Maryland Marine Notes: November-December 1998 Article

Volume 16, Number 6 • November-December 1998

In Memoriam:
L. Eugene Cronin

Those in the research and environmental communities were saddened to hear of the death of University of Maryland Professor Emeritus L. Eugene Cronin at the age of 81 in December. Well-respected for his expertise and commitment to research and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, the native Marylander began his career in 1943, when he became a biologist at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL) in Solomons, at that time a state lab. During the early 1950s, he moved to the University of Delaware, where he established the marine laboratory in Lewes which subsequently became the College of Marine Studies.

Returning to CBL, he succeeded its founder Reginal Truitt as director, and oversaw its move into the University of Maryland, becoming the first director of the UM Natural Resources Institute; in that role he was directly responsible for establishing the Appalachian Laboratory. In 1975, the Institute was merged into the newly created Center for Environmental and Estuarine Studies, serving as the Center's associate director for Research and later as director of the Chesapeake Research Consortium.

Cronin was one of the most influential scientists in the Chesapeake Bay region. He had major influence on environmental and fisheries policies in Maryland and in the creation of the Chesapeake Bay Program.

He remained active in retirement, participating in meetings and symposia such as one in November called "Across the Generations Dialogue" at which elder scientists talked with young researchers and students on the subject of science and the environment. Until a few days before his death, he was hard at work on a comprehensive book on the blue crab to be published by the Maryland Sea Grant College.

Tribute to a Beloved Researcher

Gene Cronin was a special friend to the Chesapeake Bay, to the scientific community that studies it, and to the University of Maryland, where he served for many years as director of Chesapeake Biological Laboratory and Associate Director of what is now the Center for Environmental Science. More recently, he became closely involved with Maryland Sea Grant when he and Vic Kennedy proposed that we publish a comprehensive book on the blue crab - we readily agreed to the proposal. Until the very end, Gene played an active editorial role; he was also instrumental in helping raise the funding necessary to see the project through to completion.

Just a few weeks before his passing, when I expressed concerns to him about his health, Gene told me most matter of factly that his heart was failing fast, and that he did not expect to be around much longer. He then quickly changed the subject to "the crab book," and what needed to be done next. This anecdote is a small reflection of the dedication Gene had for his life's work, a dedication that extended well beyond his formal retirement and far beyond any concerns he might have had about himself.

Right up until his death, Gene was absorbed by science, and in particular, by its relation to the Chesapeake Bay. He felt that good public policy could only stem from the proper application of excellent science. (He always seemed to use the word "excellent" when he talked about what science should be.) Gene's commitment to linking science and public policy made him an obvious choice to receive in 1994 the prestigious Mathias Medal jointly award by Maryland Sea Grant, Virginia Sea Grant and the Chesapeake Research Consortium. It was but one of the many honors that have been bestowed upon this great man, whose loss we feel profoundly.

Chris D'Elia, Maryland Sea Grant College

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In Memoriam: L. Eugene Cronin

Tribute to a Beloved Researcher

In Memoriam:
L. Eugene Cronin