Oral History : Dr Fr Leo D’Souza

Content Description

Audio recordings and associated summaries of a series of oral history interviews with Dr Fr Leo D’Souza, a botanist and former Principal and Rector of St Aloysius College, Mangalore. Since Fr Leo is 93 years of age and suffers from health issues, the interview was conducted over 4 sessions of 20-25 minutes each. In the interviews, he recounts his experience receiving school education at St Aloysius, the circumstances that led him to pursue botany and his higher education in Trichy and Germany. He also shares the events—including advice from MS Swaminathan—leading up to his choice to set up a lab dedicated to cashew plants and tissue culture in the late 1970s. He speaks about his reluctant acceptance of Principalship at St Aloysius. He also recollects his early recruits, largely women, including Icy D’Silva who under his guidance grew the first tissue culture cashew tree in the world, as well as Smitha Hegde who is one of the country’s foremost pteridologists today. He also speaks about his successful efforts to convert the 100+ year old boys’ college into a co-educational institution.

Condition Description

New digital file

Accession Date

2025-04-29

Dispostion

NA. Interview created for project for long-term preservation at Archives at NCBS

Acquisition Type

Gift

Provenance

NA, new digital file created by grantee for long-term preservation at Archives at NCBS

Retention Rule

Fr Leo D'Souza is a 93-year-old scientist who started the first research laboratory of St Aloysius College, Mangalore, in the 1970s. He was crucial in opening up the boys-only institution to girls and women in the 1980s. In this way, the accession fits the scope of PAST as well as the work of Labhopping Science Media Forum.

Language of Description

English

Script of Description

Latin

Restrictions Apply

Yes

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for access unless mentioned in specific folders of the finding aid.

Use Restrictions

Copyright may not have been assigned to Archives at NCBS. Permission for reproduction or distribution must be obtained in writing from the Archives at NCBS (archives@ncbs.res.in). See access guidelines for more information (https://archives.ncbs.res.in/access). The Archives at NCBS makes no representation that it is the copyright owner in all of its collections. The user must obtain all necessary rights and clearances before use of material and material may only be reproduced for academic and non-commercial use.