Description
Dr. James Lyons began working with Extension in the mid-1950s as a field assistant in Modesto, “a grunt worker for the farm advisors.” This experience helped him get a job as a technician at the Department of Vegetable Crops at UC Davis; he took advantage of the free coursework afforded to UC employees to get his PhD in Plant Physiology. Lyons went on to an extensive career as an academic researcher, teacher and administrator, appointed to the chair of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Davis in 1970, and then becoming the Associate Dean of the Plant Sciences and Pest Management Departments in 1973. Interview topics include: ANR, 1950s-1980s; integrated pest management; food preservation; UC Davis; university budget crisis, 1960s; public-private research partnerships.