Douglas Harrison Retires After 35 Years at LSU

After 35 years of service to LSU, Douglas Harrison retired from the university following the close of the Fall 2005 semester.

Harrison received both his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from The University of Texas in Austin in 1961 and 1966, respectively. He began his career at LSU as an assistant professor in 1969 after spending a few years at Monsanto in North Carolina, conducting new product research. During his time at LSU, he served the department and the college in many capacities. From 1976-79 he was the chairman of the department. In 1984, he served as acting director of the Hazardous Waste Research Center while the national search was being conducted for a director. He has also served on various departmental, college, and university committees, including the LSU Graduate Council from 1979-84 and the Faculty Senate from 1997-2000.

Harrison was a highly respected and well liked professor, have received the Dow Chemical Excellence Teaching Award four times, in 1988, 1995, 2000, and 2002 — a feat no one else has accomplished. He is well remembered by many of his former students. In the Fall 2001 issue of our newsletter one of his former students, David Caillet (B.S., 1974; M.S., 1976; Ph.D., 1980) was quoted as saying, "Dr. Harrison is a great teacher and a great researcher, a combination that is, in my opinion, becoming increasingly rarer at most universities where research is the main emphasis. I have nothing but praise for Dr. Harrison as both a teacher and a researcher, as I have experience with him in both of those areas." This insight is typical of many of Harrison's former students who respect the "gentle firmness" with which he approached teaching and research.

Harrison maintained an active research program, focusing in the area of noncatalytic gas-solid reactions applied to gas separations.

A farewell dinner was held for Harrison at Ruffino's Italian Restaurant in Baton Rouge. Many came out to pay praise to Harrison including former colleagues Ed McLaughlin and Paul Murrill as well as a few of his former students.

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