Franklin Sogandares

Franklin Sogandares-Bernal, professor, charmer, hunter, story teller and lecturer, was born May 12, 1931 in Ancon, Panama Canal Zone to Anastasio and Blanca Bernal Sogandares. While growing up in Panama he enjoyed fishing and hunting with his Uncle, and would help punch cows on his grandfather’s ranch. In 1951 after graduating high school in the Canal Zone, he moved to New Orleans where he received a BS in Biological Sciences from Tulane University. He continued his graduate education at the University of Nebraska Lincoln at where he simultaneously earned a master’s degree in 1957 and a PhD in Zoology and Anatomy in 1958. While in Nebraska, he married Judith Alis Stanley. He said “it was the worst year of his life” and they later divorced. He spent 1957-1958 working for the state of Florida as a marine parasitologist. He returned to New Orleans in 1958 where he became an instructor at Tulane. He was promoted to full professor of Biological Sciences (parasitology) and Bioscience at Tulane and resided there until 1971. He had the distinct honor of achieving full professor after only 4 years. He eventually became the director of graduate studies in the department of Biological Sciences and served as coordinator for science planning for the construction of the Stern Building, an important addition to the Science Center at Tulane. He married Lucy Ann McAlister in 1960 and they had three children. They divorced in 1982. In 1971 he moved his family to Missoula where he served as a professor and the Chairman of the Zoology department at the University of Montana. He eventually transferred to the department of microbiology. In Montana he enjoyed hunting bear and other big game. He and his family enjoyed their time in the mountains and spent a considerable amount of time enjoying the outdoors. In 1974 he and his family moved to Dallas to continue his work as a Biological Sciences professor and served as Chairman of the Biology Department at Southern Methodist University where he remained until his retirement in 1996. He continued to maintain professional contact as Emeritus Professor at SMU. During these years he served on advisory panels of the National Research Council where he traveled to Egypt and Kenya to report on post-doctoral programs at U.S. installations in the region. He was the Director of Infectious Disease Research for the Baylor Research Foundation in Dallas and was also a medical staff affiliate in the department of pathology at Baylor University Medical Center. Because he attained a position of leadership in parasitological research, he was awarded the Henry Baldwin Ward medal of the American Society of Parasitologists in 1969. Throughout his esteemed career, he published about 100 articles on his research findings that have appeared in peer reviewed national and international journals. When he retired in 1996, his close friend Dr. George Race encouraged him to move to Lampasas county where he bought a small ranch near Adamsville, Texas and tended to his many interests which included hunting, angering the neighbors, and training his dogs to do things he would later regret. He furthered his interest in hunting by building amazingly accurate custom hunting rifles based on Mauser actions. He enjoyed reading and discussing history. His generous kind hearted spirit will be missed by all who knew him. In lieu of flowers or gifts he asks that you do not vote for Hilary.