147 

 To John E. Cooper, with Appreciation 



In August 1985, John E. Cooper resigned from the staff of the 

 North Carolina State Museum of Natural History and from the editor- 

 ship of Brimleyana. His accomplishments during his 1 1 years here are 

 many. 



Dr. Cooper nourished Brimleyana from an idea to 1 1 thick issues 

 published between March 1979 and October 1985. Because of his 

 voluminous correspondence with colleagues throughout the country, his 

 broad background as a museum curator and population ecologist, and 

 his special skills as a writer and scientific illustrator, John was unusually 

 well qualified to found and edit an interdisciplinary journal devoted to 

 the zoology and ecology of the Southeast. 



A native of Maryland, Cooper graduated from Johns Hopkins 

 University and obtained M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of 

 Kentucky at Lexington. Prior to joining the staff of the North Carolina 

 State Museum in September 1974, he lived and taught in Baltimore, 

 where he was a strong, constructive force in the Maryland Natural His- 

 tory Society and the principal editor of Maryland Naturalist. His par- 

 ticular interests are herpetology, crayfish biology, and cave life. At the 

 N.C. State Museum, John organized the Research and Collections Sec- 

 tion and was for a time the assistant director in addition to his service as 

 editor of the journal. 



Although biologists are supposed to remain detached and analyti- 

 cal in regard to the organisms they study, most of us develop a strong 

 sense of stewardship for them. John is no exception. Well known for his 

 expertise in the biology of cave systems, he deserves credit for the 

 development of the biological and conservation ethics of the National 

 Speleological Society. During his tenure at the museum, he organized 

 the 1975 Symposium on the Endangered and Threatened Plants and 

 Animals of North Carolina, edited the proceedings, and participated in 

 similar symposia in other states. One example is his keynote presenta- 

 tion at the Symposium on Threatened and Endangered Plants and 

 Animals of Maryland. Entitled "Vanishing Species: The Dilemma of 

 Resources Without Price Tags," this is one of the most recent in a long 

 series of scientific contributions dating back to a boyhood interest in 

 biology. 



John Cooper served this museum well, and when he resigned, he 

 did so in typical Cooper style. He departed just as Brimleyana 1 1 was 

 going to press and after copy for the present issue was ready for typeset- 

 ting. He did everything possible to ensure a smooth transition of 



