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DR. SYED FAKHRUL HASSAN (1924-1994)
ABDUL GHAFFAR
Obituary: Dr. Syed Fakhrul Hassan died of
cardiac arrest due to respiratory failure on 1st March 1994. May God Almighty
shower his choicest blessings upon the departed soul and may his soul rest in
peace in heaven. Amen.
Dr. Syed Fakhrul Hassan s/o Mr. Syed Ali Hassan was
born on 10th October, 1924 in Byderabad Deccan, India. He graduated from the Osmania
University, Hyderabad Deccan in 1945 and then went to USA to carry out graduate
work in mycology and plant pathology at the Univers.ity of Minnesota (1946-49).
Dr. Hassan had the opportunity of working with Prof. E.c. Stakman and Prof. J.J.Christensen
on the epidemiology, dessimination, varietal reaction and race identification
of rusts of wheat. He also carried out research studies on "Root rot of oats
in relation to varietal improvement" for which he was awarded the degree
of Ph.D. by the University of Minnesota in 1949.
On his return from USA, Dr.
Hassan joined the Department of Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture, Government
of Pakistan, Karachi as an Assistant Plant Pathologist in November 1950. Dr. Hassan
initiated work on rusts and smuts of cereal grains in Pakistan under the USDA
and. Food and Agriculture Council of Pakistan (1953-58). He also conducted courses
in Plant Pathology at the Department of Botany, University of Karachi (1955).
Under his supervision a cereal rust laboratory was established in Karachi (1958-63)
which then moved to Sunny Bank, Murree (1963). Dr. Hassan served as Senior Plant
Pathologist (1963-73) at the Crop Diseases Research Station, Islamabad which was
then upgraded as Crop Disease Research Institute and Dr. Hassan served as its
Director. Dr. Hassan was the Chief Organizer of the International Wheat Diseases
Methodology Workshop at Islamabad from March 15-19,1981 in collaboration with
the Netherlands Government, IPO, ICARDA and CIMMYT. Dr. Hassan developed Vitreous
Haemorrhage in both eyes and then retired from the PARC in December, 1983 as the
Director of CDR!. Dr. Hassan continued to maintain his interest in Plant Pathology
research and advisory work. .
Dr. Hassan has published 52 scientific research
papers in journals of international repute mostly on race identification, varietal
reaction to rusts of wheat besides reports of Uromyces pisi, rust diseases
on Digitaria, Latlzyrus and Aspergillus flavus on the desert locust.
Dr.
Hassan was a widely traveled plant Pathologist. He had visited Plant Pathology
research stations at Louisiana, Beltsville, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Texas, Kansas,
Florida, Illinois and CIMMYT in Mexico.
Dr. Hassan in his early days took active
part in geological and botanical excursions. He was the member of the volleyball
team of Usmania University and also took great interest in gymnastics.
Dr.
Hassan has left behind a son (Syed Mohyuddin), 4 daughters ( Ghosia, Mahmooda,
Mehbooba, Zenab) and a host of his friends and colleagues to mourn the loss. Dr.
Hassan will be remembered as a pioneer of a cereal rust diseases investigations
in Pakistan.
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