THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE CHARLES HENRY GILBERT ICHTHYOLOGICAL SOCIETY,
7 OCTOBER 1989

The initial meeting of the newly reconstituted Society was held in the Fisheries Center on the UW campus on 7 October 1989.¹³ Ted Pietsch called the meeting to order at 1:00 hours. The meeting Agenda (App. 1) was distributed. The role was called and 24 people from Oregon and Washington were in attendance (App. 2, Fig. 3). Pietsch gave a short explanation of the origins of the newly formed Society. The Charter and Bye-Laws were read to those present and approved by the membership after a discussion of the form and wording of the documents.¹⁴ Those attending the meeting were "sworn-in" as Founding Members after affirming their obligation to the Society in an elaborate, but whimsical, ceremony.¹⁵

Pietsch then turned the chair over to President Dunn, who gave a brief thank-you and a welcoming speech. Dunn appointed Douglas Markle as the Vice President of the Society. The floor was then opened to nominations of New Fellows. Phil Harris read a resolution commending Carl Eldon Bond (1920-), from Oregon State University, for his nearly 40 years of contributions to ichthyology of the Northwest.¹⁶ Bond was then elected "Distinguished Fellow Summa Laude Dignatus." Daniel Morris Cohen (1930-), from California, was nominated as a "Distinguished Fellow and Foreign Member." Four other individuals were nominated to Foreign Membership and six people were nominated as New Members.^17,18 A list of the Fellows of the Society was subsequently developed and distributed. Certificates of Fellowship were awarded to each founding member (Fig. 4).¹⁹

Dunn opened the floor for nominations for a President-elect, who would organize and preside over the 1990 meeting.²⁰ Douglas Markle was chosen by acclamation.²¹ The Presidential Address, "Who Was Charles Henry Gilbert," was then delivered by President Dunn.

President-elect Markle gave the Distinguished Scientist Lecture titled "Ichthyologica Oregonensis." The Business Meeting was adjourned at 1207 hours.²² The afternoon session was devoted to presentation of scientific papers (App. 1).

Upon completion of the contributed papers session, the membership adjourned to a local restaurant and bar for food, drink, and further informed discussions. Secretary Harris was called upon to read a resolution of appreciation of Lenora Jensen Bond (1921-) for her 37 years of devoted service to the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University. The Society conferred upon her the title of "Honorary Fellow of the Charles Henry Gilbert Ichthyology Society Honoris Causa.²³ A second resolution was unanimously passed by the membership directing Theodore Pietsch, who was due to visit Stanford University in the near future, to pay homage to Jordan Hall on that campus.²⁴

President Dunn then delivered the evening lecture. Dressed in period costume (Fig. 5), Dunn portrayed Charles Henry Gilbert and spoke (with some historical license) of the life of a naturalist in the year 1909.²⁵ Upon completion of Dunnís talk, the members reverted to liquid refreshments and other revelry, bringing the initial meeting of the Society to a conclusion. A notice of this inaugural meeting of the Society was subsequently published in Copeia (Pietsch, 1990).²⁶

In November 1989, the Washington contingent of the Society undertook its first "field trip." This expedition, to Lake Ozette in the Northwest corner of Washington State, was organized to search for the elusive Olympia mudminnow, Novumbra hubbsi (Figs. 6, 7). The participants hailed the trip as a success.