passing of Dr. Clark Hubbs

from the DFC list:

I am sad to pass on news of the death of Dr. Clark Hubbs at 6:10 AM on Sunday, February 3, 2008. He had been battling colorectal cancer for some time and passed quietly and comfortably at home with all of his family present. He enjoyed a long and productive career as an ichthyologist and conservation biologist, continuing field collection of data for his research until less than a month before his death. Professor Emeritus in the Section of Integrative Biology <http://www.biosci.utexas.edu/ib/> at the University of Texas Austin <http://www.utexas.edu/> at the time of his death, Clark had been at UT since 1951, teaching many classes in Biology. His many years of fieldwork collecting fishes for his research produced a large and valuable fish collection that continues to grow at the Texas Natural History Collection <http://www.utexas.edu/tmm/tnhc/> at UT. Clark will long be remembered for his extensive publications on fishes, as well as generous support of diverse professional societies, and his presence and contribution of oral papers on his research at virtually all of their annual meetings for many decades. More information <http://desertfishes....ark_Hubbs.html> about Dr. Hubbs and his career is available, along with an obituary, on the website of one of those societies, the Desert Fishes Council <http://desertfishes.org/> .

Information about memorial services will be announced via the website above as soon as available.


On a personal note, I met Dr. Hubbs briefly at the ASIH meeting last July in St. Louis. An inveterate collector of fish apparel, he bought two NANFA t-shirts. He also challenged me regarding the inclusion of some Gambusia on the NANFA Checklist. It was an honor to be challenged by such a prestigious scientist.

Chris Scharpf

That is sad news. He was certainly a scientist who felt no qualms about challenging wrong data or conclusions, a hallmark of a good scientist. And I'm glad he finally bought the NANFA t-shirts in St. Louis after giving us such a hard time about it...

You know, when he was "challenging" you Chris, I thought "That's one guy that'll be oinery 'til the very end. I wanna be like him when I grow up."

Sounds like he lived that out. What a full and inspiring life it seems he lived. Thanks for posting the obit.

Todd

When i was doing a bit of research on David Starr Jordan and his expeditions, Peter Unmack kindly sent me some literature about his hero, Clark Hubbs. He was certainly quite the character, full of energy and got plenty dirty on his collecting forays. He worked his students well into the night using lanterns to ID, write notes and do those scale counts. No rest for the weary. Once they were all hungry and he just threw the porkchops right in the fire, no grill nessesary. I will reread those stories tonight and maybe retype and insert a few paragraphs here in his memory. His wife and children accompanied him as well and those days were tough in the desert. They would carry provisions that would have to last them a month or more.
Amazing guy.
I did not realize he was still alive. I would enjoy having a picture of him wearing one of the shirts i did.

Clark Hubb is one of the two sons of Carl and Laura Hubbs. Like father like son they were both noted ichthyologists. Carl's only daughter, Francis married an ichthyologist named Robert Rush Miller who had also accompanied them in Carl's desert fishes quests.
( http://www.desertfis...RM/RRM_bio.html )

Carl did like wearing t-shirts... here is a pic link of him in December 1996.
dang... I cant figure out how to upload an image to this post. has something changed?
His homepage illustrates his ability to walk on water.
http://www.utexas.ed...ubbs/index.html

This is how Clark was raised as a young boy...

The first serious effort to conduct an ichthyological survey of Nevada was the Carl Hubbs expedition of 1934.

Everything was in or on the car ( a Chevrolet sedan ), which, of course, had running boards ( an extinct species today ). The back seat had been left at home, and rows of canned goods, utensils, and bedding filled the space so vacated; the three children ( one of which was Clark at age of about 13! ) used these materials for seats. The two tire wells held the spare tires and all the seines were wedged between these and the hood. There was a special telescoping trunk that made the space two and a half times its normal length. By the driver's side, a luggage rack passing from running board to windows was loaded with collecting gear. Thus the driver could not get out of his side of the car! The party had a tent that was also stored along the running board.
Five times the battery jarred loose onto the ground by the rough roads, and each time the brakes locked they were beaten loose with a hammer. Chewing gum was used to seal holes that appeared from time to time in the gasoline tank.
Supplies lasted from three weeks to a month before it was necessary to stop and replenish them, as towns and grocery stores were few and far between. During one period they traveled continuously for twenty-two days off pavement. Survival under these conditions, with dust and heat often overpowering, required resourcefulness and constant improvisation. Even towels were used on occasion to seine fish.

In order to keep the children happy under these trying conditions, Carl Hubbs established an "allowance" for them based on the number of species collected ( five cents apiece ), with special awards for new species or subspecies ( a dollar ) or new genera or subgenera ( five dollars ). Fortunately for them, he was a taxonomic "splitter" and thus Francis, Clark and Earl frequently obtained special awards!

What an adventure for a young ichthyologist!

I know Roger Miller who is Francis Hubbs' son. He's best known for playing guitar in the band Mission of Burma. He has stories of travelling in the southwest as a kid with his parents in the summer, the whole family in a car going from stream to stream checking out the fish; an interesting family tradition. He never became an ichthyologist, but on the cover of a Mission of Burma album Roger's wearing an ASIH t-shirt in the band picture.

From all I've heard about him from some of the older faculty members here at the U-M Museum of Zoology, he sounds like a great scientist and an amazing person. I wish I'd had the chance to meet him

I was reading Casper's account and I thought that all sounds very familiar. It took me a few minutes, but I found an account of the Hubbs and the Miller expeditions in a chapter of Battle Against Extinction. The chapter was written by Clark Hubbs, Robert and Francis Miller. It even has some neat old photos including their vehicles.

Harry Knaub

Harry, you've been quiet lately. You should post more often. The forum needs your experience.

hi harry...
i bet that is an interesting read. i have one photo of the Carl family traveling in their chevrolet sedan coming up a steep rutted path... err road.
i would sure like to read it myself.
is it a book or article you have or something you found online? sounds like a book.
that account is of carl hubb's son and daughter clark and francis and her husband robert... continuing the family traditon.

btw... why cant i upload images to this post / topic? ihad found several images i wanted to post to this.

I was at the reception after Dr. Hubbs' memorial service on Friday, and y'all will probably be happy to hear that three of his signed (as in every inch covered with ink) t-shirts were on display. There were also four computers set up showing his videos, slide shows, and presentations about his work. People always use the term "celebration of a life" when they talk about funerals and such, but this really was one. It was impressive. What better way to celebrate his life than have a bunch of fisheries workers, academics, and students standing around drinking beer, telling Hubbs stories, and just talkin fish.

You know what amazes me is that he worked right up to the end. His last work in the field was sometime in January. He was sharp as ever, his body just wouldn't cooperate. Just 5 months ago I did some work with him at Aquarena Springs where he recorded something like 480 temperature reading in a morning. Here's a link to an article in the Austin American Statesman about him for anyone interested http://www.statesman...5hubbsobit.html

drew toggled on the ability to upload pics. i could not figure out what was wrong.

here is a pic of clark, carl's son, covered in signatures.

Harry, you've been quiet lately. You should post more often.

Martin,
I know what you mean, but business is good, we're remodeling the garage, I'm trying to build a fishroom, plus raising an 8 year-old. Well there is just not enough time for the internet, but I try to keep up.

Harry Knaub

i would sure like to read it myself.
is it a book or article you have or something you found online? sounds like a book.
that account is of carl hubb's son and daughter clark and francis and her husband robert... continuing the family traditon.

Casper,
The article is from the 1988 meeting of the Desert Fishes Council. The papers presented at the meeting were compiled into a book titled Battle Against Extinction edited by W.L.Minckley and James E. Deacon and published in 1991. I picked it on vacation I think.

If you can't locate the book or article, let me know. I'll lend you the book.

Harry Knaub