Charles W. Reimer (1923-2008)
Colleagues at the Academy of Natural Sciences and diatomists around the world are mourning the death of Dr. Charles Reimer, a distinguished scholar of diatoms and the Curator of the ANSP Diatom Herbarium for almost 50 years. He passed away on November 29, 2008.
Charles Reimer was born in Indianapolis on May 14, 1923. In middle school he became interested in natural sciences, particularly botany. He attended Butler University from 1940-43. During World War II he was trained as an interpreter at the University of Nebraska and sent to the front lines in Normandy and Alsace-Lorraine. While on a patrol, he was severely wounded and held in captivity until the end of the war. After a several-month recovery in U.S. hospitals, Reimer returned to Butler University and then attended graduate school at Michigan State University where he received his Ph.D. in Botany.
Dr. Reimer began his illustrious career at The Academy of Natural Sciences on December 1, 1952. He was originally hired by Dr. Ruth Patrick to translate books and journal articles for the flora she was planning to publish on diatoms in the United States. He later became co-author with Dr. Patrick of the product of this effort, the two-volume The Diatoms of the United States. Upon beginning his diatom studies, he worked with Matthew Hohn and John Wallace. About this same time, Dr. Patrick began a large amount of fieldwork, so Field Algologist was added to Dr. Reimer's list of many duties.
From 1960 to 1974 Dr. Reimer was an Associate Curator of the Diatom Herbarium, and then in 1975 took on the full title of Curator. Dr. Reimer answered all of the requests for material or slides that came to the Herbarium. During this time he also performed his own research and found time to teach. In 1966, John Dodd, from Iowa State, invited him to develop and teach a summer course in diatoms at the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory field station. The course was given each summer by Dr. Reimer until 1991. A large proportion of currently practicing freshwater diatomists in United States took this course, learning their taxonomy and ecology under the tutelage of Dr. Reimer. He has also taught at Drexel University in Philadelphia as an adjunct professor and in China and Chile as a visiting professor. He officially retired as Curator in 1991, but continued his work in the Diatom Herbarium until his death.
“A great teacher and mentor. He inspired passion in and camaraderie among us.”
– Jan R. Stevenson
Co-Director, Center for Water Sciences,
and Professor, Department of Zoology,
Michigan State University.
“Charlie has touched us all.”
– Rex L. Lowe
Professor, Bowling Green University
“First and foremost Charlie was one hell of a nice guy! He was fun to be with because he had an easy smile, had a great sense of humor, always made time to visit if you dropped by his lab (and made you feel that your visit was important to him), and he was very modest about what he had accomplished and what he was still accomplishing (if asked about what he was working on he would grab some interesting electron micrograph and discuss its significance)... What a great person!”
– Steven Halterman
Department of Environmental Protection, Worcester, Massachusetts.
“Dr. Reimer was an inspiration to all diatomists who ever looked at a diatom with him. I hope they have diatoms on the wet surfaces in heaven.”
– William Cody
Phycologist, Ohio.
Selected Publications
Reimer, C.W. 1954. “Re-evaluation of the diatom species Nitzschia frustulum (Kutz.) Grun.” Butler University Botanical Studies, 11: 178-191.
Reimer, C.W. 1959. “The diatom genus Neidium: I. ‑ New species, new records and taxonomic revisions.” Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 111:1‑35.
Reimer, C.W. 1959. “Some new distribution records for the genus Navicula (Bacillariophyceae). Ecological notes and comment.” Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 111: 77‑89.
Reimer, C.W. 1961. “New and variable taxa of the diatom genera Anomoeneis Pfitz. and Stauroneis Ehr. (Bacillariophyceae) from the United States. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 113(9):187‑214.
Reimer, C.W. 1962. “Some aspects of the diatom flora of Cabin Creek raised bog, Randolph County, Indiana.” Proc. Indiana Acad. Sci. 71:305-319.
Reimer, C.W. 1965. “Diatoms and their physio‑chemical environment.” Biological problems in water pollution, 3rd seminar, Pub. Health Ser. Bull. #999, 25:19‑28.
Reimer, C.W. 1966. “Consideration of fifteen diatom taxa (Bacillariophyceae) from the Savannah River including seven described as new.” Notulae Naturae, Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. #397, 15pp.
Patrick, R. and C.W. Reimer. 1966. The diatoms of the United States (exclusive of Alaska and Hawaii). Monographs Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. #13, Vol. I, 688pp., 64pls.
Reimer, C.W. 1968. “Diatometer survey and biological study.” in: Benoit, R., J. Cairns and C.W. Reimer. A limnological reconnaissance of an impoundment receiving heavy metals with special emphasis on diatoms and fish. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc., Reservoir Fishery Resources Sym.: 69‑99.
Christensen, C.L. and C.W. Reimer. 1968. “Notes on the diatom Cylindrotheca gracilis (BrJb. ex Khtz.) Grun.: Its ecology and distribution.” Proc. Iowa Acad. Sci., 75:36‑41.
McIntire, C.D. and C.W. Reimer. 1975. “Some marine and brackish water Achnanthes from Yaquina Aestuary, Oregon (U.S.A.).” Bot. Marina 17:164-175.
Sullivan, M. J. and C.W. Reimer. 1975. “Some diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) from a Delaware salt marsh - four of which are described as new.” Bot. Marina 18:115-121.
Patrick, R. and C.W. Reimer. 1975. The diatoms of the United States (exclusive of Alaska and Hawaii). Monographs Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. #13, Vol. II, pt. 1, 213pp., 28pls.
Reimer, C.W. and J.J. Lee. 1984. “A new pennate diatom Protokeelia hottingeri gen. nov., sp. nov.” Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 136:194-199.
Qi, Y.‑Z., C.W. Reimer and R.K. Mahoney. 1984. “Taxonomic studies of the genus Hydrosera. I. Comparative morphology of H. triquetra Wallich and H. whampoensis (Schwarz) Deby, with ecological remarks.” in: Mann, D.G. (ed.); Proc. 7th Intern. Diatom Sym., Phila. Aug. 22‑27, 1982. Pgs. 213‑224.
Mahoney, R.K. and C.W. Reimer. 1986. “Studies on the genus Brebissonia Grunow (Bacillariophyceae). I. Introduction and observations on B. lanceolata com. nov.” in: Ricard, M. (ed.) Proc. 8th Intern. Diatom. Sym., Paris Aug. 27‑Sep. 1, 1984. Pgs. 183‑190.
Reimer, C.W. and J.J. Lee. 1988. “New species of endosymbiotic diatoms (Bacillariphyceae) inhabiting larger foramiarifera in the Gulf of Elat (Red Sea), Israel.” Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 140(2):339-351.
Gaul, U., U. Geissler, M. Henderson, R. Mahoney and C. Reimer. 1993. “Bibliography of the fine structure of diatom frustules (Bacillariophyceae).” Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 144:69‑238.
Mahoney, R.K. and C.W. Reimer. 1997. “Updated status of the type collection (Bacillariophyceae) in the Diatom Herbarium of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.” Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 147: 125-192.
Henderson, M.V. and Reimer, C.W. 2003. “Bibliography on the Fine Structure of Diatom Frustules (Bacillariophyceae), II & Deletions, Addenda and Corrigenda for Bibliography I.” Diatom Monographs 3. Ganter-Verlag K. G., Germany. 372 pp.