This year sees three important anniversaries: the 40th year of teaching Microbiology in Cardiff, the 30th year of an established Chair and the centenary of the University of Wales. We therefore have every excuse to celebrate! As we go to press we are a few months short of another remarkable event; DEH is in his eightieth year.

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As well as the usual festivities of COMA reunions, there was a scientific meeting entitled Microbiology - Past, Present and Future. Speakers included several present and former members of the academic staff. Most importantly, David Hughes, our first Professor of Microbiology was present.

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In this souvenir volume we attempt to place microbiology in Cardiff in its historical context, and portray those responsible for the growth of the teaching of bacteriology within the Department of Botany. The first student intake for the degree of BSc (Microbiology) was in Session 1956-57, and the subsequent development of the sub-department led to the devolution of the Department of Microbiology (University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire) and the appointment of Professor D. E. Hughes on October 1st 1964. Other microbiology laboratories subsequently grew in the Biochemistry Department, in Applied Biology and Pharmacy in UWIST, in the Welsh National School of Medicine, and in the Cardiff Institute of Higher Education.

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We thank those of our “extended family”, those extraordinarily busy “Old Microbes”, who out of respect and affection, have spent time to make this collection of articles so fascinating. Not only interesting for the light they shed on how success and creativity can be fostered within a well-run department, they may prove useful to neophytes contemplating a scientific career. We have arranged these according to the entry dates of the authors. To enhance this latter aspect of the collection, we have appended some rather more impersonal accounts of possible career paths. We end with a group of forward-looking contributions.*

 

How unusual to spend August marking essays! As Tim Rubidge instantly exclaimed (by FAX!) on receipt of my acknowledgement, “Why didn’t I get a+, twenty years ago?”. We hope, David Hughes, that you will savour this Festschrift as much as you enjoyed sowing the seeds.

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David Lloyd

Al Venables

Barbara Evans

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*The final marks sheet will be posted outside Prof's 3rd Floor Office on Saturday, October 1st at 3.00 p.m. There will be a Departmental Photograph at 1.00 p.m. in the front of Main College.

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