Original
faculty member 'Sonny' Jimes retires
Christopher Alexander
Dr.
Selvestion "Sonny" Jimes, professor of biological
sciences and one of two original LSUS faculty members
still active in the fall semester, retired at the
end of that semester.
When LSUS opened its classrooms in the fall semester
of 1967, Jimes, current LSUS Chancellor Vince Marsala
and 35 other faculty members were on staff. Before
his retirement, only Jimes and Marsala were part of
the university's active faculty.
Jimes, who was also a professor of cardiopulmonary
science at the LSU Health Sciences Center and coordinator
of allied health at LSUS, earned bachelor's degrees
in chemistry and microbiology from Northwestern State
University in 1959, and served for a year as a clinical
microbiologist at Confederate Memorial Medical Center
(now LSUHSC).
He received a master's degree in microbiology and
served as a graduate assistant at NSU in 1961-62,
and was a chemist and microbiologist for the Food
and Drug Administration in New Orleans from 1962 to
1964. He earned his doctorate in food science and
technology from LSU in Baton Rouge in 1967.
Jimes, 64, was an assistant professor of biological
sciences at LSUS from 1967 to 1972, when he became
an associate professor. In 1977, he became a professor
of medical terminology and biological sciences at
LSUS and LSU Medical Center in Shreveport. He was
a professor of biological sciences at LSUS and a professor
of cardiopulmonary sciences at LSUHSC from 1987 until
his retirement.
While at LSUS, Jimes taught biology, zoology, microbiology,
human anatomy, chemistry and various computer science
classes. He was also instrumental in organizing the
American Association of University Professors and
the Faculty Senate at LSUS. He proudly admits to being
the only person to serve as president of the Faculty
Senate three times.
"The one thing I am really proud of," Jimes
said, "is that I have really done my very best
for the students and this school."
Of his retirement, Jimes said he and his wife "are
going to some different places, and I want to be with
my mother and father while they're still alive, to
take care of them and do what I can for them."
Marsala praised his colleague of 34 years. "His
tenure here has been exemplary," Marsala said,
"and he has helped and influenced many students
in their goals to attend medical or graduate schools."
Jimes said one of his proudest achievements was serving
as a fellow in medical virology in 1978 on the faculty
of the LSU Medical Center School of Medicine's Department
of Microbiology and Immunology. He has published 21
scientific papers, and in 1985 received the LSU Foundation
Distinguished Fellowship Award from the LSU System,
as well as the LSUS Faculty Improvement Award.
Christopher Alexander, a journalism major, is the
spring semester production editor for the Almagest.
He may be contacted at send2mentl@aol.com.
