Shown below are photos portraying our work to bring the Tom Simon Collection to Columbus. We are so thankful to Beth Simon, Tom’s wife of 37 years, for honoring Tom’s wishes to gift the collection to the museum. Beth was a great source of encouragement (including lots of pizza, subs, cookies and drinks and a great attitude) and brought her daugher Lia and son Zachary to assist in the move. Tom Simon’s family exhibits the qualities that Tom himself exemplified, a true testimony to his character. May the arrows from Tom’s quiver always fly true.
The old church near Bloomington, Indiana that Ichthyologist Tom Simon refurbished and updated to function as his laboratory and fish repository
Marc Kibbey surveys all that he is now “master” of. The truck was loaded so heavily on the third trip that Marc and Logan had to dig 1 foot under the lift gate to be able to fold it up. On one of the steep hills along Indiana Route 46 the truck could only muster 25mph on the nighttime drive back, no doubt making the long line of drivers behind a bit testy.
Load up! Indiana DNR NonGame Fish Biologist Brant Fisher, Indiana University and Tom Simon student Logan Shank fill up the truck.
Truck full-o’-fish
Bloaters, one of several rare fish species new to our collection (and one of many reasons i’m excited about this gift)!
These three carts hold what is numerically the biggest portion of the acquisition, approximately 7 million fish larvae! These vouchers were used to help develop a six volume series, “Reproductive Biology and Early Life History of Fishes in the Ohio River Drainage“, co-written by Tom Simon.
Logan Shank (aka The Modest Viking), Tom Simon’s student ( right of Brant Fisher) is a gentle giant who worked tirelessly on our small crew on the Indiana side.
Fish Slingers on the Dock. Thanks you guys, and to all the rest that helped us in Indiana and at the Museum of Biological Diversity!
I think it says something about this whole endeavor that seeing these pictures as I paged thru the blog today made me smile–what a wonderful gift, and what wonderful colleagues we have in Brant and Logan.
Wonderful colleagues indeed, Brant and Logan are delightful examples of steadfast, quiet enthusiasm. purposefully driven to contribute to a worthy cause. I believe my reminiscence of the experience will always include memories of meeting nice people and getting to know friends better.