1961-1962 - American Museum of Natural History

the staff who retired after fruitful and devoted years of service
to the Museum and to science were Miss Francesca R. LaMonte,
Associate Curator in the Department of Ichthyology, who had
been on the staff 37 years, and Mr. George G. Goodwin, Associate
Curator in the Department of Mammalogy, who had
been on the staff 42 years. Resignations from the staff were
those of Dr. William A. Burns, Membership Chairman; Dr.
Mont A. Cazier, Resident Director of the Southwestern Research
Station; Mr. John Francis Purcell, Editor of Natural History
Magazine and Publications Manager; and Dr. Donald F. Squires,
Associate Curator in the Department of Fossil Invertebrates.
We were saddened by the loss of four associate members of
the scientific staff. Mr. Charles H. Falkenbach, who had retired
from his post as Field and Laboratory Associate of the Frick
Laboratory in March, died on June 8. Mr. Falkenbach served
the Museum for 46 years, having started as an apprentice preparator
of fossil skeletons at the age of 14. Dr. William Beebe,
the noted naturalist and author who was a Research Associate
in the Department of Ichthyology, died on June 4. Dr. James
H. McDunnough, Research Associate in the Department of Entomology,
died on February 23. Dr. William Duncan Strong,
Research Associate in Anthropology, died on January 29.
Two important projects of last year that involved several
departments were the Undergraduate Research Participation
Program and an interdisciplinary conference on telemetry.
The Undergraduate Research Participation Program, through
which college students take part in scientific research at the
Museum or at its field stations, had a successful year. During
the summer of 1961, 21 students were selected from among
273 applicants, and during the academic year seven students
were selected from among seventeen applicants. Among the
projects carried out by the students, under the supervision of
staff scientists, were studies in cultural and physical anthropology,
the behavior and biology of fishes and mammals, the
neurology and endocrinology of crabs and fishes, deep-sea pop-
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