forward by Jim Williams Wayzata, Minnesota Begin forwarded message:
From: "Hooper, Amy" <[email protected]> Date: June 13, 2005 6:45:44 PM CDT To: [email protected] Subject: [BIRDCHAT] in honor of Dr. James Clements (1927-2005) Reply-To: "Hooper, Amy" <[email protected]> Dr. James Franklin Clements--brother, husband, father, naturalist, entrepreneur, adventurer, diplomat, leader, and friend--was born Oct. 31, 1927, in New York. He passed away on June 9, 2005, at Tri-City Hospital in Oceanside, Calif., from complications associated with acute myloid leukemia. Jim spent most of his early years in the Graham School Orphanage in Hastings-on-Hudson. He joined the Merchant Marine at age 15 and shifted to the Navy when he was of age, seeing service on the Philippine Sea aircraft carrier. He started his post secondary education at Beloit College in Wisconsin, married Mary Norton, and completed his undergraduate education at the University of Minnesota. He served his country again during the Korean conflict, this time in the United Stated Air Force. His family, which now included two sons, moved to California in 1952 where he eventually became a partner in the successful printing firm of George Rice & Sons. He received his PhD from California Western University in 1975. His thesis became the first edition of his Birds of the World, A Check List, which has since sold five editions and is used by tens of thousands of birdwatchers internationally. The Smithsonian Institute recently contacted Dr. Clements to use his list in their plan to classify each of the 9,800 birds in the world. After retiring in 1988, Jim founded Ibis Publishing Company and subsequently produced a number of books, including: A Natural History of the Waterfowl by Frank Todd; California Birds by Arnold Small; A Field Guide to the Birds of Yap Island, Ornamental Trees of San Diego, A Field Guide to the Birds of Peru by Clements and Shany; Birds and Mammals of Antarctica, by Frank Todd. In his role as an accomplished naturalist, he has funded several enterprises in Ecuador, Peru, and Baja California. In 1989, he raised money for the Schreiber Hall of Birds at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum by viewing a record number of bird species seen in a calendar year and donating funds pledged by individuals and organizations to the museum. Recently Jim received the high honor of having a bird named after him, the Iquitos Gnatcatcher, Polioptila clemensi. In 1986, Dr. Kamuzu Bonda, President of the Republic of Malawi, appointed Dr. Clements as Honorary Consul General for the State of California. He was past president of many civic organizations including the San Diego Museum of Natural History and the Explorer's Clubs of Los Angeles and San Diego. Dr.Clements is survived by his wife, Karen, of Temecula, Calif.; brother, Robert, of San Francisco; stepson Dave of Murietta, Calif.; stepson Tim of Temecula; son Bob of Salt Lake City; son Dan of Everett, Wash.; and eight grandchildren. *********** Regretfully, I did not have the honor of meeting Jim or writing the above tribute. With permission from Karen, it's my privilege to post this tribute to a respected man who contributed to WildBird as an Advisory Board member. Amy ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Amy K. Hooper, editor, WildBird 3 Burroughs, Irvine CA 92618-2804; 949.855.8822 x3416; www.wildbirdmagazine.com When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world. --John Muir, naturalist (1838-1914) BirdChat Guidelines: http://www.ksu.edu/audubon/chatguidelines.html Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdchat.html
