Thank you all, and thank you Warren for your most kind words!
I greatly appreciate this award, but I am acutely aware that, as its name implies, it primarily recognizes in perpetuity the extraordinary contributions to our profession and to PS in particular made by John and Mary Lou Pojeta. Their efforts on our behalf are unlikely ever to be surpassed. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to work closely with them over many years.
To the extent that I played a part, 12–15 years ago, in rethinking the relationship between membership in PS and modes of access to our two journals, I must emphasize that I worked very closely with Mark Patzkowsky on this and other matters. If changes we made at that time have served the Society well, Mark deserves as much or more credit than I do.
There is one matter, perhaps not widely known, the resolution of which gave me particular satisfaction when I was Secretary of the Society. When I took on this position I learned, if I had not already known it, that PS was Incorporated in Washington, D.C. on the 4th April, 1968. It was so stated at the head of our Constitution, and we regularly cited it in reports required to maintain our status as a non-profit organization. But, a couple of years later, it came to my attention that our Incorporation had lapsed. Soon, I learned that this had not happened recently. In fact, the Society's incorporation lapsed just two years after it was originally ratified! The officers at that time must have supposed incorporation was a once-and-done affair, overlooking the need to file a biennial update of officers’ contact information and payment of a modest fee to maintain it.
Fortunately, it proved possible to gain reinstatement by filing all the missing reports and paying the associated fees, retrospectively. Tedious this was, but much less costly than starting the process of incorporation over again, from scratch. Better yet, over 40 years, PS had encountered no legal difficulties such that its officers might have needed the protection provided by incorporation.
My interest in paleontology was nurtured by the encouragement of my mother and the forbearance of my brother, who allowed our vacations to be directed largely by the Dictionary of British Fossiliferous Localities. At every stage in my education, I had the good fortune to study with excellent teachers and renowned scholars. As a professional, I have benefitted throughout my career from the stimulus of my own students and colleagues, and from the patience and support of my wife, Anna. To the extent that my efforts may have proved useful, I am glad to have been able to give something back. Thank you!
