MU | F e a t u r e s
the philosophy that “giving back is a small price
for the enormous benefits we received from our
college experiences.”
“Doc” Niswander taught at Manchester from
1950 to 1982 and launched the biology-chemistry
major designed to prepare students for medical
and other professional schools. His pop quizzes
“were over the top” hard, Henney recalls, but
he also had “an extraordinary smile and laugh
and sense of humor that we all loved.” Highly
regarded as a scholar and revered by students for
his rigorous teaching and deep commitment to
them, Niswander was honored by the Indiana
Academy of Family Physicians in 1984 for his
education of pre-med students.
In March 2011, less than five months before
“Doc” Niswander died, Henney attended the
dedication ceremony for the Niswander Biology
Department. It was one more chance to thank
her teacher and friend for the encouragement
she never forgot.
“Manchester,” says Henney, “was where my
career was launched.”
By Melinda Lantz ’81
The Niswander legacy
R.
Emerson Niswander was one of Manchester’s “greatest generation”
faculty members who returned from military or civilian service after
World War II and found a growing demand for college professors.
Emerson and Evelyn Niswander both graduated from Bluffton University in the late
1930s and were married in 1941. Emerson went on to earn his master’s degree and
Ph.D. from Ohio State University, and served in the United States Army from
1941 to 1945.
He joined the biology faculty at Manchester in 1950 and taught until his retirement
in 1982. While at Manchester, he started the biology-chemistry major which
was designed to prepare students for medical and other health care profession
schools. The many students he taught who went on to exemplary careers include
Dr. Jane Henney ’69, the first female commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration; Dr. Gene Likens ’57 who, with colleagues, discovered acid rain in
North America; and Dr. James Downey ’67, one of the world’s authorities on the
physiology of the heart muscle.
Affectionately known by his students as “Doc,” Emerson was highly regarded as
a scholar and teacher with a great sense of humor and a fierce dedication to his
students.
For her part, Evelyn directed food service for 10 years at Timbercrest Senior Living
Community and for 10 years at Manchester University. Together, the Niswanders
raised four children – three Manchester graduates and one Elizabethtown College
(Pa.) graduate.
In life, and in their philanthropy to Manchester, Emerson and Evelyn Niswander
were partners. They gave generously to the new Science Center and regularly to
The Manchester Fund. They also established an endowed fund, the R. Emerson and
Evelyn M. Niswander Fund for the Sciences.
To thank the Niswanders for their support and friendship, Henney and Bob Graham
named The Dr. R. Emerson and Evelyn M. Niswander Department of Biology
through their gift of more than $1 million.
Dr. Jane Henney ’69 and her spouse, Dr. Bob Graham, pose
after completing a half marathon last year in Portland, Ore.
22 |
Dr. Jane Henney ’69
celebrates the
dedication of the
Niswander Department
of Biology in 2011 with
Emerson “Doc” and
Evelyn Niswander.