Obituaries

The Field of Microbiology lost one of its most devoted and productive scholars and contributors with Barbara's death on January 31, 1999 after a lengthy period fighting Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Bachmann's contributions to Neurospora and Escherichia coli genetics mainly took the form of organizing and disseminating an overwhelming and confusing mass of microbial genetics data. She founded and was the first editor of the Neurospora Newsletter (later the Fungal Genetics Newsletter), a role she served for 13 years. She compiled the first Neurospora Bibliography and Index as well as the second with the help of Nick Strickland.

Barbara founded the E. coli genetic stock center and was its curator until her retirement. The entire world relied upion her for not only the best source for reliable strains, but for information and guidance as to the appropriate strains for an individual's intended research. Perhaps even more importantly she developed a genetic database for E. coli and periodically published a complete genetic map of that organism.

Dr. Bachmann served the professional community in other ways; she was a member of the Committee on Maintenance of Genetic Stocks (GSA) for nearly 30 years, chair of the subcommittee on Bacteria and Bacteriophages for 5 years, member of the advisory committee to the ATCC, member of the committee on Culture Collections (ASM), member of the commitee on Germplams Resources (NRC) and member of the committee on nomenclature (ASM Publications Board).

Barbara's first love was teaching commencing with her tutelage for her doctorate with C.B. van Neil. She served as preparator for the introductory and advanced microbiology courses at Berkeley, NYU and Yale employing van Neil's approach and served as an instructor or Assistant Professor in many of theose courses.

Those who knew her personally will remember her not only for her professional contributions, but her dry sense of humor, low tolerance for shoddy standards, love of nature, especially birds, gardening and music. Her family has suggested that anyone wishing to honor Barbara might do so by making a donation in her memory to The Nature Conservancy or to Planned Parenthood. She will be sorely missed for her contributions to science, her personal integrity, and stamina.

(Acknowledgements should go to her sister, Ms. Jean Morgan, 950 Southbridge Greens Blvd. #18, Fort Collins, CO 82525)

Submitted by Ray Barratt, Director Emeritus, FGSC

Henry Branch Howe, Jr. died of pneumonia, October 24, 1998 in Nairobi, Kenya while touring a wildlife preserve. He was 74. During World War II, he served in the 100th Infantry Division and was wounded during the liberation of Europe. Following the War, he earned A.B. and M. A. degrees at Emory University in Atlanta, then went on for a Ph. D. in genetics from the University of Wisconsin, where he was the student of James F. Crow. His thesis work provided critical data on crossing over, interference, and nuclear passing in Neurospora crassa.

Branch Howe was very active in professional organizations. He was editor of the Georgia Journal of Science for more than 10 years. He also was an avid birder, and served as president of the Georgia Ornithological Society.

Most of Howe's professional career was spent at the University of Georgia as a faculty member in the Department of Microbiology and later, briefly, as Associate Dean of the Graduate School. Many were drawn to his laboratory. He directed and mentored a large number of graduate students, post doctoral associates, and visiting research associates. In addition to his early critical experiments on crossing over in Neurospora crassa, he was instrumental in opening up the genetics of Neurospora tetrasperma. As a consequence of this pioneering work, this species, with its unique genetic system, is the object of current research in which it is expected to be a powerful tool, not only for experimental work but also for evolutionary molecular genetics. His publications also include many studies of N. crassa, and, although it is not always apparent from their titles, a number of these dealt with relationships of N. tetrasperma and N. crassa. He was interested in sexual cycles, reproductive structures, mitosis, ascospore formation, a possible compound structure of the mating type locus, and various aspects of the biology, biochemistry and metabolism of Neurospora. Some of his last work involved establishing self-sterile, but cross-fertile, mutant strains of the homothallic species, N. africana.

When working with students, he often quoted: "From him to whom much is given, much is required". But Branch Howe always required more of himself than he did of others.

Sara Neville Bennett