Dr. Tony J. Cunha
Dr. Tony J. Cunha, 74, joined the animal science faculty at the University of Florida in 1948 as associate professor. He was educated at the California Polytechnic State University (1936-1939) and received his bachelor's degree and master's degree at Utah State University (1940 and 1941), and his doctorate at the University of Wisconsin (1944). He taught at Washington State University in Pullman from 1944 to 1948. After being selected as chairman of the department at Gainesville, Dr. Cunha, beginning with meager resources, gathered an outstanding faculty whose work contributed significantly to improving the Florida livestock industry. He was in charge of the coordination of teaching, extension and research in animal science through the University of Florida and 10 branch stations throughout the state. Dr. Cunha specialized in swine nutrition, but upon becoming chairman of the department expanded it greatly from animal nutrition to include research, teaching and extension programs in meat science, breeding, physiology and production management. He authored 1,512 scientific and professional articles and wrote, edited or contributed to 36 books. Dr. Cunha initiated the beef cattle short course and was its chairman for 25 years, and also initiated the Latin American livestock and poultry conference. He was named Distinguished Service Professor in 1972. After his retirement from the University of Florida, he returned to California to serve as Dean of the School of Agriculture at Cal-Poly from 1975 to 1980 and was named Dean Emeritus and served as university consultant for agriculture from 1980 to 1990. He has received 45 awards from various university, state, national and international groups, and was named one of the first two Distinguished Service Professorships given by the University of Florida. In 1966, Dr. Cunha was named Progressive Farmer magazine Man of the Year in Service to Florida Agriculture.
