James A. Dawson  (1889-1960) F-259

He was born in 1889 and graduated in 1915 from Dalhousie College in Nova Scotia followed by Masters and Doctors degrees from Yale University in 1917 and 1918.

 Professor Dawson taught at City College in New York for over thirty years, heading the biology department from 1950 to 1959.

 He had a small laboratory in his basement and spent most of his time breeding and tending viscious cultures of amoebas and protozoa. His cultures were considered of the highest quality and were referred to as pedigreed, because they were direct descendants of the organisms he developed in 1928. Since specimens from commercial suppliers were too expensive, he devised a way to supply his students at Harvard and also sell his cultures.

 He was 80 years old when he passed away in January of 1969. He lived in Floral Park, New York at the time of his death.