Marin Bay, Possession Island, Crozet Archipelago - photo courtesy of F. Stephen Dobson

 

 

 

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Policy on Obituaries

(Approved by the ESA Executive Committee 2 February 1991)

General Policies

1. All deceased members will be accorded an acknowledgment of their death upon submission of the information by a colleague. Any information about the death of a member should be communicated to the Historical Records Committee. A few sentences describing the person's history (date and place of birth, professional address and title) and professional accomplishments are appropriate.

2. Longer obituaries (up to three printed pages), referred to as Resolutions of Respect, will be published for all former officers of the Ecological Society of America (Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Secretaries, Treasurers and Business Managers) and recipients of Eminent Ecologist and MacArthur Awards. These should follow the Guidelines for Resolutions of Respect provided below.

3. Resolutions of Respect may be published for other ecologists on approval of the President, following the same guidelines. The Historical Records Committee should take the lead in making recommendations to the President.

4. It shall be the responsibility of the Historical Records Committee to be sure that such Resolutions of Respect are solicited and that the person who is solicited has the Guidelines. The Committee will notify the Bulletin Editor of their decision. The Resolution should be submitted to the Historical Records Committee for approval before being sent to the Bulletin Editor.

5. Unsolicited Resolutions of Respect may be published if they conform to the guidelines (or can be amended to do so) and are for individuals for whom a Resolution would have been solicited anyway. If a Resolution has already been solicited, the unsolicited one cannot be published without the agreement of the person solicited.


Guidelines for Resolutions of Respect

ESA, as both chronicler and archivist of ecological history, needs to record biographical information on the practitioners of our science. ESA will regularly publish Resolutions of Respect for deceased ESA officers, Eminent Ecologists and MacArthur Award winners, and others for whom such resolutions are appropriate, as described in the Obituary Policy. These guidelines are an attempt to insure that minimal biographical information is included in these Resolutions. Resolutions will be published in the ESA Bulletin, and should be limited to no more than three printed pages.

Essential Information

1. Full name

2. Suitable portrait or photograph

3. Complete dates of birth and death

4. Place(s) of birth and death

5. College degrees, with institution(s), dates, and major professor(s)

6. Significant work history -- institution(s), places, dates

7. Role(s) in ESA -- with dates of service

8. Statement(s) of contributions to ecological science

Desirable Information

1. Early personal history

2. Family information -- spouse, children, perhaps parents (if influential in development of career choice, for example)

3. Anecdotal (lighter) material -- insights into personality

4. Foreign travel or service -- places and dates

5. Honors and awards -- name, sponsor, date(s)

6. Other scientific and professional activities (society memberships, for example)

7. Bibliography -- full, selected, or information on where a full bibliography may be found, depending on space.

 

 

 

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