In Memoriam, Dr. Paul Nighswonger

Dear OAS Members and Friends,

It is with sadness that I notify you of the death of Dr. Paul Nighswonger on March 23, 2014.  At the time of his death Paul was nearly 91 years old and was the longest serving member of the Oklahoma Academy of Science, having joined in 1942.  He was a botanist and served on the faculty at Northwestern Oklahoma State University from 1969 until his retirement in 1994. 

Dr. Nighswonger was a native of Woods County, Oklahoma, and grew up on land homesteaded by his grandfather.  He lived on the family land throughout most of his life, including his final years.  During WWII he enlisted in the U.S Army and rose to the rank of 1^st Lieutenant, serving as a B-17 co-pilot in the European Campaign.  After the war he returned to the Alva area and earned his undergraduate degree in 1949 at Northwestern State.  In 1951 he married Elaine Moore, with whom he had six children.

In 1964 he entered graduate school at the University of Oklahoma, where he earned a Ph.D. in Plant Ecology.  His plant specimens in the Bebb Herbarium at OU are still known for their natural and artistic presentation.  After graduating from OU he began his teaching career at Northwestern State.  He was a member of the faculty along with such other well-known faculty as Dr. Louis Bouchard, Dr. Anna Fisher, and Dr. Dan Shorter.  Many graduates from the biology program of those days went on to distinguished careers in science, medicine, and education.

Dr. Nighswonger was a strong supporter of OAS and was a frequent participant in field meetings and technical meetings.  He encouraged his students to become OAS members and to take part in OAS activities. I first met Paul in 1976 when I was a student at Northwestern State.  I fondly remember taking his classes, including general botany, genetics, plant kingdom, and plant taxonomy, and participating in his field trips.  In those days the faculty and students would gather next to the coffee pot between classes and many vigorous debates occurred during those breaks.  I still recall Paul’s mischievous grin when he confided to me that he had clipped out a discount coupon for coffee and left it in the coffee donation can instead of the usual ten cents, much to the chagrin of Dr. Shorter, the keeper of the coffee fund.  While Paul was a significant influence in my life as a teacher, he was also a mentor to me.  He taught me the importance of accepting people for who they are and keeping my mind open to ideas and change.  He had a profound and positive influence on my life when I was a young college student struggling to find my path, and his lessons on life guide me today. 

Paul is survived by his wife Elaine and by his children. A fuller account of his life is available online at: http://www.whartonfuneralchapel.com/sitemaker/sites/wharto0/obit.cgi?user=1274506Nighswonger. Memorial donations may be made to the Paul Nighswonger Scholarship fund at Northwestern State.

Reported by Terry R. Conley on March 27, 2014