West Corner of Kissena Boulevard and 65th Avenue at Queens College is Named for the Late Barry Commoner, a QC Professor and One of the Founders of the U.S. Environmental Movement
–New York City Council Member James Gennaro helped lead effort; Commoner founded and headed the college’s Center for the Biology of Natural Systems, which was renamed for him in 2014–
Flushing, NY, October 10, 2023—Queens College President Frank H. Wu, New York City Council Member James Gennaro, Barry Commoner Center for Health and the Environment Director Steven Markowitz, and Commoner’s widow Lisa Feiner gathered at the west corner of Kissena Boulevard and 65th Avenue on Thursday, October 5, at 10 am to name it Barry Commoner Way. Commoner was a renowned environmental scientist, who taught at the college and headed its Center for the Biology of Natural Systems (CBNS)—which he founded—for nearly 20 years. A reception for participants followed in the lobby of the college’s Goldstein Theatre, adjacent to the intersection.
“We thank New York City Council Member James Gennaro and his staff, who pursued this honor for Professor Commoner—we know how much work takes place behind the scenes to have a street named in New York City,” said Queens College President Frank H. Wu. “Barry Commoner taught at Queens College and brought his research center to this campus, so we are happy to claim him as our own. He was ahead of his time, promoting sustainability before it was a popular concept. We often refer to Queens as the world’s borough, so it’s appropriate that Commoner will be recognized in perpetuity in this corner of the planet.”
A Brooklyn-born biologist admired as one of the founders of the environmental movement in the United States, Commoner opposed nuclear weapons testing, led a study that found dioxin in the breast milk of Inuit women in the Arctic, and ran for the presidency on the Citizens Party, which he also founded. After teaching at Washington University in St. Louis for more than 30 years, he moved his Center for the Biology of Natural Systems to Queens College, which subsequently renamed the center for him.
“Barry Commoner mentored me, encouraged me to run for office when I was a staff member of the environmental committee, and helped me to believe in myself. The world and the people of the United States owe so much to Barry Commoner, but to me, he was my mentor and friend,” said Council Member James F. Gennaro. “I’m sure there are many stories like mine, but I owe so much to him, and I dedicate my work on behalf of our environment to his memory. I am proud to have spearheaded the legislative effort to co-name this intersection after Barry. It is my sincere hope that every time someone walks past this sign, they are reminded of all that he has accomplished.”
Barry Commoner (1917-2012) was a prominent scientist, widely known for writing and lecturing on the relationship between public policy and environmental and energy problems. He played a pivotal role in nearly every important phase of the environmental movement, including protests in the 1950s against nuclear weapons testing, efforts starting in the 1960s to make scientific research accessible to the public, the energy debates of the 1970s, and campaigns in the 1980s and 1990s to promote recycling and address concerns about pesticides, toxic chemicals, and waste management. He championed the idea of empowering citizens to respond to these issues by providing them with accurate and accessible information.
A Navy veteran, Commoner earned degrees from Columbia and Harvard. He taught at both schools as well as Washington University in St. Louis, where he founded CBNS, internationally known for its pioneering research on environmental and energy problems. Commoner moved the center to Queens College in 1981 and served as director until 2000. It was re-named the Barry Commoner Center for Health and the Environment in 2014.
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