George Safford Torrey (1891 – 1977) was an American

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

who taught at the University of Connecticut for forty-one years (1915-1956) and chaired the botany department for twenty-four of those years (1929-1953). Dedicated in 1980, UConn's George Safford Torrey Life Sciences Building was named in his honor. So is the George Safford Torrey Herbarium. Born in 1891 in Dorchester, Boston, Torrey attended Philips Andover Academy, graduating in 1909. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard College in 1913, a Master of Arts in botany from Harvard University in 1915, and a diplome d'Etudes Superieures from the University of Paris in 1919. After a stint at the Department of Agriculture in Newfoundland, Torrey was hired in 1915 as one of the first instructors of botany at Connecticut Agriculture College, later the University of Connecticut. He served fourteen months in the

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during World War I (May 1918 to July 1919) and was deployed to Europe, though he did not see combat. Discharged with the rank of private first class, Torrey returned to Connecticut Agricultural College, where he received tenure in 1928 and was appointed chair of the botany department a year later. He retired in 1956. Torrey built the college herbarium, acquiring tens of thousands of plants through donation and purchase. During his tenure at UConn, he served more than a decade on the Scholastic Standing Committee, a three-year term on the national council of the

American Association of University Professors The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is an organization of professors and other academics in the United States. AAUP membership includes over 500 local campus chapters and 39 state organizations. The AAUP's stated mission is ...

, and as marshal at graduation ceremonies. He also spearheaded a successful campaign to form a UConn chapter of

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in 1953 and served as its first president. Torrey was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma XI, and the

Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences The Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences is a learned society founded in 1799 in New Haven, Connecticut "to cultivate every art and science which may tend to advance the interest and happiness of a free and virtuous people." Its purpose is the ...

. Beyond his academic duties, he played the organ and

carillon A carillon ( , ) is a pitched percussion instrument that is played with a keyboard and consists of at least 23 cast-bronze bells. The bells are hung in fixed suspension and tuned in chromatic order so that they can be sounded harmonio ...

at the Storrs Congregational Church, of which he was a lifelong congregant, until he became too frail to climb the stairs. He also played the

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuos ...

in the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra and the carillon at

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

. Torrey died of heart disease in 1977. He was survived by his wife, Elizabeth Wolcott Tapley, and their four children. Torrey's papers are held at the University of Connecticut's Archives and Special Collections.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Torrey, George Safford 1891 births 1977 deaths 20th-century American botanists Carillonneurs Harvard University alumni University of Connecticut faculty