Nusbaum, Charles J. (Charles Joseph), 1906-1987

Charles Joseph Nusbaum (1906-1987) was a leading plant pathologist who saved farmers millions of dollars in losses by fighting crop diseases. Born in Salem, Oregon, 24 August 1906, he received his B.S. degree from Oregon State College in 1929. He received his M.S. in 1931 and his Ph.D. in 1934, both from the University of Wisconsin. During his years at Oregon State, he was a field research assistant for the Division of Forest Pathology of the United States Department of Agriculture.

After completing his post-doctoral work in Wisconsin, Nusbaum accepted a position at Clemson University, where he worked at the Edisto Experiment Station in Blackville, South Carolina . During this time, he discovered internal cork disease of sweet potato, which led to extensive research on virus diseases and breeding for disease resistance. In 1948, Nusbaum moved to North Carolina State College to work on tobacco diseases such as Granville Wilt, black shank, and nematode root knot .

Based on research he did with his students, Nusbaum encouraged farmers to use soil fumigation practices in order to control nematodes, a major cause of plant disease. Nusbaum then created a nematode assay program in order to continue research of this crop hazard. A pilot program was established in 1957. In 1974, the program became part of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. By this time, the program was one of the most successful in the country.

Nusbaum was an active member of the Plant Pathology Department at North Carolina State, serving as Interim Head from 1949 to 1950. He taught several classes throughout his tenure, and worked very closely with his students. In 1956, he earned the Reynolds Distinguished Professorship, the highest honor awarded to faculty members in North Carolina State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Other awards include the Sigma Delta Award of Merit in 1967, Man of the Year by tobacco scientists in the United States in 1971, and Man of the Year by Tobacco International in 1981. His research has been published in more than 80 scientific publications.

In Raleigh, Nusbaum and his wife, Virginia, established close ties to the Plant Pathology Department, the students, and the university as a whole. In 1976, they established the Charles J. and Virginia Lee Nusbaum Endowment for the Department of Plant Pathology. The endowment funds the Nusbaum Symposium, a biennial event founded in 1983. The symposium addresses important issues in the plant pathology field, provides supplements and assistantships to outstanding applicants, and recognizes an outstanding Ph.D. candidate.

Nusbaum died in 1987.