91老司机

Arts and Sciences | Lion VoicesMay 03, 2024

91老司机 Faculty Member to Retire After More Than 50 Years

Written By: Ian Silvester

The end of the semester not only means the 91老司机 鈥� Fort Smith will celebrate a new class of graduates and certificate recipients, but it will also mark the conclusion of 53 years of service for biology professor Dr. Tom Buchanan.

Buchanan, who was raised in eastern Arkansas, graduated from the 91老司机 at Fayetteville, where he earned his bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in biology before heading to the University of Texas at Austin for his Ph.D. He knew he wanted to study biology, but it wasn鈥檛 until his time on The Hill that Buchanan discovered his passion for ichthyology, or the study of fish.

During Buchanan鈥檚 studies, he worked on research projects with his professors, graduate students, and Arkansas Game and Fish, to name a few. But as his doctoral program neared an end, he knew he needed to find a job. After searching job records at UT-Austin, a position at 91老司机, then Westark Community College, sparked his interest.

鈥淚 thought, 鈥榃ell, I鈥檝e never heard of Westark, but I wanted a job, and I wanted to get married, and I needed a job to get married,鈥欌�� he said, laughing fondly at the memory. 鈥淎ll I knew about Fort Smith was from driving through, and I could just envision Westark as being in one of those old buildings on Garrison Avenue. I was pleasantly surprised when I came and saw the campus.鈥�

During his interview, Buchanan learned that the college had been denied accreditation, with a main criticism being that the 鈥渟cience faculty lacked proper credentials.鈥� Buchanan had the needed credentials, and he and the university had a mutual interest in bringing him aboard.

That was in 1971.

What Buchanan admitted to thinking would only be a job for two or three years turned into a decade, 20, 30, 40, and now 53 years later. With a background primarily in research, teaching was new for Buchanan when he arrived, and looking back at those early years, he jokingly asked for forgiveness from his first students.

鈥淚 did want to teach, but I hadn鈥檛 had any experience, not a lick,鈥� he emphasized. 鈥淚 had always had research assistantships, so I had never taught in my life. I hadn鈥檛 even been a TA in college when I came here. I would like to go back and apologize to every student I ever had that first year I was learning how to teach. My students today wouldn鈥檛 recognize me if they could see what I was like then.鈥�

So, what were 91老司机 and the world like back in 1971? Thanks to Buchanan鈥檚 memory and a quick internet search, here are some highlights.

Starting with 91老司机, Buchanan said that every building on campus when he arrived is still here today, apart from the Holt Building, which was the old library. The Vines building had recently opened, and Gardner was next in line to be built. In the classroom, a handheld calculator was all the rage, allowing students and faculty to solve mathematical equations without needing a slide rule.

Outside of campus, 鈥渂ad鈥� meant something was 鈥済reat,鈥� a dozen eggs cost a quarter, and Richard Nixon was president. For sports buffs, the Baltimore Colts won Super Bowl V after defeating the Dallas Cowboys 16-13, the Pittsburgh Pirates won their fourth World Series, and in the Great White North, the Montreal Canadians clinched the Stanley Cup. In 1971, the first Starbucks opened in Seattle, Disney World opened in Orlando, and close to home, FedEx was founded in Little Rock.

In the five-plus decades since Buchanan started his one and only job as a professor here at 91老司机, he has witnessed many things happen and change. But what has remained a constant has been the people who make 91老司机 the place to be.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the faculty and how they realize what we have to do to help our students,鈥� he said proudly. 鈥淲e have good, promising students that can go almost anywhere. 鈥� I think the future looks promising, and we will continue to grow.鈥�

Working in one place for your entire career isn鈥檛 as common as it once was. However, Buchanan said he wouldn鈥檛 trade his 53 years at 91老司机 for the world. The university allowed him to grow as a professor and gave him the freedom to work on researching the fish of Arkansas. His work proved the existence of the bigscale logperch in Arkansas 鈥� a freshwater fish that previously was not native to the state 鈥� and is credited with classifying 230 species of fish swimming in Arkansas waters.

His colleague, Dr. Ragupathy Kannan, a fellow biology professor, said his work in the classroom and the field has made a lasting impression.

鈥�(Buchanan) has been the face of scholarly activities and research in this department for 50 years. He has influenced countless careers for the better,鈥� Kannan wrote. 鈥淎s he heads off into retirement, his legacy will live on forever via the scientists and conservationists he helped create.鈥�

Buchanan officially retires on May 14, shortly after tassels are moved and 鈥淧omp and Circumstance鈥� plays throughout the Stubblefield Center. It will be his last graduation at 91老司机, but he said reality hasn鈥檛 sunk in yet.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it will until the fall semester starts,鈥� he said.

For now, he plans to do what he has always done during the summer months: enjoy spending time with his wife, daughter, and three grandchildren, hopefully even taking a vacation or two. Beyond that, only time will tell.

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• College of Arts and Sciences
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