University of Delaware
Office of Public Relations
The Messenger
Vol. 6, No. 1/1996
Recognition: A Special Report
To Preserve the Elms

     When I saw the grounds crew replacing dying elms on the
Mall, I asked if I could donate two for the front of Sypherd
Residence Hall where I lived as a student," says Steve Grimble,
Delaware '66.
     Grimble, who was recently appointed treasurer and vice
president of the University, says he always enjoyed walking under
the towering elm trees, which have been a hallmark of the
University Mall for decades. His contribution is among the first
in a newly established campus beautification program, which
allows alumni and friends to sponsor the planting of a tree or
the placement of a bench at the Newark or Wilmington campuses or
at the Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes.
     Grimble says he took pleasure in the Mall even before he
became a student.
     And, when he first arrived on campus, John L. Burmeister,
Alumni Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry,
recalls being "totally captivated by the [Mall's] grace, beauty
and timelessness."
     Planted by students sometime after 1917, when a development
plan for the newly combined Delaware College and the Women's
College provided for a "Green," these lofty sentinels have
watched over generations of students.
     In a recent speech, Carol Hoffecker, Richards Professor of
History, said, "in defiance of Dutch elm disease, [the elms}
continue to define the Mall today, their overarching branches
providing shade in summer and a graceful, yet rugged, beauty in
all seasons."
     However, Dutch elm disease, which first struck in the 1960s,
has taken its toll. Currently, there are 40 elms on the Mall and
45 in other campus areas, for a total of 85 trees still standing.
This compares to 163 trees in 1972, Roger Bowman, supervisor of
the grounds division, says.
     When springtime blossoms reach their peak on campus, the elm
bark beetle, Ceotocystitits ulmi, which transmits the Dutch elm
disease fungus, emerges to mate and lay its eggs under the bark
of elm trees. The beetle larvae feed on the tree, and, in May,
mature beetles fly to tops of nearby trees to feed on new growth
and begin the cycle again.
     The major symptom of the disease is flagging, when leaves in
the crown of the tree turn yellow, and brown streaking is found
in the wood.
     Trying to preserve the elms, campus grounds workers remove
diseased portions of the trees and all dead wood, inject
fungicide and also spray for elm bark beetles. Beetles also are
lured and killed by adhesive traps placed around campus.
     This year, four trees were lost to Dutch elm disease, and
one was destroyed in a storm. Gradually, the elms on the Mall are
being replaced by zelkova village green trees, whose wine-glass
shape and foliage is similar to American elms, but which are not
susceptible to Dutch elm disease.
     Many friends of the University have expressed an interest in
helping to contribute to campus beautification, according to John
M. Clayton Jr., assistant director for administrative services in
the University development office. Several teak benches have been
positioned along the Mall, and other donors have contributed to
the planting of trees on the grounds of the Blue and Gold Club
and at Harrington Beach.
     Under the new program, a small plaque will mark gifts as
tributes to loved ones or to commemorate events, such as
birthdays or anniversaries. There are several gift opportunities
possible, ranging from $100 to $1,250, or donors may contribute
to larger projects.
     For further information or to contribute, contact Clayton,
at telephone (302) 831-2104.