Edwin Broun Fred (March 22, 1887 – January 16, 1981) was an American

bacteriologist A bacteriologist is a microbiologist, or similarly trained professional, in bacteriology -- a subdivision of microbiology that studies bacteria, typically Pathogenic bacteria, pathogenic ones. Bacteriologists are interested in studying and learnin ...

and academic who was the 15th

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

of the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

, serving from 1945 to 1958. Born in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, Fred studied at the

Virginia Polytechnic Institute Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...

and the

University of Göttingen The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen, (german: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, known informally as Georgia Augusta) is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany. Founded ...

. After briefly teaching at Virginia Polytechnic, Fred took a position with Wisconsin. He was dean of the graduate school from 1934 until 1943, then was dean of the College of Agriculture until 1945. He ascended to the presidency and was known for his response to the postwar growth in admissions. Fred was the president of the

Society of American Bacteriologists The American Society for Microbiology (ASM), originally the Society of American Bacteriologists, is a professional organization for scientists who study viruses, bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa as well as other aspects of microbiology. It wa ...

in 1932.

Biography

Edwin Broun Fred was born on March 22, 1887, in

Middleburg, Virginia Middleburg is a town in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 673 as of the 2010 census. It is the southernmost town along Loudoun County's shared border with Fauquier County. Middleburg is known as the "Nation's Horse an ...

. He attended

Randolph-Macon Academy Randolph-Macon Academy (R-MA) is a coeducational private boarding school with an elite Air Force JROTC component. R-MA serves students in grades 6-12 and maintains 100% college acceptance rate every year with each class averaging over $14 million ...

Front Royal Front Royal is the only incorporated town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was 15,011 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Warren County. History The entire Shenandoah Valley including the area to become F ...

, then attended the

. He received a bachelor's degree in 1907 and a master of science in 1908. He then studied at the

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, where he received a Ph.D. in

bacteriology Bacteriology is the branch and specialty of biology that studies the morphology, ecology, genetics and biochemistry of bacteria as well as many other aspects related to them. This subdivision of microbiology involves the identification, classificat ...

in 1911. Virginia Polytechnic then hired him as an assistant professor, where he taught from 1912 to 1913. Fred was then hired by the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

. He was elected in 1918 a fellow of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...

. His doctoral students include

Ira Baldwin Ira Lawrence Baldwin (August 20, 1895 – August 9, 1999) was the founder and director emeritus of the Wisconsin Academy Foundation. He began teaching bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin in 1927 and a few years later moved into what becam ...

Elizabeth McCoy Elizabeth "Archangel Beth" McCoy (born 5 November 1971) is a writer and editor in the role-playing game industry at Steve Jackson Games. Career She and her husband Walter Milliken wrote the award-winning supplement ''GURPS Illuminati Universit ...

, William Bowen Sarles,

Edward Tatum Edward Lawrie Tatum (December 14, 1909 – November 5, 1975) was an American geneticist. He shared half of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1958 with George Beadle for showing that genes control individual steps in metabolism. The o ...

, and Perry William Wilson. In 1934, Fred was named dean of the graduate school at Wisconsin. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he chaired a study of biological warfare sponsored by the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...

. Later, he was a consultant to the

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

For this work, he was awarded the

Medal for Merit The Medal for Merit was, during the period it was awarded, the highest civilian decoration of the United States. It was awarded by the President of the United States to civilians who "distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious conduct i ...

. In 1943, Fred was named dean of the College of Agriculture and director of the Agricultural Experiment Station. Two years later, Fred was named president of the university, a position he held for thirteen years. His presidency is noted for the extension centers he develop to handle postwar enrollment increases. Fred married Rosa Helen Parrott on June 21, 1913; they had two children. He was the president of the

in 1932. Fred was vice chair of the

National Science Board The National Science Board (NSB) of the United States establishes the policies of the National Science Foundation (NSF) within the framework of applicable national policies set forth by the President and the Congress. The NSB also serves as an ind ...

and a member of the National Advisory Health Council and the Advisory Board Commission of Educational Exchange. He also served on the board of trustees of the

Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (CFAT) is a U.S.-based education policy and research center. It was founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and chartered in 1906 by an act of the United States Congress. Among its most nota ...

from 1946 to 1958. He died in Madison on January 16, 1981, and was buried at Sharon Cemetery in Middleburg.

Publications

*''Laboratory Manual of Soil Bacteriology'' (1916) *''Textbook of Agricultural Bacteriology'' (1923) * with A. L. Whiting and E. G. Hastings
''Root Nodule Bacteria of Leguminosae''
(November 1926, Research Bulletin 72, Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Wisconsin) *''Laboratory Manual of Microbiology'' (1928) *with

and

: ''Root Nodule Bacteria and Leguminous Plants'' (1932);

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fred Edwin Broun 1887 births 1981 deaths People from Middleburg, Virginia American bacteriologists Leaders of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medal for Merit recipients Virginia Tech alumni University of Göttingen alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty Virginia Tech faculty Scientists from Virginia Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science 20th-century American academics