New Endowment Honors INHS Researcher

In July 1950, R. Weldon (Larry) Larimore and Leonard Durham of the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) waded into Jordan Creek near Fairmount with what was then a newly developed electric seine. From the mouth of Jordan Creek where it empties into the Salt Fork of the Vermilion River, Larimore and Durham moved upstream for four miles systematically measuring and numbering each pool and ripple and collecting, marking, and releasing fish.

This simple beginning to aquatic research on Jordan Creek more than 50 years ago came to spawn a legacy of data collection and significant publications that continues in the 21st century. In addition to Larimore and Durham, a number of budding INHS scientists cut their research teeth on Jordan Creek and went on to become leaders in aquatic biology. These include Quentin Pickering, William Childers, Carl Heckrote, David Menzel, Charles Goldman, Michael Duever, John Peterka, David McGinty, David Andrews, Gary Camenisch, and more recently Paul Angermeier, Isaac Schlosser, and Martin Jennings, among others. James Karr worked with several of these biologists and Jordan Creek data to develop the widely used Index of Biological Integrity. There are few places on earth that have been as intensively studied over time as Jordan Creek.

Dr. Larimore, who is still engaged in research at INHS, has recently been honored with an endowment in his name. The endowment entitled the "R. Weldon Larimore/Jordan Creek Endowment Fund" was created by his family to help perpetuate aquatic research on Jordan Creek. An annual award called the "R. Weldon Larimore/Jordan Creek Award" will be available to undergraduate and graduate students as well as INHS scientists who are involved in aquatic biology research on some aspect of Jordan Creek or aquatic biology research on other streams similar to Jordan Creek in central Illinois. The endowment fund will be administered by the University of Illinois Foundation. A three-person committee appointed by the Chief of the INHS will choose recipients of the award. Award selection shall be based on research proposals submitted by interested students or INHS researchers. Annual awards will be made in increments of $500 (e.g., $1,000, $1,500, $2,000, etc.) while any excess net income will be added to the principal of the fund.

Anyone wishing to donate to the fund may pick up a form from the INHS Distribution Office in room 172 of the Natural Resources Building or contact the UI Foundation at (217) 333-0810. The Illinois Natural History Survey is providing a total of $2,000 to match gifts given by Survey staff. Survey staff who want to contribute to the endowment fund should send their donations to Chief Financial Officer Sue Voegtlin at 176 NRB and she will forward the donations and matching INHS funds to the UI Foundation.

To kick off the R. Weldon Larimore/Jordan Creek Endowment Fund, Dr. Larimore's wife Glenn E. and sons Richard, Kenneth, and Michael organized and hosted a celebration on June 15. Fittingly, the celebration, attended by many family, friends, and colleagues, was convened at the Larimore family cabin on a private lake near Jordan Creek. Good company and great food topped off with hiking, bird watching, and canoeing made a memorable event for all. Perhaps the most intriguing fashion statement of the day was made by Glenn E. Larimore who sported a fab custom-created necklace of bones from the male raccoon reproductive anatomy.

Dr. Larimore has the distinction of being one of the longest serving employees of the Survey. He began his tenure at INHS in 1946 and has been associated with all but one of the Survey Chiefs (Stephen Forbes) in the history of this organization. Interestingly, our current Chief, David L. Thomas, was a former student of Dr. Larimore's.

Charlie Warwick, Office of the Chief

Please report any problems with or suggestions about this page to:
inhspubs@mail.inhs.uiuc.edu