latitudes - Department of Geography and Anthropology - Louisiana ...

A L U M N I N E W S
Steve Fullen, manager of the Magnolia Mound a survival swimming instructor during the Korean
Plantation house in Baton Rouge, a BREC facility, War; sailed boats in numerous Pacific Ocean races,
won the Honorable Mention preservation prize and became known internationally for his expertise
from the Pioneer America Society. in beach systems and safety.
After two years of teaching in Montana, McCloy
Walter Williams Beecher (1913 – 2008), creator moved to Texas and, in 1972, became a faculty
of the “Indian Room” Museum in the Howe- member in the College of Marine Sciences and
Russell Geoscience Complex, passed away this Maritime Resources in Galveston where, during a
year. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1913 and tenure of 36 years, he held many administrative
attended Ohio State University before moving to positions in addition to teaching. These included
Baton Rouge in 1934 and transferring to LSU. He service as Superintendent of the Texas Maritime
graduated in 1937 with a major in English and Academy and Associate Vice-President for
minor in history. Upon graduation, he accepted an Research.
anthropology fellowship to be curator of the small
archaeology museum (the Indian Room) in the Jim retired only a few months before cancer took
School of Geology. Part of his job required trips to his life. At a retirement luau (Jim loved Hawaii and
Indian mound sites to collect pottery and other its surf) TAMUG announced the establishment of
artifacts on the ground and bring them back to be the James M. McCloy Coastal Geography
labeled and cataloged and reconstructed, if Program, in his honor.
possible. He had to resign his fellowship and
return home to Ohio for recovery after contracting It is interesting to note that Jim was only the second
malaria. person to become a life member of the United
States Lifesaving Association. The first was
Beecher later returned to Louisiana and was Ronald Reagan our 40th President!
offered a supervisory position for a WPA/LSU
Archaeological project. With his new job, he
moved to New Orleans where he had a temporary
lab and living quarters on the top floor of the WPA's William (Bill) Bernard Knipmeyer died on 26
archaeological project headquarters building. He April 2009 at the age of 84 in Natchitoches. LA.
worked out of New Orleans for approximately Although born in New Orleans, Bill grew up in
eight months, visiting sites of Indian mounds and Natchitoches where his father was the
villages. After completion of the new School of Natchitoches Parish Public Health Director. Before
Geology building, he moved back to Baton Rouge joining the Navy in 1943, Bill attended LSU for a
and lived in the attic temporarily until he found year. After service in the Pacific Theatre he
another residence. He continued work on the returned to LSU for all three degrees—a BS in
project until 1942 when he took a job at the Exxon Chemistry, an MS in Geology and a PhD in
Refinery, where he worked for 32 more years. LSU Cultural Geography which he earned in 1956.
Department of Geography and Anthropology Working under Fred Kniffen, he produced a
established a research fund in honor of his dissertation entitled Settlement Succession in
contributions to Louisiana Archaeology. The Eastern French Louisiana, a dissertation that
“Indian Room” has also been renamed the “Walter Kniffen considered one of the best stemming from
W. Beecher Louisiana Heritage Museum” in his the Department. After graduation he spent time at
honor. Bradley University, McNeese University and the
University of Tampa before taking the Headship of
Social Sciences at Northwestern State University
Dr. James M. McCloy, long-time faculty member in Natchitoches in 1967. During the 37 years Bill
and administrator at Texas A & M University at served Northwestern, he was elected “Professor of
Galveston (TAMUG) TX, died July 19, 2008. Jim, the Year” several times and was honored as
born in Hollywood, CA in 1934, rode into the LSU “Environmental Educator of the Year” by the
campus on a motorcycle in the early 1960s and State's Wildlife and Fisheries Department. He also
received his doctorate in 1968 in physical served as editor of Southern Studies an
geography. Jim's dissertation was based on field interdisciplinary journal of the South. Bill
work conducted in the Blow River delta, in Knipmeyer is probably best remembered as one
northwest Canada. He had a passion for the sea, a who dedicated himself to his students, instilling in
passion that lasted a lifetime. For example; he was them a love for the cultural heritage of Louisiana.
If you have any alumni news, please email it to gachair@lsu.edu
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