Acceptance of the 2013 Henry Baldwin Ward Medal: Standing on the Shoulders of Benevolent Giants

Abstract

President Loker, American Society of Parasitologists members and guests, it is certainly a great honor to receive the Henry Baldwin Ward Medal, and I thank the society and its members for this recognition. I give special thanks to my nominator and colleague, Ramon Carreno, and to those who wrote supporting letters. After learning that I was this year’s recipient, I spent time reflecting on the path of my career. I’ve asked myself the question, how is it that I’ve been fortunate enough to achieve some measure of success? I’ll try to provide some answers to this question, in keeping with the tradition established by the first Ward medalist, Clark Reed. Many of you recognize that the title of my address derives from a famous quote by Sir Isaac Newton, who wrote: ‘‘If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.’’ Having invoked Isaac Newton in my title, I want to begin by dispelling the idea that I’m suffering delusions of grandeur. Or to paraphrase Senator Lloyd Bentsen from a famous vice-presidential debate; clearly ‘‘I’m no Isaac Newton.’’ On the other hand, I do hope that I’m regarded as more than a ‘‘Dan Quayle.’’ So what do I mean when I refer to ‘‘benevolent giants?’’ Well, I mean that I wouldn’t have enjoyed a career in science if it were not for certain people who made special and selfless efforts that made my success possible. These individuals are my benevolent giants. With their help, I’ve had the opportunity to achieve my potential and see further. In his introduction, Ramon reviewed my professional history. Now I want to add a more personal perspective on my background and career. My parents grew up in St. Louis during the Great Depression. My mother had to leave school after the seventh grade to look after her 2 younger brothers, because both of her parents needed to work to support the family. Like many families during those years, they barely earned enough to make ends meet. My father grew up in a working-class family that also struggled during this period. He completed high school and then was drafted, serving in the army throughout the South Pacific during World War II. On the basis of the advice of his father, he took a bluecollar job after returning from war in 1945, rather then attending the University of Illinois on the G.I. bill. With the postwar expansion and strong labor unions, my parents achieved a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. But I believe they never got over the sense of uncertainty and insecurity they experienced during the Great Depression. Like many of their generation, they were risk-averse and rarely saw fit to reward themselves. Yet, like most parents, they wanted their children to achieve more, and used their earnings in support of our higher education. Their efforts in this regard were directed to my 2 older sisters, Amy and Becky, and me. I grew up in a very rural part of St. Louis County, just north of the Meramec River. The area was bordered by the Mississippi River bluffs to the east, with wooded hills, caves, and horse trails just a short distance from my house. I spent my youth fly fishing in farm ponds, spelunking, ice skating, swimming, shooting practically anything that made good target practice, and developing a severe sensitivity to poison ivy. I developed a great interest in mechanical devices; to the consternation of my parents, I was constantly taking things apart, but only sometimes succeeded in reassembling them in working condition. My mechanical interests were aided and abetted by a neighbor, Terry Oberer, who specialized in restoration of antique cars. Terry is one of my benevolent giants, and I will explain why a bit later. I grew up in a family where religion was central: I was raised a Roman Catholic. At the outset this was Catholicism of the old school, pre-Vatican II. My sisters attended the local Catholic elementary school, St. Francis, where instruction was still mainly from nuns. I began my education at St. Francis as well, but transferred to the public school system because my severe allergies and asthma often led to unconventional treatments by the school authorities at St. Francis. After entering public school, my greatgrandmother and grandmother made an extra effort to emphasize the importance of the Church and its teachings, providing me with DOI: 10.1645/13-358.1