Presentation of the Harrell L. Strimple Award of the Paleontological Society to Dr. George H. Junne, Jr.

Abstract

It is my great pleasure to introduce you to this year's recipient of the Harrell L. Strimple Award, Dr. George H. Junne, Jr. As I am sure you are all aware, the Strimple Award is given to an amateur paleontologist who has made significant contributions to our field of study either through research and publication, making outstanding collections of fossil material, or through public service such as promoting educational activities and fossil preservation. George qualifies on a number of fronts as a perfect Strimple Awardee. First I should tell you that George is Professor and Chair of Africana Studies in the School of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. He received his Ph.D. in Higher and Adult Continuing Education from The University of Michigan in 1988. Subsequently, George has written 5 books and published nearly 100 papers on topics ranging from a history of Blacks in the American West to slavery and the role of black eunuchs in the Ottoman Empire. He has spent several summers teaching at Bogazici University in Istanbul. Additionally, George is an accomplished and published photographer and in his spare time has been known to brew a pretty mean bottle of beer. None of this, of course, is why we honor him this evening. George first came to The University of Michigan, Museum of Paleontology in 1981 as a part time photographer, a job he held (along with bouncer at the beloved and sorely missed Del Rio Bar) while beginning his …