Visiting Professorship Records

The concept of the Ethel Austin Martin Visiting Professorship at South Dakota State University is al all campus effort to encourage and advance learning in the science of human nutrition and its application. It represents a unique approach to human nutrition through the active cooperation of faculty and students from all pertinent disciplines at the university. Advances planning and preparation in cooperation with the visiting professor in inherent in the concept. Each visiting professor is selected because of his/her excellence in a specific area of nutrition. The visiting professor provides direction and guidance to campus participants and serves as special lecturer on campus and in the community.

The Visiting Professorship program is implemented as a grass roots effort by task force committees, each group consisting of faculty members who represent different subject areas that can contribute to the understanding of a nutritional problem. Prior to the symposium, task force groups assemble data and prepare presentations intended to stimulate questions and promote discussion. These cooperative relationships create a cross-fertilization of expertise among the various subject areas which enhances their separate contributions and broadens immeasurable the dimensions of human nutrition.

The Nutrition Fund Committee, appointed by the President of South Dakota State University, is responsible for the implementation of the Visiting Professorship program. The members represent different disciplines that impact upon human nutrition and are rotated on a specific basis.

The Ethel Austin Martin Visiting Professorship is funded by a gift from Ethel Austin Martin, a 1916 Home Economics graduate of South Dakota State University. She received as advanced degree in nutrition at Columbia University, New York, and did additional graduate work at the University of Chicago. Dr. Martin was Director of Nutrition Services of the National Dairy Council for 22 years. She has authored several textbooks on nutrition, including the well-known textbook, "Nutrition in Action."

This series is composed of files related to the planning and development of the Ethel Austin Martin Visiting Professorship in Human Nutrition. Included are files on program planning and development, publicity, proceeding, programs, evaluation of the conference, audio and video recordings of some sessions and material related to the selection of the visiting professor. Folders consist of correspondence, clippings, and photographs. Ethel Austin Martin was very involved in the planning of the lectureships. Researchers will find many letters, notes, and related material created by Martin in these files.