Department of Zoology

A Department as old as Zoology, which has seen the rising sun for hundred years, has a long history. It has nurtured the glories of its legendary past and at the same time inducted fresh life into itself. Established in 1906, the Department of Zoology is one of the oldest Department of the country. It was Prof. Homersham Cox and Prof. F.M. Howlett, the two personalities with great vision that Biology was introduced as a subject of study for the Bachelor of Science Degree of the University. The teaching began with establishment of the Department of Biology and a class of fifteen students under the tutelage of Prof. F.M. Howlett. On November 7 of the same year, Sir C.F.de la Fosse, the Director of Public Instruction, Made a request to the Executive Engineer of the Public Works Department for planning a building for the Biology Department of the Muir Central College. The building was approved and came up in its present from in the October of 1910 involving a cost of Rs.67,607.00. Having fulfilled his vision, Prof. F.M. Howlett left for PUSA, Delhi in November 1906 and Prof. A.D. Imms, FRS and an Entomologist of world renown, took charge as the Head of the Department after joining it as a Professor of Biology in 1907. However, Prof. Imms did not stay for long and tendered his resignation in the September of 1910 as the climate of the city did not suit his health. He was transferred to Dehradun as Forest Entomologist and left this Department in 1911. Prof. Imms subsequently adorned the chair of the Head of the Department of Entomology at the University of Cambridge.

In the meantime, Prof. D.R. Bhattacharya, one of the students of the first batch of students of B.Sc. tutored under Prof. Howlett, was appointed as Professor of Botany in August 1910. The combination allowed for B.Sc. Degree was Biology, Chemistry, Physics and General English till 1914. In 1915, the Combination of subjects changed and Biology was separated into Botany and Zoology and Physics was eliminated. Prof. A.D. Imms was succeeded by Capt. Parker, IMS, Major Cunninghum, IMS and Prof. D.R. Bhattacharya who acted as Heads for interim period of time

Towards the end of 1912, Dr. W.N.F. Woodland from England took full fledged charge of the Head of the Department. The faculty increased and young and enthusiastic teachers joined the Department. Prof. D.R. Bhattacharya was shifted from Botany to Zoology in the same year as by this time Biology had already been separated into Botany and Zoology. Mr. Ram Saran Nigam also joined the Department in 1912 as the first Demonstrator in Biology. In 1915, a third post was created and Dr. K.N. Bahl joined the Department but left it later to join as Professor in Zoology at Lucknow University.