Southwestern College

Two Southwestern College graduates will be inducted into the Southwestern College Natural Science Hall of Fame on Saturday, Nov. 13.  The new members are Douglas Fort and Harold Taylor (deceased).  Jeffrey L. Boone ’73 was to be inducted, but due to scheduling conflicts, will be held for induction next year. The plaques will be on display prior to the 5:30 p.m. dinner in the Deets Library.  The induction ceremony will begin at the conclusion of the meal, approximately 6:15. 

The hall of fame honors Southwestern College alumni who have made significant contributions to the natural science world.

• Douglas J. Fort ’86 earned master’s and doctoral degrees in toxicology from Oklahoma State University. In 2000 he co-founded Fort Environmental Laboratories (FEL) in Stillwater, Okla. This environmental toxicology laboratory and consulting firm specializes in the study of amphibians, reptiles, and fish and is the only commercial laboratory in the U.S. to use amphibians and reptilian species as indicators of environment health. FEL has played a critical role in the development and validation of numerous test methods (including short-term embryo-larval assays, EDSP amphibian metamorphosis assays, reptilian reproduction and developmental assays, and fish developmental and reproduction assays). FEL offers commercial environmental toxicology testing services with over 35 species.  Before founding the laboratory, Fort was vice president of research and development at The Stover Group, an environmental solutions company with a national reputation for solving complex water quality problems.  Fort has served Southwestern College as a member of the Natural Science Advisory Council and by mentoring SC students as interns in his laboratory.

• Harold Leland Taylor ’42 served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a research assistant at Harvard University Medical School. There he worked on blood plasma research, and his project led to methods for the production of human albumin and gamma globulin to help troops. After the war he joined the staff of the Michigan State Health Department, where for nearly a decade he was in charge of plasma fractionation and plasma research. During this time he earned his doctorate from the University of Kansas. In 1956 he became the head of the immunochemistry department for the Pitman-Moore Company, which later became part of Dow Chemical Co. Later, he was clinical project manager for the Merrell Dow Research Institute, a division of Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals. He retired in 1986 after 30 years of service at Dow. Dr. Taylor received an honorary degree doctorate from Southwestern College in 1973.

For more information about the dinner or the Natural Science Hall of Fame, call Susan Lowe, director of alumni programs at Southwestern College, at (620) 229-6334.