Bob was born in Pittsburgh in 1914. After graduating from Columbia High School in Maplewood, N.J., he majored in chemistry at Princeton. At that time he became interested in ornithology. Bob’s interest in birds was not to be denied. In 1942 he completed a master’s degree in zoology at Berkeley and in 1949 he earned a doctorate there.

For the next 36 years until his retirement in 1985, Bob was a professor in the zoology department and curator of birds in the Museum of Zoology at the University of Michigan. He served as acting director of the museum from 1979 to 1982. Along the way he wrote more than 125 articles dealing with birds. As an ornithologist he was well known and highly respected worldwide.

We extend our deep feelings of regret to Louise and to Bob’s sons, Robert and David. We pay tribute to a man who found a subject he loved, studied and worked hard, and became the very best in his chosen field.

Undergraduate Class of 1936