Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Following its move to new quarters last fall, a popular section of MAFES Sales Store at Mississippi State now is getting a new name.
In April 28 ceremonies at the facility in the university's Herzer Food Science Building on Stone Boulevard, the dairy products section of the retail space officially becomes the Cardwell Cheese Shoppe.
The 2 p.m. public program will officially honor Joe T. Cardwell, a longtime faculty member and former interim department head who died in 2003. In addition to teaching courses in food chemistry and related subjects, Cardwell also taught generations of Mississippi State students how to produce the popular Edam, Cheddar and cottage cheeses.
Today, the university sells about 40,000 Edam balls and 38,000 Cheddar blocks annually, in addition to campus-produced milk and 15 flavors of ice cream. Especially in demand for Christmas and Easter, the cheese products regularly are shipped to all 50 states.
The Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Sales Store also provides retail space for other MSU products, including eggs and muscadine grape juice.
As part of the dedication ceremonies, university officials will recognize the Cardwell family, as well as Joe Cardwell's legacy at the land-grant institution.
Born in Texas, Cardwell earned bachelor's and master's degrees in dairy manufacturing from Texas Tech University. His doctorate in dairy foods and dairy chemistry was completed at North Carolina State University. In addition to teaching at MSU 1952-1990, he served for more than 30 years as a U.S. Department of Agriculture dairy products grader.
Among many lifetime honors, he was included in Leaders in American Science. He also received the National Kraft Dairy Science Teaching, Southern Division/American Dairy Science Association Honors and MSU Alumni Association Teaching awards.