The history
The MPU was founded in 1962 as a regional Society of plant pathologists, in response to the invitation that Professor Israel Reichert (“On research and co-operation of Mediterranean Phytopathologists”) published in the first issue, in 1960, of Phytopathologia Mediterranea.
The journal, which became the official journal of the Union, had been started in that very year by Professors Ciccarone and Goidànich as an international journal devoted to plant pathology of Mediterranean crops.
Some historical information
Antonio GRANITI
Salvatore GRASSO
On 7 August, 1962, six Italian researchers, three from the University of Bari and Bologna (Vincenzo Grasso, Gilberto Govi and Antonio Graniti) and three from the Plant Pathology Station of the Ministry of Agriculture in Rome (Anna Saponaro, Anna Luisa Madaluni and Maria Benetti) presented before Alfredo Tassitani Farfaglia, a Notary in Rome, to sign the deed of incorporation of a new Scientific Association, the “Mediterranean Phytopathological Union” (https://doi.org/10.36253/phyto-14192).
The first appointments in this Society were: Prof. Cesare Sibilia as President, Jean Barthelet and Umberto Francisco Diaz as Vice Presidents, and Vincenzo Grasso as Secretary-Treasurer.
The Union celebrated its 60th anniversary with a dedicated Special section in Phytopathologia Mediterranea.
The first President of MPU was Antonio Ciccarone, and, in succession, G. Viennot-Bourgin, A. Graniti, E.C. Tjamos, F. Lamberti, K.M. Makkouk, A. Phillips, A. Logrieco, and presently D. Tsitsigiannis.
They were assisted by Board and Council and from members from many different countries.
Gilberto GOVI
Antonio CICCARONE
Emeritus members of the Union
The Emeritus Membership is a mark of recognition by MPU of an individual’s contribution in disseminating knowledge about plant pathology and its practice, and of outstanding service to the Society, by promoting relationships and interactions among the scientific community, researchers, institutions, and society. Here you can find a list of the MPU’s Emeritus Members:
- Prof. Antonio Graniti (Italy)
- Prof. Bogdan Cvetkovic (Croatia)
- Prof. Jacoov Katan (Israel)
- Dr. Khaled Makkouk (Lebanon)
- Prof. Hikmet Saygilii (Turkey)
- Prof. Eleftherios Tjamos (Greece)
