Honoree-
Newton Meiselman

Dr. Newton Meiselman joined the C.W. Post faculty in 1956. Drawn to Post by its rustic charm, Meiselman taught biology to World War II veterans who were the same age as he. The Post estate on which the campus was located was filled with wonderful old buildings that were transformed into classrooms. He remembers brushing flies away as he lectured in his first classroom, a renovated stable. His first biology lab, the former servants’ dining hall in the Post mansion was serviced by a dumbwaiter that was used to deliver specimens to class. Although the facilities were makeshift, Dr. Meiselman fondly remembers the great sense of camaraderie among the students and faculty.

During his tenure at C.W. Post, he chaired the biology department for 11 years, established the University’s first electron microscope lab; played an integral role in establishing chapters of Beta, Beta, Beta, the undergraduate biology honorary and Sigma Xi, the national science honorary on the Campus; and served on numerous faculty committees. In addition, during five sabbatical years, he conducted research at Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovoth, Israel; at the Plant Breeding Institute in Cambridge, England; at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, NY; and at Estee Lauder Research Labs in Melville, NY.

Over 45 years of teaching, more than 5,000 Post students passed through his classrooms. Dr. Meiselman also holds the distinction of having led every Post Commencement from 1958 until his retirement in 2001. He holds a B.A. from Syracuse University, an M.A. from Hofstra University and a Ph.D. from Rutgers. His wife, Ellen, and three of his four children are graduates of C.W. Post.

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