Morris Meister
Morris Meister | |
---|---|
Born | Gonietz, Poland | October 20, 1895
Died | August 10, 1975 New York University Hospital, Manhattan | (aged 79)
Citizenship | US[1] |
Occupation | educator, author |
Known for |
|
Spouse(s) | Florence Suzi Glickstein Meister[2] |
Children | 2, including Alton Meister |
Academic background | |
Education | City College of New York |
Alma mater | Teachers College of Columbia University |
Thesis | The Educational Value of Certain After-school Materials and Activities in Science (1921) |
Academic work | |
Institutions | Bronx Community College, Bronx High School of Science, New York Hall of Science |
Notable works | Science for a Better World series of textbooks |
Notes | |
Dr. Morris Meister (1895 - 1975) was a science educator and administrator who was the founder and first principal of the Bronx High School of Science as well as the first president of Bronx Community College.[4][1] He is noteworthy for his support and application of laboratory-based methods in science education as well as interdisciplinary study.
Early life and education[]
Morris Meister was born on October 20, 1895, in Gonietz, Poland to Harris Meister and Jeannie (Kolovsky) Meister. The Meister family moved to Manhattan's Lower East Side when Morris was 7 years old.[1][3] He attended the City College of New York, where he became a member of Phi Beta Kappa. His doctoral thesis at the Teachers College of Columbia University in 1921, The Educational Value of Certain After-school Materials and Activities in Science, focused on the role of science related toys in science education.[5][3][6]
Meister married Florence Suzi Glickstein, a music teacher, in 1921.[1] They had two children, including Alton Meister, a noted biochemist.[2]
Career[]
Morris Meister worked as a science teacher in a number of schools in New York City including Stuyvesant High School (1916), The Speyer School (1916-1918), Horace Mann School (1917-1922). He was instrumental in the creation of science fairs while working as a committee head of the American Institute of the City of New York in the 1932s.[5] He served as the second president of the National Science Teachers Association.[7][3] Meiseter wrote a series of science textbooks called Science for a Better World.[3] Meister was the founding principal of the Bronx High School of Science from 1938 to 1958.[3] He was the founding president of the Bronx Community College from 1959 to 1966.[8] After retirement he worked as the director of planning at the New York Hall of Science, in Corona, Queens. .[3][9][10]
Legacy[]
Meister Auditorium, the Auditorium of the Bronx High School of Science, is named after Dr. Meister. His portrait is displayed at its doors.
Meister Hall, a building on the campus of Bronx Community College, is named after Dr. Meister.
References[]
- ^ a b c d "Morris Meister". Science Education. 50 (5): 401–406. December 1966. Bibcode:1966SciEd..50..401.. doi:10.1002/sce.3730500502. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
- ^ a b "Mrs. Morris Meister". The New York Times. 12 March 1974. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g Thomas Jr, Robert Mcg (11 August 1975). "Dr. Morris Meister, Founder Of High School of Science, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ Bronx Community College (17 September 2006). "History & Architecture". Bronx Community College. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
- ^ a b Grinnell, Frederick (26 May 2020). "Reinventing Science Fairs | Issues in Science and Technology". Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ Meister, Morris. "The Educational Value of Certain After-school Materials and Activities in ... : Morris Meister : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming". Internet Archive. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Morris Meister: portrait of a science educator". The Science Teacher. 43 (2): 43. 1976. JSTOR 24127703. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "History of the College". Bronx Community College. 17 September 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-02-07. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ "Current Science: November 2, 1966". NYSCI. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ Meister, Morris (December 1966). "A college program for the disadvantaged". Science Education. 50 (5): 406–408. Bibcode:1966SciEd..50..406M. doi:10.1002/sce.3730500503. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
External links[]
- American school principals
- The Bronx High School of Science
- Heads of universities and colleges in the United States
- Bronx Community College faculty
- Teachers College, Columbia University alumni
- City College of New York alumni
- New York Hall of Science
- Presidents of Bronx Community College
- American academic administrator stubs