Dr. E. Wayne Shell came to Auburn University from Butler County, Alabama. He earned his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Fisheries from Auburn University and went on to earn his Ph.D. in Fish Nutrition and Physiology at Cornell University. Shell then began a 35 year career as a professor at Auburn University. He first taught fisheries courses in the Department of Zoology-Entomology and became an instrumental figure in establishing the Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquaculture. In 1973, Shell became head of the department and held this position until his retirement in 1994. While teaching at Auburn University, he also played a leading role in expanding the commercial catfish industry. One aspect of his work, for example, involved the research and application of genetically altering catfish for maximal efficiency. Other initiatives launched under Dr. Shell’s leadership include forming a Fish Genetics Research Center, creating the Aquacultural Information Network which makes production data utilized by fisheries accessible anywhere, and establishing the prestigious International Center for Aquaculture at Auburn University. Shell retired from teaching at Auburn University in 1994. Over the course of his career and since his retirement he has published three books and numerous articles. His books include Fish Farming Research (1983), The Development of Aquaculture: An Ecosystems Perspective (1993), and a comprehensive history of Alabama agriculture entitled Evolution of the Alabama Agroecosystem: Always Keeping Up, But Never Catching Up (2013). A final draft for his latest book on the history of the school of fisheries at Auburn Universty was completed in 2017.