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Description: Robert Hutchinson Foote (1922 - 2008) pioneered research on preservation of sperm for artificial insemination, spermatogenesis, oogenesis and embryo transfer, and in vitro fertilization, leading to over 500 peer reviewed publications. He discovered that antibacterial agents in extended bull semen increased fertility and prevented the spread of some venereal diseases. His research established that oogenesis to form oocytes was completed before birth, described the stages of spermatogenesis and established the rate of sperm production, and paved the way for commercial embryo transfer in cattle. Prof. Foote grew up on a dairy farm near Gilead, CT, and obtained a B.S. degree from the Univ. of Connecticut. He was awarded a bronze cross and a silver star for his service commanding a unit of Nisei during WW II. He obtained a Ph.D. (1950) with Glen Salisbury at Cornell University, served on the Cornell faculty for over 40 years and thereafter as an emeritus professor. Over 8,500 baccalaureate level students enrolled in his course on Animal Reproduction, and over 110 people did postgraduate or post-doctoral studies in his laboratory. Prof. Foote served on numerous committees for NIH, USDA, and several scientific societies. He also served on the editorial boards for six scientific journals, and as an officer in several scientific societies. His contributions were recognized by awards from the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, the Society for the Study of Reproduction, the International Society for Embryo Transfer, the National Association for Animal Breeders, and several organizations in the state of New York as well as Japan and China. More details of his contributions may be found in Biology of Reproduction 2000 Vol. 62, Supplement 1: 10-11.

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