874 as an associate agricultural college of the University of Toronto...
in Guelph, Ontario
Guelph, Ontario
Guelph is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Waterloo and west of downtown Toronto at the intersection of Highway 6 and Highway 7. It is the seat of Wellington County, but is politically independent of it...
, and graduated from Iowa State College
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
in Ames, Iowa
Ames, Iowa
Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
, where he earned his bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
and master of science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
s in 1899 and 1901, respectively.
Botanist, professor, administrator
In 1904, Hume moved south again, accepting work as a professor of botanyBotany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and horticulture at the Florida Agricultural College
History of the University of Florida
The history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university by the...
in Lake City, Florida
Lake City, Florida
Lake City is the county seat of Columbia County, Florida, in the United States. In 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 12,614. In addition, it is the Principal City of the Lake City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is composed of Columbia County, and had an...
, one of the University of Florida's four predecessor institutions, and thereafter held the same position at the modern University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
. During his time as a professor, Hume also served as the horticulturalist and botanist with the university-affiliated Florida Agricultural Experiment Station. He was a published author and recognized expert on the cultivation of citrus fruits and pecan
Pecan
The pecan , Carya illinoinensis, is a species of hickory, native to south-central North America, in Mexico from Coahuila south to Jalisco and Veracruz, in the United States from southern Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana east to western Kentucky, southwestern Ohio, North Carolina, South...
s. Hume left the Florida Experiment Station after five years to accept a similar position with the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
.
Hume returned to Florida to accept a position as the general manager of the Glen St. Mary Nurseries Company, a leading grower of citrus trees. He remained with the company from 1917 to 1929, later serving as the company's president and then the chairman of its board of directors. Hume continued to write and publish articles during this time, notably including The Cultivation of Citrus Fruits (1926), which became a standard reference in the field.
He rejoined the faculty
Faculty (university)
A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
in 1930, was appointed dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the College of Agriculture
University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
The University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences , founded in 1964, is a college of the University of Florida.The programs offered specialize in agriculture, natural resources, and life sciences...
in 1938, and became the provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
for agriculture in 1943. During the early 1930s, He was one of the key researchers working on methods to eradicate the Mediterranean fruit fly infestation that was threatening Florida's citrus industry.
Hume was appointed the university's interim president when president John J. Tigert
John J. Tigert
John James Tigert, IV was an American university president, university professor and administrator, college sports coach and the U.S. Commissioner of Education. Tigert was a native of Tennessee and the son and grandson of Methodist bishops...
resigned in 1947, and he continued to serve as the dean of the College of Agriculture at the same time. He was known for spending ten hours a day in his office, keeping up with his duties as president as well as dean of the agriculture college. Hume enjoyed spending his lunch hours talking with faculty members and students alike.
After his permanent successor, J. Hillis Miller
J. Hillis Miller, Sr.
Joseph Hillis Miller, Sr. was an American university professor, education administrator and university president. Miller was a native of Virginia, and earned bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees before embarking on an academic career...
, was selected in 1947, Hume continued his work in agriculture, and was later named chairman of the administrative committee of the Inter-American Institute of Agricultural Sciences. Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
awarded him an honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
doctor of science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
degree in recognition of his achievements in agricultural science.
Legacy
Hume retired from the University of Florida faculty on June 30, 1949, but he continued to write and publish major books and journalAcademic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
articles on his favorite horticulture topics, including citrus fruits, azalea
Azalea
Azaleas are flowering shrubs comprising two of the eight subgenera of the genus Rhododendron, Pentanthera and Tsutsuji . Azaleas bloom in spring, their flowers often lasting several weeks...
s and camellia
Camellia
Camellia, the camellias, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalaya east to Korea and Indonesia. There are 100–250 described species, with some controversy over the exact number...
s. Hume died four months following his ninetieth birthday, on October 10, 1965, and was affectionately eulogized
Eulogy
A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
by his colleagues as the "Grand Old Man of Agriculture."
In recognition of his long service to the University of Florida, Hume Hall
Hume Hall
Hume Hall, built in 2002, is the Honors Residential College of the University of Florida, located on the eastern side of the university's Gainesville, Florida campus.The current structure is the second at the university to bear the name...
, one of the university's student residence hall
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
complexes was named for him. The original Hume Hall was later razed to make room for the new Honors Residential College at Hume Hall, which was completed and opened for use in 2002.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- History of FloridaHistory of FloridaThe history of Florida can be traced back to when the first Native Americans began to inhabit the peninsula as early as 14,000 years ago. Recorded history begins with the arrival of Europeans to Florida, beginning with the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, who explored the area in 1513...
- History of the University of FloridaHistory of the University of FloridaThe history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university by the...
- Land-grant universityLand-grant universityLand-grant universities are institutions of higher education in the United States designated by each state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890....
- List of Iowa State University people
- List of Presidents of the University of Florida
- List of University of Florida faculty and administrators
External links
- Photos of Hume and Hume Hall from the University of Florida Digital CollectionsUniversity of Florida Digital CollectionsThe University of Florida Digital Collections are supported by the University of Florida Digital Library Center in the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida. The University of Florida Digital Collections comprise a constantly growing collection of digital resources from the...
- University of Florida – Official website of the University of Florida.
- IFAS – Office website of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.