29 Sept 1999

     When I began to study shells 30 yrs ago, one of the first books I got
was a "pocketbook"  by Tucker Abbott.  I envisioned a dignified, gray haired,
man writing all of those wonderful books.  Was I in for a surprise!  When I
got to The Ohio State Univ. Museum of Zoology in 1976, and looked at their
gallery of malacologists, I was shocked when I saw this man with an impish
grin in a WW II aviator's hat and jacket.  When I met him in person at 1976
AMU, in Columbus,  I was really amazed to see this friendly, approachable man
in shell shirts and shorts.  Again, not anything like the image I had of him.
  After reading his bibliography in the Nautilus, I marveled at how
productive he was and wondered how he did it all.
Marian E Havlik
Malacological Consultants
1603 Mississippi Street
La Crosse, WI 54601-4969
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P/F: 608.782.7958