Purdue News

March 3, 1989 Purdue's First Joseph C. Arthur Distinguished Professor Of Plant Physiology West Lafayette, Ind. — Thomas K. Hodges, Purdue University professor of botany and plant pathology, has been named Purdue's first Joseph C. Arthur Distinguished Professor of Plant Physiology. The university's Board of Trustees Friday (3/17) confirmed Hodges' appointment. He was nominated by senior faculty members of the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology. Hodges, 52, has been a faculty member in the department since 1971. He was head of the department from 1977 until 1982, when he returned to research and teaching full time. Varro E. Tyler, Purdue executive vice president for academic affairs, said Hodges is the perfect choice for the newly established post. "Like most researchers and professors, Tom Hodges labors in anonymity," Tyler said. "But it's good when we can publicly honor someone like Tom and also remember the pivotal role that people like Joseph Arthur played at Purdue." Robert L. Thompson, Purdue dean of agriculture, said Hodges and Arthur have much in common. "A century ago, Joseph Arthur came to Purdue as one of our first professors of botany," Thompson said. "He later became the first head of the Department of Botany, but he continued to conduct basic research and train undergraduate and graduate students. "The commitment of Tom Hodges to basic research and to training scientists of the future is reminiscent of the work of Joseph Arthur." Hodges' most recent achievement was the successful regeneration of Indica rice plants from single cells. The breakthrough is regarded as an important step to successful genetic engineering of Indica rice, a variety grown in tropical regions. Hodges also is recognized as a world leader for his research on the regeneration and genetic engineering of corn. A native of Bedford, Ind., Hodges in 1958 earned a bachelor's degree in agronomy from Purdue. He has master's and doctoral degrees in plant physiology from the University of California, Davis. In 1963 he was appointed to the faculty of the University of Illinois, where he taught and conducted research until he came to Purdue. In the 1870's, Arthur earned the first bachelor's and master's degree offered by Iowa State University. He came to Purdue in 1878, and in 1888 he was named Purdue's first professor of vegetable physiology and pathology. Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu