Department of Biology

The Warren family in 1947—Mira, Don, and their daughter Alice.

Don C. Warren was born on a farm, but was not interested in farming. When he became engaged to Inez Elmira "Mira" Shierling in 1911, he asked his father to forgo a proposed wedding gift of $500 and a cow. Instead, Warren convinced his father to let him use the money to attend Indiana University. Warren earned additional income by working in a zoology laboratory, while Mira made and sold hats at a local shop. He earned two Zoology degrees from IU, a B.A. in 1914 and an M.A. in 1917. Warren earned his Ph.D. in 1924 from Columbia University, working with the famed geneticist, Thomas Hunt Morgan.

Although his research at both institutions involved Drosophila, Don Warren went on to become a pioneer in the field of poultry genetics. He spent 25 years researching poultry production on the faculty at Kansas State University. At the request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, he devoted eight years to the implementation of a new program on poultry production at Purdue University. Warren also spent 12 years as a geneticist at Kimber Farms, where he developed strains of disease-resistant chickens. He received numerous awards for his contributions to poultry science and was an elected fellow of the Poultry Science Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Warren died in 1994 at the age of 103.