The Graphic Arts department was responsible for creating the memorable layouts, logos and designs seen on brochures, advertisements, signs, flags and banners. The department provided drafting and technical illustration assistance for publications. The darkroom formerly in Endeavour Hall was set up, maintained and operated by the department. The Graphic Arts department operated as a cost center, and therefore needed to charge for its services to recover expenses.
As the department of Communications on main campus grew, the need for the Graphic Arts department at the Center began to reduce.
Dale W. Gassaway, Graphic Artist (1975-76)
Dale provided graphics and drafting support for faculty publications, reports. Assisted in development of layout and format for the Center’s publications. He also provided drafting and photographic support for instructional programs and was responsible for the set-up and operation of photographic facilities.
Carol Cassidy, Graphics Artist (1977-79)
Carol was appointed February, 1977. She designed the MSRC Associates Program brochure and revamped the MESP Brochure. She also completed setup of darkroom and provided 90% of departmental drafting services. She supervised printing of two MSRC reports and one MSRC newsletter.
Carol selected and trained a pool of part-time help to build up the capacity of the graphic department and provide full, timely support for faculty and staff publications. She managed the financial accounts for her department, now operated on a zero-base budget. She also redesigned the graphics for the Center’s Technical and Special Reports and prepared layout and designs for symposia brochures.
Marie T. (Mitzi) Eisel, Graphic Artist (1979-
Appointed as MSRC’s graphic artist, Mitzi replaced Carol Cassidy on the latter’s resignation. She developed a flexible system of part-time personnel to meet increasing drafting and technical illustration requirements and established administrative procedures and records to assure full recovery of the graphics department’s operating costs. Mitsi designed new covers and layouts for MSRC publications and brochures and initiated a photographic library. Mitsi was also responsible for designing the very effective MSRC display board for conferences and exhibits that appears in many of the archival photographs.
Mitzi directed MSRC’s Graphic Arts Department that produced, on average, twenty technical illustrations per day in support of publications by MSRC faculty, staff and students. She maintained photographic equipment and services, including complete Black and White Darkroom, Photostat Camera providing enlargements end reductions of artwork for Publication and Polaroid Copy equipment for rapid slide preparation. She prepared over 200 drawings to illustrate the textbook “Marine Ecology,” written by Professor Jeffrey Levinton of the Ecology and Evolution Department and prepared drawings for the ongoing series of reference textbooks “Wastes in the Ocean” edited by Professor I. W. Dudall of Florida Institute of Technology. Volumes I & II of the 5 Vol. series are complete. She administered the recharge system that supported MSRC’s Graphic Arts Department and generated the funding to upgrade our graphic arts facilities and equipment.
Lori Palmer, Graphic Artist
Lori joined MSRC in 1990 as the head of the Graphic Arts Department.
