Professor Henry Chen gave a special lecture on the history of the PAGS department.
Towson University’s 150th anniversary is big news, but did you know the Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences (PAGS) is turning 50 this year?
To celebrate the anniversary, the Jess and Mildred Fisher College of Science and Mathematics held a special seminar lecture by Henry Chen, Ph.D., on Friday, Nov. 20 in the Lecture Hall.
Chen, who arrived at Towson in 1965 – the same year the department was created – has been a professor at FCSM for 44 years. Chen is a veritable gold mine of facts, figures, names and dates and extremely passionate about what he sees as the unique character and history of TU and the PAGS department in particular.
He spoke to a crowd of about 50 for almost an hour, cracking jokes and taking questions at the end. Chen did a quick survey of Towson’s overall history before spending the bulk of his time profiling the “original five” professors – Lewis Cox, Edward Rubendall, Bill Pelham, John Bareham and Bill Moorefield. Near the end of his talk, he also told the story of the time the University System of Maryland nearly cut TU’s physics and chemistry programs as well as lessons the college has learned over the years.
His talk was recorded and his remarks will be written and illustrated to be stored in the TU archives.
