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Dr. William Grierson Papers, 1950-2005

 

Summary

Creator:
Grierson, William
Extent:
3.34 Linear Feet
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

The materials in this collection reflect the subject's work in citrus fruit research. Of special note are the bound logs used by the research stations. Also present are articles published by the subject as well as correspondence. A small number of slides and lecture materials are also available.

Biographical / historical:

William Grierson was born on December 15, 1917, in Ontario, Canada. Grierson attended the University of Toronto where he obtained a B.S. in Biological and Agricultural Sciences and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Agricultural Science. Grierson worked in the agricultural industry in Canada until the outbreak of World War Two. Grierson served as a navigator in the Royal Canadian Air Force and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Force Cross. After the war he accepted a position at the University of Florida's Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, Florida. Beginning in 1952 Grierson served the University of Florida's Citrus Research and Education Center for thirty years. He also taught evening classes at Florida Southern College in the 1950s and 1960s. Dr. Grierson officially retired at the end of 1982. Following his retirement, Grierson and his wife left Florida to participate in a two-year U.S. Aide Project to assist in the domestic distribution and marketing of food in Jamaica. While in Jamaica, Grierson was the project leader for fruits and vegetables.

William Grierson was an innovator in fresh citrus fruit research and harvesting. His contributions to the Florida citrus industry include, but are not limited to, designing the modern degreening room which became standard throughout Florida and the transition to and standardization of pallet boxes. He also developed packing line machinery modifications that resulted in maximum packing line efficiency. Grierson's research identified the correlation between grapefruit chilling injury to fruit maturity, diagnosed several physiological disorders that plagued citrus fruit, and aided in the clearance of postharvest fungicides in the United States and around the world. In 1965, Grierson wrote a letter to citrus packers, the first Packinghouse Newsletter, which became standar procedure thereafter. Grierson is also credited with helping to establish the group known as the Florida Citrus Packers and was well-known for educating consumers on the use of pesticides and cosmetic treatments. Grierson published many scholarly journal articles and papers and is recognized for his work worldwide.

Because of his dedication to citrus research and education, as well as his numerous scholarly accomplishments, Grierson was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus by the University of Florida. After his retirement, Grierson continued to publish articles regarding the citrus industry as well as the effect of global warming and climate change. Dr. William Grierson was inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in 1995. He passed away on August 26, 2011, in Winter Haven, Florida.

Acquisition information:
The materials were donated to the Florida Citrus Archives at an unknown date prior to 2009
Arrangement:

The order in which the materials were found has been retained. It is unknown if this is the original order.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Researchers must contact McKay Archives in advance for access to unprocessed born digital materials in this collection. Collection restrictions, copyright limitations, or technical complications may hinder the archives' ability to provide access to unprocessed born digital materials.

Terms of access:

The Dr. William Grierson Papers are owned by Florida Southern College. This collection is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Location of this collection:
Florida Southern College
111 Lake Hollingsworth Dr.
Lakeland
FL
33801
USA