University of Connecticut Storrs - Site of H W Conn Research Laboratory - Designated as an ASM Milestones in Microbiology Site

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The American Society for Microbiology

Announces its Designation of the

University of Connecticut Storrs,

Site of Herbert William Conn’s Research Laboratory at the

Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station,

as a Milestones in Microbiology site

The ASM Milestones in Microbiology program recognizes institutions and the scientists

who worked there that have made significant contributions toward advancing the science of microbiology.

Milestones Site Dedication Ceremony

Date:             October 26, 2013

Venue:           Region One Branch Meeting, hosted by the Connecticut Valley Branch of ASM, at the University of Connecticut Storrs

Program:        A symposium, “Herbert W. Conn’s Golden Age of Bacteriology becomes The New Golden Age of Microbial Biology,” will be held in conjunction with the Milestones dedication ceremony.  Click Here for PDF of Symposium Program

Historical Background

Overview: 

The Milestones designation of the University of Connecticut (UCONN) recognizes the accomplishments of Herbert William Conn, one of the founders of the Society of American Bacteriologists (now the American Society for Microbiology or ASM).    

Conn’s major achievements include

• • Research in agricultural bacteriology carried out at the Storrs Agricultural Station
  • Establishment of Bacteriology as a separate academic discipline at the Connecticut Agricultural College
  • Leadership in public health microbiology
  • Effective communication of science to the public
  • Founding of the American Academy of Public Health
  • Founding of the Society of American Bacteriologists

The Milestones in Microbiology award recognizes the accomplishments of this remarkable microbiologist and the lasting impact his work has had in agricultural science, public health and education.

Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station and Beyond:

Connecticut and Herbert W. Conn’s international fame in dairy bacteriology began during his tenure as the bacteriologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experimental Station on the campus of the Storrs Agricultural School (1889-1905). Conn’s research on milk spoilage and on the formation of butter led to advances in bacterial cultivation, physiological measurement techniques, and dairy product production. He became a leading advocate for public health laws as a result of this work, and in 1905 was appointed Director of the new Connecticut State Board of Health Laboratory, one of the first such bodies in the United States. He founded the American Academy of Public Health and served on the New York Commission on Milk Standards. Conn was an accomplished educator at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. At Wesleyan, he founded the Biology Department and served as its head until his death in 1917. In 1901 he began as Lecturer in Bacteriology at what was then called the Connecticut Agricultural College and so established the first formal instruction in Bacteriology at what was to become the University of Connecticut. His laboratory assistant and former student William Esten took over this instruction as the first Professor of Dairy Bacteriology when Conn stepped down from his instructional duties at the College in 1906.

Founding of SAB (now ASM):

It was during his time working at the Agricultural Station that he met with Drs. A. C. Abbott and E. O. Jordan to found the Society of American Bacteriologists (later ASM) in 1899. Conn’s research, presented at the first meeting of the Society at Yale University, reflected his achievements at the Station. He presented his project, “Natural Varieties of Bacteria,” and exhibited cultures of a highly variable Micrococcus which he had isolated from milk. His research at the Station served as the basis for the “Butter Exhibition” at the 1893 Columbia Exposition, the Chicago World’s Fair. The exhibit allowed the public to taste the flavors of butters made using different bacteria.

The Mark Twain Connection:

In addition to his scientific publications, Conn also wrote and lectured extensively for the general public about microbes, evolution and public health. His popular 1898 book The Story of Germ Life inspired Mark Twain’s unfinished story, 3,000 Years Among the Microbes. 

Additional Information

• For more information on H.W. Conn and other charter members of ASM, click here
• For more information on "the Mark Twain Connection," click here
• For more information on the Milestones in Microbiology program, click here.
• For more information and to register for the Region One Branch Meeting, click here.

Any questions? Contact the ASM Archivist