:: History Site Index
:: Historical Overview
:: Timeline of Events
:: Hall of Presidents

:: USF Site & Name
:: John Allen Legacy
:: 40 Years of Memories
:: Named Buildings & Sites
:: Medical School History
:: Medicine's 1st 25 years
:: Marshall Center History
:: Early Women's Athletics
:: Student Trends
:: Snow at USF!

:: 1st Student
:: 1st Professor
:: 1st Basketball Team
:: 1st Football Team
:: 1st Marching Band
:: 1st Years of The Oracle
:: 1st Trustees

:: USF Sarasota/Manatee
:: USF St Petersburg
:: USF Lakeland

:: Traditions Overview
:: Alma Mater
:: Academic Mace
:: USF Seal & Symbols

:: Rocky the Bull
:: Herd of Thunder

:: Homecoming
:: Student Gov. Ceremony
:: Bull Market
:: Movies On The Lawn
:: "Go Bulls" Hand Symbol
:: Retired Athletic Jerseys

The spirit of can-do - 40 Years of Memories

"We got involved with a project to culture a red tide organism; we had a grant," recalls Chemistry Professor Dean Martin. "But we needed a culture room. On Easter Monday, 1966, we had an appointment to meet with the director of the Physical Plant. We told him a broom closet would work if it was air-conditioned. He said 'We don't have a broom closet, but we do have a men's room in the basement.' The dean paid for the air-conditioning. The Physical Plant installed it. By Friday of that same week, we were in business."

Martin likes to tell that story to exemplify what he calls USF's 'can-do' attitude and spirit of innovation. He is particularly impressed with USF students.

"The students were very creative and lively. That part has never changed. They pay a tremendous price for their education in the school of hard knocks. These are students who are working. They are tremendously dedicated."

He recalls that during his first year of teaching, his chemistry class turned Lecture Hall 111 into a surprise Christmas party complete with ceiling-to-floor streamers and candles on the cake. "It was an end-of-the-year, thank-you celebration. They must have enjoyed the class. We ate the cake and finished the lecture."

Martin has been at USF since 1964. He has been the director of the Institute for Environmental Studies since 1979, but claims to spend 90 percent of his time teaching. "They don't pay me to be a director," he says, with a smile."This has been a good place to work. People don't realize how good we are and how good we've been."

(1996)

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