Department of Plant and Microbial Biology

1880s

10/1889 First Botany courses
Courses in botany are offered when the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts opens

1890 Microbiology curriculum established
Microbiology courses become a part of the curricula in the Zoology and Botany departments.
1890 (circa) Entomology curriculum established
Entomology curriculum taught within the Department of Horticulture, Arboriculture, and Botany.

1902 Botany curriculum established
Botany curriculum is taught as a component of the Botanical Instruction program.
1905 Department of Horticulture, Arboriculture, and Botany moved
Department of Horticulture, Arboriculture, and Botany moved to Patterson Hall (originally, "Agricultural Hall")

1912 Botany curriculum redesigned
Botanical Instruction and Botany programs are separated, botany classes are taught as a part of the Agriculture curriculum.

4/14/1927 B.W. Wells lecture
Dr. B.W. Wells gives a lecture on plant evolution as part of the Phi Kappa Phi lecture series.

1945 Department of Botany and Plant Pathology established
A Plant Pathology section is created within the School of Agriculture, and a new Department of Botany and Plant Pathology is also created.

1950 Division of Biological Sciences
Division of Biological Sciences created; plant pathology comprises the largest of five units.
1956 Department of Horticulture moved
The Department of Horticulture moved to Kilgore Hall.
1958 Department of Botany and Bacteriology established
Department of Botany and Bacteriology created, replacing the Division of Biological Sciences.

1962 Institute of Biological Sciences created
The Institute of Biological Sciences is created; the Department of Botany and Bacteriology becomes one of the five divisions within.
1965 Department of Microbiology established
The Department of Botany and Bacteriology is divided; Bacteriology program becomes the Department of Microbiology.
1966 Department of Botany, Department of Microbiology
Botany and Bacteriology programs separated; Department of Botany and Department of Microbiology formed.

2006 Department of Plant Biology
The Department of Botany is renamed the Department of Plant Biology.

July 1, 2013 Department of Plant and Microbial Biology
The Department of Plant Biology became the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology. More historical information exists on the department's website.