Gerald D. Schmidt, Helminthologist
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University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology Parasitology, Harold W. Manter Laboratory of 10-1992 Gerald D. Schmidt, Helminthologist Robert L. Rausch University of Washington, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/parasitologyfacpubs Part of the Parasitology Commons Rausch, Robert L., "Gerald D. Schmidt, Helminthologist" (1992). Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology. 388. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/parasitologyfacpubs/388 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Parasitology, Harold W. Manter Laboratory of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. J. Parasitol., 78(5), 1992, p. 762-770 ? American Society of Parasitologists 1992 GERALDD. SCHMIDT,HELMINTHOLOGIST Robert L. Rausch Departmentof ComparativeMedicine, SB-42, School of Medicine,University of Washington, Seattle,Washington 98195 In 1960, when Gerald D. Schmidt received the After receiving the Ph.D. degree at Colorado A.B. degree in biology and began graduate work State University (1964), Schmidt spent a year at at Colorado State University, the discipline of the University of Montana. He then accepted a helminthology was following in the tradition of position at the University of Northern Colorado Rudolf Leuckart, as instituted in North America (UNC). It was to be a permanent position; he by Henry Baldwin Ward. The helminthologists contributed as a teacher and parasitologist at of that time devoted themselves to taxonomy UNC for the remainder of his life. In 1972, he and systematics, elucidation of cycles, and ex- was promoted to the rank of Professor (Zoology). perimental investigation of the interactions of Schmidt was a talented teacher, who possessed helminths and their hosts. To the lasting benefit a broad knowledge of biology. His scientific ac- of his many students and colleagues, Gerald D. complishments are all the more impressive when Schmidt was motivated to pursue scholarly in- one considers the extent of his obligations in quiries in that tradition-to concentrate his re- teaching. In 1985-1986, a typical academic year, markable energies on the study of helminths at Schmidt taught advanced Invertebrate Zoology, the organismal level. General Zoology, General Parasitology, and In his acceptance of the H. B. Ward Medal, in Medical Parasitology. During that time as well, 1973, Gerald Schmidt credited his introduction he supervised graduate students, made at least 1 to parasitology to Maynard Stamper, former field-trip (to Belize), held responsible positions chairman of the Department of Biology at Col- in scientific organizations (including the office of orado State College (now the University of Secretary-Treasurer of the American Society of Northern Colorado). Dr. Stamper encouraged Parasitologists), and in the same period he pub- him to apply for admittance to graduate study lished 9 scientific papers and his Handbook of at Colorado State University, with Dr. O. Wil- Tapeworm Identification. ford Olsen. Gerald Schmidt's first publication, concerning There, for the Master's thesis, Gerald Schmidt a new species of Tetrameres (Nematoda), ap- undertook a survey of the parasites of the com- peared in the Journal of Parasitology in 1962, mon snipe, Capella gallinago. The finding of an the year in which he received the M.S. degree. acanthocephalan in 1 of the ceca of the first bird During 1963 and 1964, 6 additional papers were he dissected stimulated in him a lifelong interest published, based in part on studies made in Mon- in those organisms. With reference to that first tana and including results of his doctoral inves- specimen, he later remarked that "Despite its tigation. In about 1965, productive and long- dubious surroundings and monotonous mor- lasting collaboration began with Robert E. Kuntz, phology, it was a thing of great beauty to me." who had made an extensive collection of hel- That expression might stand as a keynote for all minths from vertebrates in southeastern Asia. of Schmidt's scholarly endeavors; he was fasci- That cooperative work, by my count, resulted in nated by the infinite variety and complexity of 33 publications, of which most concerned the nature and was irresistibly drawn to the challenge taxonomy and systematics of acanthocephalans of gaining some understanding of ecosystems of and nematodes. Much material was collected also which we are also a component and on whose by Professor Schmidt and his students. Outside integrity our own continuing existence depends. the United States, he undertook research or field- By the time he had completed requirements for work in Australia (1969 and 1970), Trinidad the M.S. degree (granted in 1962), he had already (1974), New Zealand (1979), and Belize (1985) made significant progress in the work that was (Fig. 1). to be his doctoral dissertation, on the embryol- Gerald Schmidt attributed his propensity for ogy of Prosthorhynchus formosus, a common hard work to the example set by his grandpar- acanthocephalan of the robin Turdus migrato- ents, who were "Volga Germans" who had im- rius. migrated to Colorado from Russia. Whether his 762 RAUSCH-G.D. SCHMIDT,THE HELMINTHOLOGIST 763 early life with his grandparents also provided the opportunity for learning the German and Rus- sian languages I never thought to ask, but those, along with the several other languages he was able to read, provided a degree of literacy that contributed greatly to his scholarly accomplish- ments. Dr. Schmidt's linguistic ability has been most impressively demonstrated by the 4,103 references cited in his Handbook of Tapeworm Identification. His ability, it might be added, was in marked contrast to that of most students com- ing at present from departments of biology/zo- ology in the United States, which mostly have dropped all foreign-language requirements in fa- vor of "computer language." The scientific publications of Gerald D. Schmidt consist of about 160 titles, including 3 papers that have appeared posthumously. (Oth- FIGURE1. Gerald Schmidt dissecting a stingray in ers, unknown to me, may be in press.) Of these, Belize, British Honduras. 143 (not including books, discussed below) con- stitute original contributions that were produced over a 27-yr period (1962-1989)-more than 5 The genus Dioecotaenia was established for a per year. Those publications may be allocated cestode described by Linton from the cow-nosed among 5 categories, relative to their content: tax- ray, Rhinoptera bonasus, and it was transferred onomy and systematics of digenea, 2 reports; of to the family Dioecotaeniidae Schmidt, 1969. cestodes, 22 reports; of acanthocephalans, 42; of That monotypic family later was removed to a nematodes, 32; helminthological surveys, 26; and new order, Dioecotaeniidea Schmidt, 1986. The life cycles, 6 reports. family Bothrimonidae Schmidt, 1986, was es- Schmidt and his coworkers described or char- tablished in the order Spathebothriidea. The rec- acterized many new taxa, mainly from birds and ognition of those higher categories by Schmidt mammals. According to my count, these includ- further demonstrates the scope of his under- ed 119 species, representing the 4 major groups standing of the biology of the Eucestoda. of helminths as follows: Digenea, 2; Cestoda, 45; Gerald Schmidt's publications in scientific Acanthocephala, 32; and Nematoda, 40. journals alone represent a contribution to knowl- Schmidt's name appears as authority for 19 gen- edge that few helminthologists can equal. In ad- era: Cestoda-Dioecotaenia Schmidt, 1969; dition to those, his academic and professional Wallabicestus Schmidt, 1975; Tupaiataenia obligations notwithstanding, he distinguished Schmidt et File, 1977; Witenbergitaenia Wert- himself as author or editor of several books. heim, Schmidt et Greenberg, 1987; Dildotaenia Schmidt (1969) served as editor of the volume Dronen, Schmidt, Allison et Mellen, 1988; Problemsin Systematicsof Parasites,which con- Cloacotaeniella Schmidt, Bauerle et Wertheim, stituted the proceedings of a symposium of the 1988; and Amaziolepis Schmidt et Dailey, 1992. American Association for the Advancement of Acanthocephala- Owilfordia Schmidt et Kuntz, Science. The book contains 5 contributions by 1967; Pseudolueheia Schmidt et Kuntz, 1967; prominent investigators: W. L. Bullock (Acan- Andracantha Schmidt, 1975; Sclerocollum thocephala), M. Voge (Cestoda), J. L. Crites Schmidt et Paperna, 1978; Brentisentis Leotta, (Nematoda), H. W. Manter (Trematoda), and N. Schmidt et Kuntz, 1982; and Australiformis D. Levine (parasitic Protozoa). Those papers Schmidt et Edmonds, 1989. Nematoda- Calyp- mainly defined needs for future research and the sostrongylus Schmidt, Myers et Kuntz, 1967; potential application of newer methods of in- Oceanicuccullanus Schmidt et Kuntz, 1970; vestigation in the systematics of organisms usu- Oceanifilaria Schmidt et Kuntz, 1970; Madeli- ally designated parasites. In the conclusion, Ger- nema Schmidt et Kuntz, 1971; Cordonema ald Schmidt noted that a major concern was the Schmidt et Kuntz, 1972; and Poekilostrongylus paucity of students who chose to make a career Schmidt et Whittaker, 1975. of systematics. Unfortunately, the gravity of that 764 THEJOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY, VOL.