~Wtt&1 - - Hoover Library

'/'his article, printed in the May 20 issue of The Golcl Bugj~ by one of Dr. Schofield's students. Mr. Rinehart, an honor st!l~dent, plans graduate work in cheml8try next year at the Universityof California, Berkeley.The Dean Retiresb:Y Frank P. Rinehart, '66Today is the last day in the career at Western MarylandCollege of Samuel Biggs Schofield, a man who hasinfluenced the development of this institution far morethan contemporary students can possibly realize. Dr.Schofield is resigning his position as Professor in theDepartment of Chemistry after forty-seven years ofservice to the school.We who have been students of Dr. Schofield over thepast few years will remember him as a teacher. It takesbut a quick look through past volumes of the ALOHAto realize, however, that he has held every major administrativeoffice with the exception of President duringhis career here.Dr. Schofield graduated from Western Maryland in1919 and was immediately appointed Instructor in Biologyand Chemistry. In 1920, he became Dean of Men,a position he held, with the exception of one year, untilhe took a leave of absence in 1924 to continue his studiesin Chemistry at the Princeton University. Returning withhis Master's in 1928, he was appointed Professor ofChemistry and Dean of the College, a position roughlycomparable to the Dean of the Faculty of today. In1938, the "Dean" received his third Deanship, Dean ofAdministration. This job encompassed most of the responsibilitiesof the present Office of Physical Plant, inaddition to many of those which now come under theOffice of the Treasurer. He resigned as Dean at the endof 1962 and then, the next year, as Chairman of the Departmentof Chemistry. He has continued on as a teachersince that time.Despite the meticulous detail with which he attendedto his administrative duties, the Dean has always devotedthe majority of his time and energy to the task of teaching.Those of us who have studied under him realize thathis teaching went far beyond the narrow confines of thetextual material. It was he who gave us an historicalperspective. It was he, who through his devotion to detail,impressed upon us the need for care and logic inour work. In an age where we are, by and large, encouragedto cut corners, it was Dean Schofield, who inhis insistence that only our best was acceptable, developedin us pride in good technique.Most of all, however, we appreciate the great interesthe has shown in us as students and individuals. He hasalways come to the aid of a student who has shown theslightest sign of interest. His help has ranged from smallpointers to massive instruction and personal counseling.He has always taken time to know his students, and knowabout them, in order to better aid them in their schedulingof courses, choice of vocation, and solving of personalproblems.In keeping with his desire that students should havethe best, he worked devotedly to build the curriculumand facilities of the Chemistry Department. The factthat graduates from the Department can enter the professionalor academic world with confidence is a testimonyto his labors. It is no accident, for example, thatthe library has a fine collection of most of the majorChemistry journals stretching back many years.As we depart from the Western Maryland scene alongwith Dean Schofield, we will look back, not only at theschool, but at a man who stands out for his straightforward,frank approach, his refusal to compromise thebest interest of the school or students, and for his drivingenergy which drove us on to become better studentsand people.page thirteen