MY FRIDAY SCIENCE MENTOR
23 02 2007I think we’ve all had that one professor in our lives that played an intricate part in how we turned out in life. My professor was Dr. Larry Magrath. Chris and I attended a wonderful liberal arts college that stressed interdisciplinary study (IDS). Dr. Magrath is the embodiment of (IDS). He is the type of man who teaches everything from Intro Biology to World Thought Philosophy.
It was not uncommon to see Dr. Magrath wearing the same clothing three days in a row. It took us a week to figure out that he wore the same things everyday, not because he didn’t do laundry, but because he just didn’t sleep for three days at a time. The man was like a bee, constantly buzzing around campus to various projects. This makes sense because Dr. Magrath’s biggest passion was Botany. I’ve never seen anyone so enraptured by the inner working of a common weed as Dr. Magrath could get while dissecting plants in Botany class. Dr. Magrath is the reason why I’m in research science today. His enthusiasm for all things science was contagious. He showed me that there was more to science then the possibilities of med-school.
Chris and I went to visit Dr. Magrath last night in the hospital. He’s very sick, so sick that he’s no longer lucid or responding to treatment. To say that the both of us are a little heartbroken over this is to put it mildly. He is greatly respected and loved and its just such a shame that this man who I always thought of as a giant perpetual motion machine has been reduced to a shell. He will never be forgotten.
Update – Saturday, February 24, 2007:
Dr. Magrath passed away this morning.
That’s so sad!
I knew he was sick, but didn’t realize it was that bad. USAO will miss a great professor.
I’m so sorry to hear about Dr. Magrath.
I’m sorry for the loss.
Thanks for the great tribute to Larry. I first met him in 1973–rumpled & distracted even then. Over the years he became a close & true friend. I have maintained inconsistent contact w/ him over the last several years & did not know just how ill he was until my friend called to tell me he had passed & inform me of the memorial service–3/10/07, 3PM CST in the USAO Ballroom, how apropros. Again, thanks. I cannot say what he meant to me any better than what you have.
To say that Larry Magrath had an impact on my life is an understatement. I find myself using his teaching methods in my own classroom. When my students give me what I know is the same look I often gave Dr. Magrath when he was nearly salivating over the structure of a flower, I have to laugh and stop and tell them about Dr. M. I still use the medical terminology books and notes from his classes to teach my 9th grade students. He not only impacted those who sat in his classroom, but those who will sit in our classrooms. Thank You, Dr. Magrath, from all of us.