Tributes to
J. Desmond Clark
1916-2002
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I have many warm memories of lively evenings at Desmond's and Betty's home where they hosted seminars and other gatherings that brought the archeological and paleoanthropological community of 1970's Berkeley together. There was a great spirit of shared excitement about the new discoveries and much wrangling about what they all meant. Glynn and Barbara Isaac as well Glynn and Desmond's many students were typically in the middle of any controversies, and there was always humor to lighten things up when needed. It was a very special time, but I didn't appreciate how special until after my two post-doctoral years were up and I moved on to other places and other academic communities.

Desmond did much to foster open exchange of ideas and broad appreciation for the depth and complexity of African prehistory. He was particularly interested in welcoming interdisciplinary perspectives into the quest for human origins, and there is no doubt that he had a profound influence on the way the science of paleanthropology has evolved. This legacy will continue to bear fruit into the foreseeable future, a fitting tribute to the intellectual passion and inspiration of Desmond Clark.

-Anna K. Behrensmeyer