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PEOPLE | Current and former members of the apiculture program |
Current members
Recent members
Former members
The Apiculture program at NC State has a long and storied history. George Rea came to the State Department in 1913 as a specialist in beekeeping, but remained only one year and was replaced in 1914 by C. L. Sams who served until 1925 when he was transferred to A&M College. Sams continued his beekeeping studies at the College until his death in 1945. At NC State, Frank B. Meacham started teaching bee culture on a part time basis in 1922. Upon receiving his Masters degree in 1925 (under the direction of the notable J. E. Eckert and Entomology Department Head Z. P. Metcalf), he became a professor of Entomology and Zoology, teaching apiculture courses during his entire tenure, until moving on in 1944 to become the Curator of Zoology at the NC State Museum of Natural History. In late 1946, Mr. W. A. Stephen (“Steve”) was hired as the Extension Bee Specialist at NC State, who eventually moved to become the State Apiarist of Ohio. In 1974, the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association successfully lobbied the NC State legislature to create a full-time apiculture position at NC State, and on February 2nd, 1975, Dr. John T. Ambrose began work as the Extension Beekeeping Specialist. After a long and distinguished career, Dr. Ambrose moved on in 2000 to become the Dean of the First Year College at NCSU, and his former Ph.D. student, Dr. Mike Stanghellini, ably served as the interim Extension Apiculturist before taking a position at Rutgers University in 2003.
