Morris Meister

Morris Meister
Born	(1895-10-20)October 20, 1895 Goniądz, Russian Empire
Died	August 10, 1975(1975-08-10) (aged 79) New York University Hospital, Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Education	City College of New York Columbia University
Notable work	Science for a Better World series of textbooks
Spouse	Florence Suzi Glickstein Meister
Children	2, Anna Meister Burton, a psychoanalyst, and Alton Meister, noted bio-chemist
Academic background
Thesis	The Educational Value of Certain After-school Materials and Activities in Science (1921)
Academic work
Institutions	Bronx Community College, Bronx High School of Science, New York Hall of Science
Notes

Morris Meister (1895 - 1975) was a science educator and administrator who was the founder and first principal of the Bronx High School of Science as well as the first president of Bronx Community College. He is noteworthy for his support and application of laboratory-based methods in science education as well as interdisciplinary study.

Early life and education

Morris Meister was born on October 20, 1895, in Gonietz, Poland to Harris Meister and Jennie (Kolovsky) Meister. The Meister family moved to Manhattan's Lower East Side when Morris was 7 years old. He attended the City College of New York, where he became a member of Phi Beta Kappa. His doctoral thesis at the Teachers College of Columbia University in 1921, The Educational Value of Certain After-school Materials and Activities in Science, focused on the role of science related toys in science education.

Meister married Florence Suzi Glickstein, a music teacher, in 1921. They had two children, Anna Meister Burton, a psychoanalyst, and Alton Meister, a noted biochemist.

Career

Morris Meister worked as a science teacher in a number of schools in New York City including Stuyvesant High School (1916), The Speyer School (1916-1918), and Horace Mann School (1917-1922). He was instrumental in the creation of science fairs while working as a committee head of the American Institute of the City of New York in the 1932s. He served as the second president of the National Science Teachers Association. Meister wrote a series of science textbooks called Science for a Better World. He was the founding principal of the Bronx High School of Science from 1938 to 1958, followed by becoming the founding president of the Bronx Community College from 1959 to 1966. After retirement he worked as the director of planning at the New York Hall of Science, in Corona, Queens. .

Legacy

Meister Auditorium, the Auditorium of the Bronx High School of Science, is named after Dr. Meister. His portrait is displayed at its doors.

Meister Hall, a building on the campus of Bronx Community College, is named after Dr. Meister.

External links

• A Tribute to Founder Dr. Morris Meister (Bronx Science)
• BCC: History of the College