diff --git a/webapp/config/web.xml b/webapp/config/web.xml
index b63cd727f..78c73c2fc 100644
--- a/webapp/config/web.xml
+++ b/webapp/config/web.xml
@@ -874,6 +874,19 @@
     <url-pattern>/searchcontroller</url-pattern>
   </servlet-mapping>
 
+  <servlet>
+    <servlet-name>AutocompleteController</servlet-name>
+    <servlet-class>edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.search.controller.AutocompleteController</servlet-class>
+  </servlet>
+  <servlet-mapping>
+    <servlet-name>AutocompleteController</servlet-name>
+    <url-pattern>/autocomplete</url-pattern>
+  </servlet-mapping>
+  <servlet-mapping>
+    <servlet-name>AutocompleteController</servlet-name>
+    <url-pattern>/populateselect</url-pattern>
+  </servlet-mapping>
+  
   <servlet>
     <servlet-name>AdminController</servlet-name>
     <servlet-class>edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.controller.AdminController</servlet-class>
diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/FreeMarkerHttpServlet.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/FreeMarkerHttpServlet.java
index a2ee3e141..c173b0fe8 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/FreeMarkerHttpServlet.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/FreeMarkerHttpServlet.java
@@ -349,6 +349,11 @@ public class FreeMarkerHttpServlet extends VitroHttpServlet {
         writeTemplate(templateName, root);                   
     }
     
+    protected void ajaxWrite(String templateName, Map<String, Object> map) {
+        templateName = "ajax/" + templateName;
+        writeTemplate(templateName, map);                   
+    }
+    
     protected void writeTemplate(String templateName, Map<String, Object> map) {       
         StringWriter sw = mergeToTemplate(templateName, map);          
         write(sw);
diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/TestController.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/TestController.java
index 3544267c6..d5cbb14cd 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/TestController.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/TestController.java
@@ -36,6 +36,19 @@ public class TestController extends FreeMarkerHttpServlet {
         Date now = cal.getTime();
         body.put("now", now);
         // In template: ${now?date}, ${now?datetime}, ${now?time}
+        
+        // You can add to a collection AFTER putting it in the template data model
+        List<String> fruit = new ArrayList<String>();
+        fruit.add("apples");
+        fruit.add("bananas");
+        body.put("fruit", fruit);
+        fruit.add("oranges");
+        
+        // But you cannot modify a scalar after putting it in the data model - the
+        // template still gets the old value
+        String animal = "elephant";
+        body.put("animal", animal);
+        animal = "camel";
    
         // Create the template to see the examples live.
         String bodyTemplate = "test.ftl";             
diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/controller/AutocompleteController.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/controller/AutocompleteController.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0765d0a91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/controller/AutocompleteController.java
@@ -0,0 +1,393 @@
+/* $This file is distributed under the terms of the license in /doc/license.txt$ */
+
+package edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.search.controller;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.LinkedList;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import javax.servlet.ServletConfig;
+import javax.servlet.ServletContext;
+import javax.servlet.ServletException;
+import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
+import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
+
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
+import org.apache.lucene.analysis.Analyzer;
+import org.apache.lucene.document.Document;
+import org.apache.lucene.index.Term;
+import org.apache.lucene.search.BooleanClause;
+import org.apache.lucene.search.BooleanQuery;
+import org.apache.lucene.search.IndexSearcher;
+import org.apache.lucene.search.Query;
+import org.apache.lucene.search.TermQuery;
+import org.apache.lucene.search.TopDocs;
+import org.apache.lucene.search.WildcardQuery;
+import org.apache.lucene.store.Directory;
+import org.apache.lucene.store.FSDirectory;
+
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.beans.Individual;
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.controller.VitroRequest;
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.controller.freemarker.FreeMarkerHttpServlet;
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.dao.IndividualDao;
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.flags.PortalFlag;
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.search.SearchException;
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.search.beans.Searcher;
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.search.beans.VitroHighlighter;
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.search.beans.VitroQuery;
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.search.beans.VitroQueryFactory;
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.search.lucene.Entity2LuceneDoc;
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.search.lucene.LuceneIndexer;
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.search.lucene.LuceneSetup;
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.utils.FlagMathUtils;
+
+/**
+ * AutocompleteController is used to generate autocomplete and select element content
+ * through a Lucene search. The search logic is copied from PagedSearchController.
+ */
+
+/* rjy7 We should have a SearchController that is subclassed by both PagedSearchController 
+ * and AjaxSearchController, so the methods don't all have to be copied into both places.
+ * The parent SearchController should extend FreeMarkerHttpServlet. Can only be done
+ * once PagedSearchController has been moved to FreeMarker.
+ */
+public class AutocompleteController extends FreeMarkerHttpServlet implements Searcher{
+
+    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
+    private static final Log log = LogFactory.getLog(AutocompleteController.class.getName());
+    
+    private IndexSearcher searcher = null;
+    String NORESULT_MSG = "";    
+    private String QUERY_PARAMETER_NAME = "term";
+    private int defaultHitsPerPage = 25;
+    private int defaultMaxSearchSize= 1000;
+
+    public void init(ServletConfig config) throws ServletException {
+        super.init(config);
+        LuceneIndexer indexer=(LuceneIndexer)getServletContext()
+        .getAttribute(LuceneIndexer.class.getName());
+        indexer.addSearcher(this);
+
+        try{
+            String indexDir = getIndexDir(getServletContext());        
+            getIndexSearcher(indexDir);
+        }catch(Exception ex){
+
+        }                                           
+    }
+
+    public void doPost(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response)
+    throws ServletException, IOException {
+        doGet(request, response);
+    }
+
+    public void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response)
+    throws IOException, ServletException {
+        
+        String templateName = request.getServletPath().equals("/autocomplete") ? "autocompleteResults.ftl" : "selectResults.ftl";        
+        Map<String, Object> map = new HashMap<String, Object>();
+        
+        try {
+            doSetup(request, response);
+            
+            PortalFlag portalFlag = vreq.getPortalFlag();
+            
+            // make sure an IndividualDao is available 
+            if( vreq.getWebappDaoFactory() == null 
+                    || vreq.getWebappDaoFactory().getIndividualDao() == null ){
+                log.error("makeUsableBeans() could not get IndividualDao ");
+                doSearchError(templateName, map);
+                return;
+            }
+            IndividualDao iDao = vreq.getWebappDaoFactory().getIndividualDao();                       
+            
+            int maxHitSize = defaultMaxSearchSize;
+
+            String indexDir = getIndexDir(getServletContext());
+            
+            String qtxt = vreq.getParameter(QUERY_PARAMETER_NAME);
+            Analyzer analyzer = getAnalyzer(getServletContext());
+            Query query = getQuery(vreq, portalFlag, analyzer, indexDir, qtxt);             
+            log.debug("query for '" + qtxt +"' is " + query.toString());
+            
+            if (query == null ) {
+                doNoQuery(templateName, map);
+                return;
+            }
+            
+            IndexSearcher searcherForRequest = getIndexSearcher(indexDir);
+                                                
+            TopDocs topDocs = null;
+            try{
+                topDocs = searcherForRequest.search(query,null,maxHitSize);
+            }catch(Throwable t){
+                log.error("in first pass at search: " + t);
+                // this is a hack to deal with odd cases where search and index threads interact
+                try{
+                    wait(150);
+                    topDocs = searcherForRequest.search(query,null,maxHitSize);
+                }catch (Exception ex){
+                    log.error(ex);
+                    doFailedSearch(templateName, map);
+                    return;
+                }
+            }
+
+            if( topDocs == null || topDocs.scoreDocs == null){
+                log.error("topDocs for a search was null");                
+                doFailedSearch(templateName, map);
+                return;
+            }
+            
+            int hitsLength = topDocs.scoreDocs.length;
+            if ( hitsLength < 1 ){                
+                doFailedSearch(templateName, map);
+                return;
+            }            
+            log.debug("found "+hitsLength+" hits"); 
+
+            List<SearchResult> results = new ArrayList<SearchResult>();
+            for(int i=0; i<topDocs.scoreDocs.length ;i++){
+                try{                     
+                    Document doc = searcherForRequest.doc(topDocs.scoreDocs[i].doc);                    
+                    String uri = doc.get(Entity2LuceneDoc.term.URI);
+                    Individual ind = iDao.getIndividualByURI(uri);
+                    if (ind != null) {
+                        String name = ind.getName();
+                        SearchResult result = new SearchResult(name, uri);
+                        results.add(result);
+                    }
+                } catch(Exception e){
+                    log.error("problem getting usable Individuals from search " +
+                            "hits" + e.getMessage());
+                }
+            }   
+
+            Collections.sort(results);
+            map.put("results", results);
+            ajaxWrite(templateName, map);
+   
+        } catch (Throwable e) {
+            log.error("AutocompleteController(): " + e);            
+            doSearchError(templateName, map);
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+
+    private String getIndexDir(ServletContext servletContext) throws SearchException {
+        Object obj = servletContext.getAttribute(LuceneSetup.INDEX_DIR);
+        if( obj == null || !(obj instanceof String) )
+            throw new SearchException("Could not get IndexDir for lucene index");
+        else
+            return (String)obj;
+    }
+
+    private Analyzer getAnalyzer(ServletContext servletContext) throws SearchException {
+        Object obj = servletContext.getAttribute(LuceneSetup.ANALYZER);
+        if( obj == null || !(obj instanceof Analyzer) )
+            throw new SearchException("Could not get anlyzer");
+        else
+            return (Analyzer)obj;        
+    }
+
+    private Query getQuery(VitroRequest request, PortalFlag portalState,
+                       Analyzer analyzer, String indexDir, String querystr ) throws SearchException{
+        Query query = null;
+        try{
+            if( querystr == null){
+                log.error("There was no Parameter '"+ QUERY_PARAMETER_NAME            
+                    +"' in the request.");                
+                return null;
+            }else if( querystr.length() > MAX_QUERY_LENGTH ){
+                log.debug("The search was too long. The maximum " +
+                        "query length is " + MAX_QUERY_LENGTH );
+                return null;
+            } 
+            
+            // The way the analyzer is set up, name:Sm* returns no results,
+            // but name:sm* does.
+            querystr = querystr.toLowerCase();
+            
+            {
+                BooleanQuery boolQuery = new BooleanQuery();          
+                boolQuery.add( 
+                    new WildcardQuery(new Term(Entity2LuceneDoc.term.NAME, querystr+'*')),
+                    BooleanClause.Occur.MUST);
+                Object param = request.getParameter("type");
+                boolQuery.add(  new TermQuery(
+                        new Term(Entity2LuceneDoc.term.RDFTYPE, 
+                                (String)param)),
+                    BooleanClause.Occur.MUST);
+                query = boolQuery;
+            }
+            
+            //check if this is classgroup filtered
+//            Object param = request.getParameter("classgroup");
+//            if( param != null && !"".equals(param)){                         
+//                  BooleanQuery boolQuery = new BooleanQuery();
+//                  boolQuery.add( query, BooleanClause.Occur.MUST);
+//                  boolQuery.add(  new TermQuery(
+//                                      new Term(Entity2LuceneDoc.term.CLASSGROUP_URI, 
+//                                              (String)param)),
+//                                  BooleanClause.Occur.MUST);
+//                  query = boolQuery;
+//            }
+
+            //if we have a flag/portal query then we add
+            //it by making a BooelanQuery.
+            Query flagQuery = makeFlagQuery( portalState );
+            if( flagQuery != null ){
+                BooleanQuery boolQuery = new BooleanQuery();
+                boolQuery.add( query, BooleanClause.Occur.MUST);
+                boolQuery.add( flagQuery, BooleanClause.Occur.MUST);
+                query = boolQuery;
+            }
+
+            
+        }catch (Exception ex){
+            throw new SearchException(ex.getMessage());
+        }
+
+        return query;
+    }
+ 
+    /**
+     * Makes a flag based query clause.  This is where searches can filtered
+     * by portal.
+     *
+     * If you think that search is not working correctly with protals and
+     * all that kruft then this is a method you want to look at.
+     *
+     * It only takes into account "the portal flag" and flag1Exclusive must
+     * be set.  Where does that stuff get set?  Look in vitro.flags.PortalFlag
+     * 
+     * One thing to keep in mind with portal filtering and search is that if
+     * you want to search a portal that is different then the portal the user
+     * is 'in' then the home parameter should be set to force the user into
+     * the new portal.  
+     * 
+     * Ex.  Bob requests the search page for vivo in portal 3.  You want to
+     * have a drop down menu so bob can search the all CALS protal, id 60.
+     * You need to have a home=60 on your search form. If you don't set 
+     * home=60 with your search query, then the search will not be in the
+     * all portal AND the WebappDaoFactory will be filtered to only show 
+     * things in portal 3.    
+     * 
+     * Notice: flag1 as a parameter is ignored. bdc34 2009-05-22.
+     */
+    @SuppressWarnings("static-access")
+    private Query makeFlagQuery( PortalFlag flag){        
+        if( flag == null || !flag.isFilteringActive() 
+                || flag.getFlag1DisplayStatus() == flag.SHOW_ALL_PORTALS )
+            return null;
+
+        // make one term for each bit in the numeric flag that is set
+        Collection<TermQuery> terms = new LinkedList<TermQuery>();
+        int portalNumericId = flag.getFlag1Numeric();        
+        Long[] bits = FlagMathUtils.numeric2numerics(portalNumericId);
+        for (Long bit : bits) {
+            terms.add(new TermQuery(new Term(Entity2LuceneDoc.term.PORTAL, Long
+                    .toString(bit))));
+        }
+
+        // make a boolean OR query for all of those terms
+        BooleanQuery boolQuery = new BooleanQuery();
+        if (terms.size() > 0) {
+            for (TermQuery term : terms) {
+                    boolQuery.add(term, BooleanClause.Occur.SHOULD);
+            }
+            return boolQuery;
+        } else {
+            //we have no flags set, so no flag filtering
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
+
+    private synchronized IndexSearcher getIndexSearcher(String indexDir) {
+        if( searcher == null ){
+            try {                
+                Directory fsDir = FSDirectory.getDirectory(indexDir);
+                searcher = new IndexSearcher(fsDir);
+            } catch (IOException e) {
+                log.error("LuceneSearcher: could not make indexSearcher "+e);
+                log.error("It is likely that you have not made a directory for the lucene index.  "+
+                          "Create the directory indicated in the error and set permissions/ownership so"+
+                          " that the tomcat server can read/write to it.");
+                //The index directory is created by LuceneIndexer.makeNewIndex()
+            }
+        }
+        return searcher;
+    }
+    
+
+    private void doNoQuery(String templateName, Map<String, Object> map) {
+        ajaxWrite(templateName, map);
+    }
+
+    private void doFailedSearch(String templateName, Map<String, Object> map) {
+        ajaxWrite(templateName, map);
+    }
+ 
+    private void doSearchError(String templateName, Map<String, Object> map) {
+        ajaxWrite(templateName, map);
+    }
+
+    public static final int MAX_QUERY_LENGTH = 500;
+
+    public class SearchResult implements Comparable<Object> {
+        private String label;
+        private String uri;
+        
+        SearchResult(String label, String value) {
+            this.label = label;
+            this.uri = value;
+        }
+        
+        public String getLabel() {
+            return label;
+        }
+        
+        public String getUri() {
+            return uri;
+        }
+        
+        public String getJson() {
+            return "{ \"label\": \"" + label + "\", " + "\"uri\": \"" + uri + "\" }";
+        }
+
+        public int compareTo(Object o) throws ClassCastException {
+            if ( !(o instanceof SearchResult) ) {
+                throw new ClassCastException("Error in SearchResult.compareTo(): expected SearchResult object.");
+            }
+            SearchResult sr = (SearchResult) o;
+            return label.compareTo(sr.getLabel());
+        }
+    }
+    
+    
+    /**
+     * Need to accept notification from indexer that the index has been changed.
+     */
+    public void close() {
+        searcher = null;        
+    }
+
+    public VitroHighlighter getHighlighter(VitroQuery q) {
+        throw new Error("PagedSearchController.getHighlighter() is unimplemented");
+    }
+
+    public VitroQueryFactory getQueryFactory() {
+        throw new Error("PagedSearchController.getQueryFactory() is unimplemented");
+    }
+
+    public List search(VitroQuery query) throws SearchException {
+        throw new Error("PagedSearchController.search() is unimplemented");
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/controller/PagedSearchController.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/controller/PagedSearchController.java
index dba6c529e..2d543a95d 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/controller/PagedSearchController.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/controller/PagedSearchController.java
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.utils.Html2Text;
 
 /**
  * PagedSearchController is the new search controller that interacts 
- * directly with the lucene API and returns paged, relivance ranked results.
+ * directly with the lucene API and returns paged, relevance ranked results.
  *  
  * @author bdc34
  *
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ public class PagedSearchController extends VitroHttpServlet implements Searcher{
             Portal portal = vreq.getPortal();
             PortalFlag portalFlag = vreq.getPortalFlag();
             
-            //make sure a IndividualDao is available 
+            //make sure an IndividualDao is available 
             if( vreq.getWebappDaoFactory() == null 
                     || vreq.getWebappDaoFactory().getIndividualDao() == null ){
                 log.error("makeUsableBeans() could not get IndividualDao ");
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ public class PagedSearchController extends VitroHttpServlet implements Searcher{
             
             String qtxt = vreq.getParameter(VitroQuery.QUERY_PARAMETER_NAME);
             Analyzer analyzer = getAnalyzer(getServletContext());
-            Query query = getQuery(vreq, portalFlag, analyzer, indexDir);             
+            Query query = getQuery(vreq, portalFlag, analyzer, indexDir, qtxt);             
             log.debug("query for '" + qtxt +"' is " + query.toString());
             
             if (query == null ) {
@@ -428,10 +428,10 @@ public class PagedSearchController extends VitroHttpServlet implements Searcher{
     }
 
     private Query getQuery(VitroRequest request, PortalFlag portalState,
-                       Analyzer analyzer, String indexDir ) throws SearchException{
+                       Analyzer analyzer, String indexDir, String querystr ) throws SearchException{
         Query query = null;
         try{
-            String querystr = request.getParameter(VitroQuery.QUERY_PARAMETER_NAME);
+            //String querystr = request.getParameter(VitroQuery.QUERY_PARAMETER_NAME);
             if( querystr == null){
                 log.error("There was no Parameter '"+VitroQuery.QUERY_PARAMETER_NAME            
                     +"' in the request.");                
@@ -487,6 +487,9 @@ public class PagedSearchController extends VitroHttpServlet implements Searcher{
                 boolQuery.add( flagQuery, BooleanClause.Occur.MUST);
                 query = boolQuery;
             }
+            
+            log.debug("Query: " + query);
+            
         }catch (Exception ex){
             throw new SearchException(ex.getMessage());
         }
diff --git a/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/ajax/autocompleteResults.ftl b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/ajax/autocompleteResults.ftl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b3acf95f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/ajax/autocompleteResults.ftl
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+<#-- $This file is distributed under the terms of the license in /doc/license.txt -->
+
+<#-- Template for autocomplete results. -->
+
+<#--
+<#import "/lib/json.ftl" as json>
+<@json.array results />
+-->
+
+[ 
+<#if results??>
+    <#list results as result>
+        { "label": "${result.label}", "uri": "${result.uri}" }<#if result_has_next>,</#if>       
+    </#list>
+</#if>
+]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/test.ftl b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/test.ftl
index 1d9d898fd..eb9dde79e 100644
--- a/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/test.ftl
+++ b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/test.ftl
@@ -3,13 +3,24 @@
 <#-- FreeMarker test cases -->
 
 <h2>Dates</h2>
-
-<p>${now?datetime}</p>
-<p>${now?date}</p>
-<p>${now?time}</p>
+<ul>
+<li>${now?datetime}</li>
+<li>${now?date}</li>
+<li>${now?time}</li>
+</ul>
 
 <h2>Apples</h2>
-
+<ul>
 <#list apples as apple>
-    <p>${apple}</p>
-</#list>
\ No newline at end of file
+    <li>${apple}</li>
+</#list>
+</ul>
+
+<h2>Fruit</h2>
+<ul>
+<#list fruit as f>
+    <li>${f}</li>
+</#list>
+</ul>
+
+<p><strong>Animal:</strong> ${animal}</p>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/lib/json.ftl b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/lib/json.ftl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6eb53d6a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/lib/json.ftl
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<#-- $This file is distributed under the terms of the license in /doc/license.txt$ -->
+
+<#-- Macros for json output -->
+
+<#macro array data>
+[ 
+<#if data??>
+    <#list data as obj>   
+        ${obj.json}<#if obj_has_next>,</#if>
+    </#list>
+</#if>
+]
+</#macro>
\ No newline at end of file