Carolyn Errington

I am nominating Carolyn for this honor because of her significant influence on me early in my career while I was a student at Iowa State University. She acted as a mentor at a time when women mentors were very rare. She is directly responsible for my pursuing a career in ecology and natural history. She made a significant contribution to the field of ecology by acting as a partner with her husband Paul Errington an internationally recognized ecologist and professor at Iowa State University.

She actively participated in his work by editing his professional papers and many books. She is responsible for seeing several of his manuscripts through to publication after his untimely death. She then established the Errington Lecture in the wildlife department (now the ecology department I understand). These lectures were very influential to students in the department introducing them to internationally recognized ecologists they would otherwise not meet. I met Carolyn after her husband's death when she was working as an instructor in the English department of Iowa State University. She was my first teacher in freshmen composition and I remember her course well.

She supported me in my writing efforts and encouraged me to pursue my interests in ecology. This was at a time when I was one of the only women in the wildlife program at Iowa State University and her involvement was especially important to me. It is with considerable gratitude that I nominate Carolyn Errington for this honor and I really appreciate the opportunity to do so.

12/27/94