OBITUARIES
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, June 1993:
Mycologist Catherine Roberts
died on April 12. Roberts received her
Ph.D. at the University of California at
Berkeley in 1943. A pioneer in affirming
the ethical responsibility of humans toward
animals, Roberts published her book The
Scientific Conscience in 1967. This book
contained one of the earliest criticisms by a
respected scientist of such experiments as
the maternal deprivation studies done on
infant monkeys. Roberts was also author of
many articles on behalf of animals, and
another book, Science, Animals and
Evolution, which appeared in 1980. In this,
as in other works, Roberts anticipated more
recent writers who believe that science
needs to become less fragmented and spe-
cialized, and to include a unifying spiritual
vision. “Science, Animals and Evolution,”
she wrote, “envisages a new kind of biolo-
gy. It speaks of a religious regeneration of
the scientific conscience and, with it, those
enduring changes in the mind and heart of
the biologist that will commit him to ethi-
cal goals and to compassion, justice, self-
restraint, and humility in his dealing with
all living organisms.” Her cause was real
and personal to her. She was a vegetarian.
She loved, and was loved by, the large
dogs who were her companions, and gave
generously of her time and energy to ensure
that their lives were rich and happy.
––Rose Evans
Tammi Don Elkins, 25, of
Charleston, West Virginia, was killed May
8 as she tried to pull her dog out of the way
of a 150-car freight train that suddenly came
up behind them as they walked on the tracks
near the town of Glen Jean. The dog was
also killed, while Elkins’ companion,
Michael Williams, 24, of Shrewsbury, suf-
fered head and leg injuries.
