APRIL-MAY 2000

OBITUARIES

HARRISON VERNON CHASE

By Bill Cotterell
Condensed reprint from the
Tallahassee Democrat

Harrison Vernon Chase, who retired from Florida State University more than 20 years ago but never quit teaching, has died of cancer at age 86.

Chase and his brother, William, founded a national publication, Chases' Calen-dar of Annual Events. He also edited the publication.

"He was one of the smartest men I've ever known," said Leon County School Board member Scott Dailey. "His gift was that it was never important to him, as a teacher or a friend, to show you how smart he was; he wanted to show you, or let you discover for yourself, how smart you could be."

Dailey, a former geography student of Chase's at FSU, said he "would talk about anything" in their weekly luncheons - except his wartime experience with the Office of Strategic Services, forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency.

"He was a very erudite and informative guy, but when you asked him what he did in the OSS, he'd just clam up," said John Parker, a local author and another frequent luncheon companion.

Parker said Chase was nicknamed "Professor Quark" for his interest in quantum physics.

Born in Big Rapids, Mich., in 1913, Chase graduated from the University of Michigan in 1935. He taught in Dearborn public schools and at Syracuse University, then joined the OSS in 1943.

CHARLES H. LAJOIE

Charles H. Lajoie, 94, an electrical and planning engineer who modernized several important systems on campus, died Jan. 15.

A native of Worcester, Mass., he came to Tallahassee in 1924. He was a World War II veteran.

His accomplishments at FSU include the design, installation and maintenance of the first campus-wide telephone system, the constantly monitored campus-wide clock and time system for all offices, classrooms, dormitories and shops, and the transmission of electrical power and field lighting to the present site of Doak Campbell Stadium.

After his retirement, he joined Gulf States Engineering as an electrical designer for many of Tallahassee's present commercial buildings.

ROBERT K. GODFREY

FSU botany Professor Emeritus Robert K. Godfrey died Feb. 6 at the age of 88.

He was a graduate of Harvard University, with a doctorate degree from Duke. In 1954, he came to Florida State and taught until 1974, when he retired and was named professor emeritus.

After his retirement, Dr. Godfrey continued his research at Tall Timbers Research Station near Tallahassee. He published many scientific papers and botanical reference books, specializing in North Florida plants.

At FSU, he established and curated the herbarium, a collection of more than 189,000 dried plants.
In 1988, he published "Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines of North Florida and Adjacent Georgia and Alabama," a comprehensive 734-page volume covering 3,500 species and 30 years of his work.

He was a World War II Navy veteran.

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