DUNSTAN CHESTNUT TREE PLANTING -front of Hanes Gym

About this event

Greensboro College to Honor Former Professor and Pioneering Horticulturist with Dunstan Chestnut Tree Planting.

Greensboro College will celebrate the legacy of former professor and pioneering plant breeder Dr. Robert T. Dunstan with a special Dunstan Chestnut tree planting on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 11 a.m. in front of Hanes Gym, located at 815 W. Market St.

The planting will honor Dunstan's contributions to horticulture and his 36-year career at Greensboro College, where he served as a professor of Romance languages from 1927 to 1963. Although his professional career centered on teaching languages, Dunstan developed a passion for plant breeding that led to groundbreaking advancements in grape cultivation and the development of the Dunstan Chestnut, a hybrid chestnut tree known for its resistance to chestnut blight.

Born in Windsor, North Carolina, in 1901, Dunstan attended Trinity College, now Duke University, before earning his doctorate in Romance languages from the University of Wisconsin. In 1927, at just 26 years old, he became one of Greensboro College's youngest department heads. Outside the classroom, Dunstan conducted plant breeding experiments at his Greensboro home near what is now Four Seasons Town Centre. His early work focused on developing hybrid grape varieties that could withstand diseases affecting European vineyards. His research ultimately contributed to efforts to protect vineyards in France and earned him international recognition.

Dunstan later turned his attention to the American chestnut, a tree that had been devastated by chestnut blight during the early 20th century. After receiving cuttings from a surviving American chestnut tree discovered in Ohio, he began crossing the species with Chinese chestnuts, which possessed natural resistance to the disease. His work resulted in the Dunstan Chestnut, a hybrid combining the blight resistance of Chinese chestnuts with the larger nuts and vigorous growth of American chestnuts. Developed in Greensboro, the tree became an important part of efforts to reintroduce chestnuts across the United States. Following his retirement, Dunstan relocated to Florida, where he continued his horticultural research. His grandson, Robert Wallace, later helped expand the reach of the Dunstan Chestnut through Chestnut Hill Nursery & Farms in Alachua, Florida.

The upcoming planting represents a connection between Greensboro College's history and Dunstan's lasting scientific legacy. By introducing a Dunstan Chestnut to campus, the College will recognize a former educator whose curiosity and dedication to discovery extended well beyond the classroom. Greensboro College students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the surrounding community are invited to attend the planting.