Walter Samuel Flory Jr.

Abstract

Walter S. Flory Jr., Babcock Professor Emeritus at Wake Forest University, was born on 5 October 1907 in Bridgewater, Virginia, and died on 8 June 1998 at the age of 90, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Walter was an outstanding student. After graduating from Bridgewater College in 1928, he entered the University of Virginia as a Blandy Fellow. He earned an M.A. (1929) under William A. Kepner in one year and a Ph.D. in Biology (1931) under Orland E. White in another two years, at the age of 23. He enjoyed a year of postdoctoral work (1935-1936) under E. M. East and Karl Sax at Harvard as a National Fellow and Research Associate in Biological Science. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Sigma, Tau Kappa Alpha, and Sigma Xi. Dr. Flory was an outstanding geneticist, botanist, and educator. He served with distinction at several institutions: 1931-1932, in charge of Technical Work for Shaver Bros., Inc.; 1932-1934, Instructor of Science at Greenbriar Junior College; 19341935, Professor of Biology at Bridgewater College; 1936-1944, Horticulturist at Texas Agricultural Experimental Station (Texas AM 1944-1947, Horticulturist at Virginia Agricultural Experimental Station (Virginia Polytechnic Institute); 19451948, Collaborator with the U.S. Department of Agriculture; 1947-1963, Professor of Experimental Horticulture at University of Virginia (President and Visitors Research Prize recipient, 1951), and Vice Director and Manager of the Blandy Experimental Farm; 1955-1963, Curator of the 0. E. White Research Arboretum; 1964-1976, Director of Reynolda Gardens; 1969-1972, President of Highlands Biological Station; 1972, Research Consultant for Fairchild Tropical Garden; and 1963-1980, Babcock Professor of Botany at Wake Forest University. Professor Flory contributed significantly to many professional organizations: the Association of Southeastern Biologists (Executive Committee member, 1956-1959; Vice President, 1960-1961; President, 1962-1963; ASB Research Prize recipient, 1978; and wrote A 50-Year Historical Perspective 1937-1987 of the Association of Southeastern Biologists for its 50th anniversary); American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboretums (Editorial Board, 1962-1964); American Boxwood Society (Cofounder, Treasurer, Editor, Director, 1961-1963); American Magnolia Society (Vice President, 1968-1974); Botanical Society of America (Chairman, Southeastern Section, 1951-1952); Southern Appalachian Botanical Club (Vice President, 1962); and the Virginia Academy of Science (President, 1956; J. Shelton Horsley Research Award recipient, 1949; and wrote History of the Virginia Academy of Science for its 50th anniversary in 1973). Dr. Flory's involvement and recognition exceeded national boundaries. He was a delegate to the International Botanical Congresses in Paris (1954), in Montreal (1959), in Edinburgh (1964), in Seattle (1969), and in Sydney (1981). He was a member of the International Genetics Congress in Montreal (1958) and in Tokyo (1968). He was a member of the International Horticultural Congress in College Park, Maryland (1966), and in Sydney, Australia (1978). He was an invited lecturer at the International Seminar on Chromosomes in Calcutta (1968, 1976). He was also honored as a Bicentennial Fellow of the Royal Horticultural Society. An area of special interest to Dr. Flory was the cytotaxonomy of the Amaryllidaceae. He developed this interest as a horticultural geneticist for the Texas Agricultural