Table Of ContentAMPHIPACIFICA VOL. 3 NO. 2. Nov. 15, 2001 1 ^
Donald Evan McAllister, 1934-2001:
A
Tribute
During his career at the National Museum (now
Canadian Museum of Nature) as Curator of Fishes
(1958-1986),SeniorResearchScientist(1986-1994),
Researcher Emeritus and Research Associate (1994 -
2001),DonaldEvanMcAllister madesignificantcon-
tributions not only in his formal ichthyological and
curatorial studies, butalsoin his thoughtful advocacy
of responsible environmental management, and for
protectingglobal biodiversity. Hefoundedandedited
twoscientificjournals,taughtandinspiredmanyindi-
viduals, and impressed all those he met as a warm,
friendly, humble, andpatient mandevoted tobothhis
familyandhis science. Butaboveall elseDonwould
havebeenmostpleasedbyacolleagues'scharacteriza-
tionofhimas atruefriendofthe Earth.
Donwasbom23August, 1934,inVictoria,B.C. He
tookhis B.A., M.A. (onfreshwatersculpinsofBritish
Columbia),andPh.D.attheUniversityofBritishCol-
umbia. His thesis for the latter, the Evolution of
Branchiostegals and Classification of Teleostome
Fishes, was published as a museum bulletin in 1968.
DuringhisPh.D. studies,hespentayearasanNSERC
Visiting Student at the Museum of Zoology, Univer- Donald Evan McAllister, 1934-2001
sityofMichigan. Hewas thefirstichthyologistonthe papers, books, popular articles, and book reviews,
staffoftheNational Museum since itscreationaspart ranging from his Ph.D. thesis and a Guide to the
oftheGeologicalSurveyin 1842,andwas,unquestion- FreshwaterSportfishofCanada, taxonomicrevisions,
ably, one ofthe most energetic, innovative, issue-ori- papers oncomputers inmuseums, methodsofcollect-
entedandproductive members ofthe staff. Although ing and preserving fishes, and the use of x-rays in
Donlackedadministrativeambition,orthepatiencefor taxonomic studies. He was alsothe originatoroftwo
it,herantheichthyologysectionwithverveandinfec- environmentaljournalstowhichhe contributedexten-
tiousenergy. He attracted, trained andencouraged a sive overviews and informed opinion.
successionofassistantcurators, technicians,contract- From the time of his appointment as curator, Don
ees, visiting scientists, post-doctoral students, assist- researchedArctic marinefishes with a view toacom-
ants and volunteers. His example of work ethic, panionbooktothefishesoftheotherCanadiancoasts.
compassion, and concernforthose aroundhim left its Heproducedapreliminarychecklistin 1960,followed
markon everyone whopassed though his section. by keys anda series ofpapers. A distributional atlas,
Donwas,firstandforemost,acollectionbuilder. On morepapersandabibliographyfollowed in the 1970s
hisarrival atthemuseum,therewerefewerthan4,5(X) and 1980s. Hecompiledanextensivedatabase which
specimens offishes in the collection. Through every hissuccessor,BrianCoadhascontinued. Withthehelp
means available to him, staff expeditions, donations, ofanumberofmuseum staffandthefinancial support
purchases and trades, he built the collection into a ofthe Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the long
world-class resource for taxonomic and life-history envisioned bookis close tocompletion.
studies. By the year 2000, there were more than Hewasapioneerandadvocateoftheuseofcomput-
585,000 specimens from all parts of the world, a ers in museums which led tohis devising a standard-
remarkable achievementon its own. But, at the same izeddatasheetforrecordingdetailedinformationinthe
time, Don was also a compulsive author who left a field. Healsocompiledanasyetunpublishedcompre-
comprehensive published record ofhis interests. His hensive list of ichthyological terms and their defini-
bibliography exceeds 620 items* including scientific tions. Thecomputerizeddatabaseofthefishcollection
AMPHIPACIHCA VOL. 3 NO. 2. Nov. 15, 2001 2
formedthebasisforalistofthefamiliesandspeciesof reefsandfindingnon-destructivemethodsforthehar-
fishesoftheworldwhichlistsmorethan 20,000valid vest ofaquariumfishes by Philippinefishermen. He
taxa. participatedin Canada'sBiodiversityConventionAd-
Don held adjunct professorships at Carleton and visoryGroupandadvisedonCanada’sstrategyonthe
Ottawa Universities, taught ichthyology at the latter, Riotreaty signedin 1991.
and participated on graduate student committees at Duringaperiodofmuseumdownsizing in 1993, in
both. In 1974, he organizedthe American Societyof a characteristic selfless gesture, he volunteered early
Ichthyologists and Herpetologists annual meeting in retirement to free a position so that a younger staff
Ottawa, onlythe thirdtime the Societymetin Canada membercould be retained. Following retirement he
andthefirstmeetingthatwasbilingual Donwasvery didnot "easeup" oneditingtheconservation-oriented
.
activeontheFishandMarineMammalssubcommittee journals he had initiated, nor did he slacken his own
oftheCommitteeontheStatusofEndangeredWildlife perceptive contributions tothem.
inCanadaandwrote thefirstlistofendangeredfishes EarlyinhiscareerDonhadmadepersonalcontribu-
in Canadain 1970. tionstostudiesofinvertebrateanimals,largelythrough
In the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, Don his enthusiastic participation in two Museum expedi-
increasingly applied his wealth ofexperience and his tions in the 1960s with Drs. Edward L. Bousfield
social conscience to concerns for the planet. His (coastal southeastern Alaska) and Arthur H. Clarke
writingandactivitiesoninternationalcommitteeswere (eastcoastofHudsonBay), DuringtheAlaskaexped-
directed at a wider audience than his ichthyological ition,Don’skeeneyes spottedseveral unusual amphi-
colleagues, and he moved into the Museum’s newly- pods thatwereectoparasiticonrockfishandgreenling
created Biodiversity group. He had by this time cod that he had collected. Back at the museum lab,
foundedandeditedthequarterly"SeaWind",nowinits mostofthecrustacean species provednew toscience,
15thyearofpublication,andhemortgagedhishouseto oneofwhich,ParalafystiusmcallisterUwas namedin
fundconservationandtrainingprogramsorganizedby his honour. His passing has left a void that no single
itspublisher, "OceanVoiceInternational". In 1991 he individual is everlikely tofill.
originated and edited eight volumes of the quarterly
Canadian Biodiversity (later retitled "Global Biodi- FrancisR. Cook,CharlesG. Gruchy,and
versity")publishedbyCMN. In2000, itwasreplaced BrianW. Coad
A
with "Biodiversity: Journal ofLife on Earth" and *AcompletebibliographyofDonMcAllister'spublications
publishedbytheTropical Conservancy. He was esp- has been compiled by Brian Coad and will appear in the
ecially active in efforts to conserve the world’s coral CanadianField-Naturalist.
SEA WIND is published quarterlyand may beobtained through membership orsubscription from
OCEAN VOICE lOTERNATIONAL, P.O. Box 37026, 3332 McCarthy Road Ottawa, ON KIV OWO,
Canada, www.ovkca . PH; (613) 721-4541, Fax (613) 721-4562. Regularmemberships: $25. peryear.
