Man and Animals by 
Dr. Leonard Pearson was the third Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, serving from 1897 to 1909 after graduating from the Veterinary School in 1890. Early in his career his work in stopping contagious bovine pleuro-pneumonia for the United States Department of Agriculture led to better methods for diagnosing and controlling tuberculosis in cattle. He was appointed State Veterinarian of Pennsylvania in 1895 and wrote prolifically on agricultural subjects, including sanitary practices and livestock breeding. He helped to organize – and then served on – the State Livestock Sanitary Board, (founded in 1896) whose purpose was to research the spread of communicable diseases in animals.
During his time as Dean, Pearson’s ongoing dedication to agriculture led him to establish the State Laboratory, located in the Vet School, and the Experimental Farm – the earliest predecessor to New Bolton Center – in Marple Township, advancing the School’s research capabilities. He convened the first veterinary conference for practicing veterinarians in 1900. Dean Pearson had a lasting impact on the field of veterinary medicine; he was well-known and well-appreciated by members of the agricultural community in Pennsylvania and beyond, and his untimely death was mourned widely.
Veterinarians in the garb used for work with foot and mouth disease in cattle, circa 1909. Dean Leonard Pearson is third from right.
Featured in "Man and Animals" (see Learn more about Leonard Pearson)
Dr. Augustus Nathaniel Lushington was the first black veterinarian to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Before coming to Penn, Dr. Lushington studied agriculture at Cornell University for two years and he spent much of his career working in agriculture. Dr. Lushington attended Penn from 1894 to 1897.
After practicing veterinary medicine for a few years in Philadelphia, Dr. Lushington moved to Virginia to teach veterinary sanitation and hygiene at the Bell Mead Industrial and Agricultural College. In the early 1900s, he decided to move to Lynchburg, Virginia to open his own veterinary practice. He faced discrimination as white farmers refused to pay him for his services, forcing him to take on other jobs to support his family. He worked as both a meat inspector and statistics reporter for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Bureau of Animal Industry. Dr. Lushington’s veterinary and agricultural work continued until his death at age 69.
