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Processed as part of NCBS PAST 2025-26. Grantee Name: Labhopping Science Media Forum, Grant Title: Archiving histories of science from Mangalore (1890s–1990s). For details, see
Fr Leo D'Souza, a scientist and former Principal and Rector of St Aloysius College, Mangalore, was born in 1932 in Mangalore. He received his primary and secondary education at St Aloysius College in Mangalore. He decided to become a Jesuit priest and was trained for this in Calicut, Shembaganur and Trichy. At St Joseph's College in Tiruchirapalli, he completed his BSc and MSc in Botany. He then left for Frankfurt, Germany, for further Jesuit training and was ordained a priest in 1967. While in Germany he pursued his doctoral studies at Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, in Cologne. After he completed his PhD in 1970, he did a year of post-doctoral study in Germany. Then he returned to India, as a lecturer at St Joseph's College, Bangalore, from 1973 to 1980, during which time he set up his laboratory dedicated to cashew research. He moved his laboratory to St Aloysius College in Mangalore, when he returned there as Principal, a position he served until 1990, and then as Director of Research and Rector. His laboratory was one of the first 18 tissue culture laboratories recognised by the Department of Science and Technology in India. His team developed the very first tissue cultured cashew plant in 1990, as well as the micropropagation of other plants like Lagerstroemia flos reginae, Ailanthus malabarica, Millingtonia hortensis, as well as other medicinal plants and ferns. It was during Fr Leo D'Souza's principalship that the college finally began admitting girls.
Fr Leo D'Souza - Session 01
Fr Leo D'Souza, a scientist and former Principal and Rector of St Aloysius College, Mangalore, was born in 1932 in Mangalore. He received his primary and secondary education at St Aloysius College in Mangalore. He decided to become a Jesuit priest and was trained for this in Calicut, Shembaganur and Trichy. At St Joseph's College in Tiruchirapalli, he completed his BSc and MSc in Botany. He then left for Frankfurt, Germany, for further Jesuit training and was ordained a priest in 1967. While in Germany he pursued his doctoral studies at Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, in Cologne. After he completed his PhD in 1970, he did a year of post-doctoral study in Germany. Then he returned to India, as a lecturer at St Joseph's College, Bangalore, from 1973 to 1980, during which time he set up his laboratory dedicated to cashew research. He moved his laboratory to St Aloysius College in Mangalore, when he returned there as Principal, a position he served until 1990, and then as Director of Research and Rector. His laboratory was one of the first 18 tissue culture laboratories recognised by the Department of Science and Technology in India. His team developed the very first tissue cultured cashew plant in 1990, as well as the micropropagation of other plants like Lagerstroemia flos reginae, Ailanthus malabarica, Millingtonia hortensis, as well as other medicinal plants and ferns. It was during Fr Leo D'Souza's principalship that the college finally began admitting girls.
(00:00:00) Early schooling at St Aloysius, Mangalore; Jesuit training at Calicut; memories of teachers who taught him (00:10:44) Influence of his two brothers who was a Jesuit priest and a scientist at BARC respectively (00:13:20) Some glimpses of Mangalore, the city, as it was during his childhood (00:17:08) Early impressions of biology and how that changed; humorous incident in the laboratory
Access Level 1: Online. See
Fr Leo D'Souza - Session 02
Fr Leo D'Souza, a scientist and former Principal and Rector of St Aloysius College, Mangalore, was born in 1932 in Mangalore. He received his primary and secondary education at St Aloysius College in Mangalore. He decided to become a Jesuit priest and was trained for this in Calicut, Shembaganur and Trichy. At St Joseph's College in Tiruchirapalli, he completed his BSc and MSc in Botany. He then left for Frankfurt, Germany, for further Jesuit training and was ordained a priest in 1967. While in Germany he pursued his doctoral studies at Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, in Cologne. After he completed his PhD in 1970, he did a year of post-doctoral study in Germany. Then he returned to India, as a lecturer at St Joseph's College, Bangalore, from 1973 to 1980, during which time he set up his laboratory dedicated to cashew research. He moved his laboratory to St Aloysius College in Mangalore, when he returned there as Principal, a position he served until 1990, and then as Director of Research and Rector. His laboratory was one of the first 18 tissue culture laboratories recognised by the Department of Science and Technology in India. His team developed the very first tissue cultured cashew plant in 1990, as well as the micropropagation of other plants like Lagerstroemia flos reginae, Ailanthus malabarica, Millingtonia hortensis, as well as other medicinal plants and ferns. It was during Fr Leo D'Souza's principalship that the college finally began admitting girls.
(00:00:00) The circumstances that led to him going to Germany to study theology (00:05:25) Serendipitous meeting in Munich that led him to pursue a PhD (00:08:19) His embarrassing first meeting with the director of Max Planck Institute For Plant Breeding and beginning his doctoral studies there (00:11:10) Early days at the institute and reactions of colleagues to seeing him there; choosing his research topic. (00:14:45) Highlights of his research into cross-breeding wheat and rye; his experience speaking and writing his thesis in German (00:17:23) Doing the final stage of his Jesuit training called tertianship in Berlin (00:18:30) Return to India and receiving advice from MS Swaminathan to study cashew (00:20:18) Being sent to St Joseph's College, Bangalore, and setting up his laboratory there. (00:22:08) Memories and impressions of Bangalore; associations with other scientists and institutes in the city
Access Level 1: Online. See
Fr Leo D'Souza - Session 03
Fr Leo D'Souza, a scientist and former Principal and Rector of St Aloysius College, Mangalore, was born in 1932 in Mangalore. He received his primary and secondary education at St Aloysius College in Mangalore. He decided to become a Jesuit priest and was trained for this in Calicut, Shembaganur and Trichy. At St Joseph's College in Tiruchirapalli, he completed his BSc and MSc in Botany. He then left for Frankfurt, Germany, for further Jesuit training and was ordained a priest in 1967. While in Germany he pursued his doctoral studies at Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, in Cologne. After he completed his PhD in 1970, he did a year of post-doctoral study in Germany. Then he returned to India, as a lecturer at St Joseph's College, Bangalore, from 1973 to 1980, during which time he set up his laboratory dedicated to cashew research. He moved his laboratory to St Aloysius College in Mangalore, when he returned there as Principal, a position he served until 1990, and then as Director of Research and Rector. His laboratory was one of the first 18 tissue culture laboratories recognised by the Department of Science and Technology in India. His team developed the very first tissue cultured cashew plant in 1990, as well as the micropropagation of other plants like Lagerstroemia flos reginae, Ailanthus malabarica, Millingtonia hortensis, as well as other medicinal plants and ferns. It was during Fr Leo D'Souza's principalship that the college finally began admitting girls.
(00:00:00) Circumstances that led to his return to St Aloysius College as Principal; adjusting to administrative tasks and moving his lab (00:05:52) How he kept his lab running; an anecdote about hiring one of his students Smitha Hegde and his experiences working with his first PhD scholar Icy D'Silva (00:08:35) The journey of allowing women students to enroll at St Aloysius (00:14:29) The research that led to the first tissue culture cashew plant in the world
Access Level 1: Online. See
Fr Leo D'Souza - Session 04
Fr Leo D'Souza, a scientist and former Principal and Rector of St Aloysius College, Mangalore, was born in 1932 in Mangalore. He received his primary and secondary education at St Aloysius College in Mangalore. He decided to become a Jesuit priest and was trained for this in Calicut, Shembaganur and Trichy. At St Joseph's College in Tiruchirapalli, he completed his BSc and MSc in Botany. He then left for Frankfurt, Germany, for further Jesuit training and was ordained a priest in 1967. While in Germany he pursued his doctoral studies at Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, in Cologne. After he completed his PhD in 1970, he did a year of post-doctoral study in Germany. Then he returned to India, as a lecturer at St Joseph's College, Bangalore, from 1973 to 1980, during which time he set up his laboratory dedicated to cashew research. He moved his laboratory to St Aloysius College in Mangalore, when he returned there as Principal, a position he served until 1990, and then as Director of Research and Rector. His laboratory was one of the first 18 tissue culture laboratories recognised by the Department of Science and Technology in India. His team developed the very first tissue cultured cashew plant in 1990, as well as the micropropagation of other plants like Lagerstroemia flos reginae, Ailanthus malabarica, Millingtonia hortensis, as well as other medicinal plants and ferns. It was during Fr Leo D'Souza's principalship that the college finally began admitting girls.
(00:00:00) The reason for his passion for research, specifically cashew research; history and uses of cashew (00:05:16) Hard work of Icy D'Silva; the difficulties of working with the cashew research institute in Ullal (00:08:35) Leading a women-majority lab; interactions with his women colleagues and students; Convincing the college to start a PhD programme (00:12:57) Accommodating for childcare needs of his students; career progression of his students (00:16:18) On his identity as a priest and scientist
Access Level 1: Online. See