Everett Smith Beneke (July 6, 1918 – May 21, 2010) was an American medical mycologist, and professor of microbiology at Michigan State University (1948–1987). Beneke chaired the American Board of Bioanalysis (1968–2004), he lived in Florida and died in 2010 at the age of 91.[1] He made contributions to the field of human mycoses.
Photo of Professor Everett Smith Beneke, Mycologist, taken in Safety Harbor FL, ca. 2000
Beneke graduated from Miami University (Ohio) in 1940. After getting a PhD from University of Illinois in 1948, he became a faculty member of Michigan State University (MSU), from which he retired in 1987. Beneke had two major research interests. The first study was about species in the puffball genus Calvatia,[2][3] particularly Calvatia gigantea.[4][5][6] In 1964, he researched human fungal pathogens in Brazilian soil.[7] Afterwards, he discovered some particular traits of mycology for medical and became expert of human mycoses. Especially Candida[8][9] and candidiasis were his concentrations. Numerous books were published by Beneke and his partner Alvin Rogers; these publications set fundamental criteria for the later studies. When Beneke was in MSU, he taught medical mycology for the students of physicians, microbiologists and veterinarians at MSU with Rogers, and at the Medical School of the Federal University of Mina Gerais, Belo Horizontal Brazil during the summers. Both Beneke and Rogers served as short-term consultants for the MSU/Brazilian project.[10] After Al Rogers’ death, Beneke set up a graduate fellowship named after Al Rogers at MSU.[1]
Beneke received several honors and awards during his career:[1]
1961–1962: President of Mycological Society of America; Chairman of the section on mycology of the International Association of Microbiological Societies; A symposium was published in Mycopathologia (Vol. 109, No.2)
1968–2004: Chaired the American Board of Bioanalysis
1971: The honor roll of Journal of Diseases of Children
1987: Meritorious Faculty Award by College of Natural Sciences of Michigan State University
1991: Recipient of AAB’s Lucien Dean Herter Memorial Award.
“A New Species of Achlya and of Dictyuchus Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society, December 1948 v.64, pt. 2, pp.261-266
“Calvatia, calvacin and cancer”. MYCOLOGIA, 1963 v.55 pp.257–270
“Medical Mycology Manual with human mycoses monograph” (with Alvin Rogers). Minneapolis, Burgess Publishing Company ISBN0-8087-4042-3
"The Incidence and Pectolytic Activity of Fungi Isolated from Michigan Strawberry Fruits" (with LS White, FW Fabian) Applied Microbiology, March 25, 1954, pp.253–258
Beneke, Everett (1961). "Studies on Calvatia gigantea. I. Germination of the Basidiospores". Mycologia. 53 (2): 123–136. doi:10.2307/3756231. JSTOR3756231.
Bulmer, Glenn; Everett, Beneke; Stevens, J.A. (1962). "Studies on Calvatia gigantea. III. Antitumor substances produced by mycelium from germinated spores and parent basidiocarps". Mycologia. 54 (6): 621. doi:10.2307/3756498. JSTOR3756498.
Kolotila, Michael P.; Rogers, Alvin L.; Beneke, Everett S.; Smith, C.Wayne (1987). "The effects of soluble Saccharomyces cerevisiae mannan on the phagocytosis of Candida albicans by mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro". Journal of Medical and Veterinary Mycology. 25 (2): 85–95. doi:10.1080/02681218780000131. PMID3298606.
