Morris Meister

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Morris Meister
Born(1895-10-20)October 20, 1895
Goniądz, Russian Empire
DiedAugust 10, 1975(1975-08-10) (aged 79)
New York University Hospital, Manhattan, New York
EducationCity College of New York
Columbia University
Notable workScience for a Better World series of textbooks
SpouseFlorence Suzi Glickstein Meister[1]
Children2, Anna Meister Burton, a psychoanalyst, and Alton Meister, noted bio-chemist
Academic background
ThesisThe Educational Value of Certain After-school Materials and Activities in Science (1921)
Academic work
InstitutionsBronx Community College, Bronx High School of Science, New York Hall of Science
Notes

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.[3][4] He is noteworthy for his support and application of laboratory-based methods in science education as well as interdisciplinary study.

Early life and education[edit]

Morris Meister was born on October 20, 1895, in Gonietz, Poland to Harris Meister and Jennie (Kolovsky) Meister. The Meister family moved to Manhattan's Lower East Side when Morris was 7 years old.[4][2] 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][2][6]

Meister married Florence Suzi Glickstein, a music teacher, in 1921.[4] They had two children, Anna Meister Burton, a psychoanalyst, and Alton Meister, a noted biochemist.[1]

Career[edit]

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][2] Meiseter wrote a series of science textbooks called Science for a Better World.[2] Meister was the founding principal of the Bronx High School of Science from 1938 to 1958.[2] 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. .[2][9][10]

Legacy[edit]

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[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Mrs. Morris Meister". The New York Times. 12 March 1974. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Thomas, Robert McG. Jr. (11 August 1975). "Dr. Morris Meister, Founder Of High School of Science, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  3. ^ Bronx Community College (17 September 2006). "History & Architecture". Bronx Community College. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  4. ^ a b c "Morris Meister". Science Education. 50 (5): 401–406. December 1966. Bibcode:1966SciEd..50..401.. doi:10.1002/sce.3730500502. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  5. ^ a b Grinnell, Frederick (26 May 2020). "Reinventing Science Fairs | Issues in Science and Technology". Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "Morris Meister: portrait of a science educator". The Science Teacher. 43 (2): 43. 1976. JSTOR 24127703. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  8. ^ "History of the College". Bronx Community College. 17 September 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-02-07. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Current Science: November 2, 1966". NYSCI. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  10. ^ 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[edit]

Academic offices
Preceded by
none
 President of the
Bronx Community College
1959 — 1966 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
none
 Principal of the
Bronx High School of Science
1938 — 1958 		Succeeded by
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