Clyde M. Christensen manuscripts

Clyde Martin Christensen, B.S. (1929), M.S. (1930), Ph.D. (1937), University of Minnesota. Professor of botany and plant pathology at the University of Minnesota (1934-1975). Expert in the field of mycology, with particular emphasis on fungi and wheat storage.

Clyde Martin Christensen was born on August 8, 1905 in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. He earned his B.S. in 1929, M.S. in 1930 and Ph.D. in 1937, all from the University of Minnesota. In 1934, Dr. Christensen joined the faculty at the University as an instructor in plant pathology. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1939, associate professor in 1947 and professor in 1948. Between 1959 and 1968, Christensen worked on a temporary on-and-off again basis for the Rockefeller Foundation agricultural program in Mexico.

Christensen was an expert in the field of mycology, the study of fungi, especially in its relationship to the storage and spoilage of wheat. His research was also credited as aiding the discovery of better molds for penicillin. He published over 200 articles and books during his tenure, including Molds and Man. In 1970, Christensen was named a fellow of the American Phytopathological Society (APS).

In 1973, Christensen was named Regents' professor, the highest honor bestowed upon the faculty at the University of Minnesota, and the first faculty member in the College of Agriculture to receive the award. He retired in 1975 as Regents' professor emeritus. Clyde Christensen died on October 11, 1993.