Main Articles Listing: Announcements 24. In Memoriam, Darrel Metcalfe, Dean Emeritus, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences June 21, 2001 Susan McGinley TUCSON--Darrel S. Metcalfe, dean emeritus of the University of Arizona College of Agriculture (now Agriculture and Life Sciences), died Tuesday, June 19, of complications from Parkinson's disease. He was 87. Metcalfe is remembered for his dedication to students and his contributions to college administration and international programs during a time of major growth and technological development in the College of Agriculture. He served as associate dean and director of resident instruction from 1958 to his retirement at age 69 in 1982. He also served as acting director of the Cooperative Extension in 1978 and 1979, and as dean of the College of Agriculture from 1978 to 1980. "Darrel Metcalfe was widely known as a "students' dean", said L. W. "Pete" Dewhurst, director emeritus of the UA Agricultural Experiment Station. "His empathy for students was boundless and served students well throughout his tenure at the University of Arizona. It was significant that he always was able to help students in serious financial difficulties - sometimes from his own personal resources. The university has lost a wonderful administrator and friend, and for me, a very personal friend." A native of Wisconsin, Metcalfe served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1946, including active duty in the invasions of Okinawa and Leyte. He came to the UA in 1958 from Iowa State University where he was assistant director of student affairs and professor of agronomy, specializing in forage research. During Metcalfe's 24 years at the UA, student enrollment in the College of Agriculture grew from 535 to 2,700. He once visited every high school in Arizona to boost student recruitment. In addition, the School of Natural Resources was established, and the Race Track Industry Program, one of only two in the nation, was developed as an academic major. He championed improvements in course curricula and in teacher evaluation and recognition. "He was always ready to listen; he had an open door," said Bob Briggs, UA professor emeritus of plant sciences and a longtime family friend. "He always tried to motivate students in the classroom, and encouraged them to join organizations to help broaden their education." Metcalfe actively participated in developing instructional programs that advanced agricultural science in Europe, South America and North Africa during the 1960s and 1970s. He worked on humanitarian and agricultural projects in Brazil, Italy, Egypt, Somalia, Kenya and Oman. He wrote the original contract for the UA/Brazil program for the Agency for International Development (AID). His international work continued for several years after his retirement from the university. Metcalfe co-authored two popular textbooks, "Forages, the Science of Grassland Agriculture," and "Crop Production Principles and Practices," which have undergone multiple reprints since they were first published in the 1950s. He wrote more than 40 scientific papers and educational articles, and helped create the Student Activities Subdivision of the Resident Instruction Division of the American Society of Agronomy. He received numerous awards, including honors from the American Society of Agronomy, the National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture, and the UA's Bobcat Award, and Honorary Alumnus Award. "I first met Dr. Metcalfe when I became a student at the University of Arizona while he was the associate dean," said Dave Cox, associate dean for academic programs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. "Now that I am the associate dean, I try to follow his example in the way I work with faculty and students. His life and career touched a great many people who have a lot of respect for him. The Darrel S. and Lucille Metcalfe Endowment at the University of Arizona will continue to support students and serve as a legacy of his professional commitment." Metcalfe is survived by his wife, Lucille; sons, Dean Metcalfe and Alan Metcalfe; four grandchildren; and sisters, Marguerite Sumner and Hope Metcalfe. Services will be held Friday, June 22 at Catalina United Methodist Church in Tucson, with a visiting hour in the chapel from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., followed by the service at 10 a.m. Donations may be made in Metcalfe's name to any charity, to Catalina United Methodist Church, or to the Darrel S. and Lucille Metcalfe Endowment. For the endowment, make checks payable to the Darrel S. and Lucille Metcalfe Endowment /UAF and send to the Development and Alumni Office, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, P.O. Box 210036, Tucson, Arizona, 85721. - Updated: June 21, 2001 [e-Mail me the articles]    -     [Search our articles]    -     [contact us ]     return to media home