J Euk Microblol, 40(4), 1993, pp. 533-534 0 1993 by the Society of Protozoolomsts

IN MEMORIAM: JEROME J. PAULIN (1936-1993)

Anyone even remotely associated with the Society of Proto- zoologists or with the University of Georgia during the past quarter of a century will have known ‘‘Jerry’’ Paulin, most likely personally. In no way an extrovert, Dr. Paulin was nonetheless widely recognized and universally loved because of his abiding interest in the welfare of others, whether the recipient of his attention was a poverty-stricken graduate student, an interna- tionally distinguished professor, or an academic dean. Thus his passing, on 15 February 1993, a scant month after his 57th birthday, was most distressing news to his friends and colleagues everywhere around the world. For many it was also surprising news, because of Jerry’s characteristic reticence to burden others with talk about his health problems. His courageous fight against a rare blood condition coupled with cancer was known only to his closest associates; indeed, uncomplainingly, he maintained his cheerful and optimistic outlook on life until his very last day.

Born in Milwaukee but with lifelong close ties to farm lands out that way, Paulin received his Bachelor’s degree at Wisconsin State in 1962, and then migrated across the border to pursue Master’s and doctoral degrees (received in 1963 and 1967, re- spectively) at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana,

working in protozoology under the direction of John 0. Corliss. His precise researches on an endocommensal ciliate found in guinea pigs brought him instant international acclaim because of his indisputable findings that this heretofore trichostome spe- cies, Cyathodiniumpiriforme, was, in fact, an aberrant suctorian.

In 1967, young Dr. Paulin and his wife Eileen and their first son Jonathan (Erik was born a couple of years later) moved to Athens, Georgia, where he began his long and productive career at the University there. A culminating and moving event took place on the campus in November 1992, when “A Special Sem- inar in Honor of Dr. Jerome Paulin” was convened “in rec- ognition of his twenty-five years service to the University of Georgia and outstanding leadership of the Center for Advanced Ultrastructural Research.” Many of the science departments joined in its sponsorship, and the world-renowned parasitolo- gist/ciliatologist Dr. JiZ Lom, flown in from Prague, Czech Re- public, was the invited speaker of the day. On behalf of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Dr. Lom took the occasion to present Dr. Paulin with the distinguished Purkinje Medal for Excellence in Science.

A devoted and long-time member of the Society of Proto- zoologists, Jerry served it in many capacities. He will likely best

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be remembered for his hardworking, conscientious years as its Secretary (1979-1985, 1989-1991), as its Local Host when the meetings were held in Athens (1984), as its President (1988- 1989), and as a United States Representative to the International Commission on Protozoology of the International Union of Biological Sciences (1 985-1 993). Dr. Paulin was also active in the American Microscopical Society, the Electron Microscopy Society of America, and the Southeast Electron Microscopy So- ciety (which he chaired, 1976-1980).

Jerry traveled widely in his work, often combining meetings abroad with research conferences, field trips, and-yet too in- frequently- some sightseeing with Eileen. During his longest stay in Europe, in 1978, on a National Academy of Sciences/ National Research Council Exchange Scientist Award, he spent three months in Leningrad and over five in Prague, carrying out joint projects with colleagues at those outstanding international centers of protozoological research.

While appreciating the value of collecting and studying living material and of using light microscopy and its associated cy- tological techniques (and recall his award-winning films on pro- tists), Dr. Paulin’s major contributions to the protistological literature were in the area of ultrastructure, with organisms ex- amined ranging from Trypanosoma and Trichomonas to Bal- antidium, Nyctotherus, and Stentor, and from Phytomonas and Crithidia to Allantosoma, Discophrya, and Cyathodinium. Trained by none other than Hans Ris of Wisconsin, he became one of the few experts in the country in the field of high voltage electron microscopy. Georgia’s special Center for Advanced Ul- trastructural Research grew into one of the premier facilities of its kind under Paulin’s leadership as Director (1 984-1 993). Vin- tage ‘scopes collected by Jerry over the years are now displayed in quarters named the Jerome J. Paulin Electron Microscope Museum, dedicated in his honor in 199 1. A beautiful exposition

of both the fine-structure researches of Jerry and his devoted graduate students and of his enduring love for Antony van Leeu- wenhoek’s “wee animalcules” is to be found in his modest but moving account, based on his Society of Protozoologists’ Past- President’s Address, published in the Journal of Protozoology, vol. 37, issue of Nov.-Dec. 1990.

In addition to his very busy professional career in teaching, research, and administration, Jerry Paulin managed to find-or to take-time to be a caring husband and father and an active member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church; he was an always- available volunteer in community charitable enterprises, and he sang tenor in performances by the Athens Choral Society. He loved the outdoors. They say that he never missed an open- ing day of the wild turkey season, but could never bring himself to pull the trigger even after hours of patiently coaxing a large gobbler to show itself! Jerry was also an avid lover of antique automobiles. He spent many a relaxful hour restoring old cars, and his avocation earned him numerous prizes in both local and national competitions. His crowning glory was his 1933 Ford roadster, which won for him the prestigious “Best Res- toration” Award one year at the annual convention of the An- tique Auto Club of America held in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

It would be trite to say that Jerry Paulin will be missed. It would be better to remember him for his quality contributions to the science of protozoology, for his patient training of a cadre of excellent graduate students carrying on in his tradition, and, perhaps above all, for his admirable demonstration in his final years of exemplary courage in the face of overwhelming adver- sities.-Jom 0. CORLISS, P.O. Box 53008, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87153, and MARK A. FARMER, Center for Advanced Ultrastructural Research, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602.