Everett Smith Beneke


Everett Smith Beneke was an American medical mycologist, and professor of microbiology at Michigan State University. Beneke chaired the American Board of Bioanalysis, he lived in Florida and died in 2010 at the age of 91. He made contributions to the field of human mycoses.

Study and work background

Beneke graduated from Miami University in 1940. After getting a PhD from University of Illinois in 1948, he became a faculty member of Michigan State University, from which he retired in 1987. Beneke had two major research interests. The first study was about species in the puffball genus Calvatia, particularly Calvatia gigantea. In 1964, he researched human fungal pathogens in Brazilian soil. Afterwards, he discovered some particular traits of mycology for medical and became expert of human mycoses. Especially Candida 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. After Al Rogers’ death, Beneke set up a graduate fellowship named after Al Rogers at MSU.

Honors

Beneke received several honors and awards during his career: