[mou] Dr. James Clements (1927-2005) MN and WI connections

[Jim Williams]

forward by Jim Williams
Wayzata, Minnesota

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Hooper, Amy" <AHooper@BOWTIEINC.COM>
Date: June 13, 2005 6:45:44 PM CDT
To: BIRDCHAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: [BIRDCHAT] in honor of Dr. James Clements (1927-2005)
Reply-To: "Hooper, Amy" <AHooper@BOWTIEINC.COM>

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)



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