Richard Douglas “Doug” Slack lived his life with his ready smile and genuine interest in other people. He never met a stranger. It was common to see a crowd gather around him, as everyone knew they mattered to him. His laughter often rang through the house as he read heard or read something, holding his belly until he could catch his breath to tell what was so funny.
He was born December 25, 1942 in Columbus, Ohio and died November 14, 2020 at Querencia Barton Creek in Austin, Texas. His parents, Richard and Evelyn Slack, soon moved to Cardington, Ohio where Doug graduated from Cardington Lincoln High School in 1960. His childhood was spent on his bike or on the baseball field where his coach taught him to play and love the game for the rest of his life. In high school, he played varsity baseball and basketball, and was editor of the yearbook.
He gave much credit to his teachers, family and friends in his small hometown for encouraging him to be the first in his family to attend college.
In 2008, he was inducted into the Cardington Lincoln School Hall of Fame in recognition of his life accomplishments. In 1964, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biology from Bowling Green State University where he was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity and the ROTC.
During his first year of graduate study at The Ohio State University, he hitch-hiked across Ohio many times to visit his high school sweetheart at college. Charlotte Beard transferred to join him at The Ohio State University, and they were married on August 29, 1965. They lived on West 11th Ave. in Columbus as managers of a student rooming house to help make ends meet.
Doug earned his Master of Science in the Department of Biology and Zoology in 1966. He conducted research on the behavior of a pair of river otters and was charged with the care of the otters in their large aquarium adjacent to the classroom building. Many times, he woke in the middle of the night wondering, “Did I remember to turn off the water?” or “Did I remember to close the gate?” He and Charlotte got dressed and walked two blocks to the building so he could verify his questions.
Doug fulfilled his obligation to the ROTC with three years in the US Army, including a tour in Viet Nam in the quartermaster corps where he was exposed to Agent Orange. After a healthy, vigorous life, the Agent Orange eventually led to his contraction of diabetes and Parkinson’s Disease.
He returned home with the rank of Captain and enrolled at The Ohio State University for work on his Ph.D. His research on the behavior of catbirds took him to a rural property where he logged endless hours of observations. The property owners said laughingly, “You don’t know when to come in out of the rain!”
A journalist for the Columbus Dispatch wrote a weekly comic strip titled “Professor Naturebug” and chose Doug’s catbird study as the topic of his column. Doug is one of the very few humans to have been featured in the funny papers.
After earning his Ph.D, he applied for a job in Ohio and the surrounding states. He also sent an application to Texas A&M University because an Army buddy was studying there. Never having been in Texas, the interview team took him to a Mexican restaurant for lunch. After one bite of the spicy food, he drained his water glass, asking for more. When he was offered a job, he and Charlotte agreed that he’d take the position in the Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Department with the understanding that he would keep looking for a better opportunity. However, Texas A&M turned out to be the perfect place for his work in wildlife ecology. He never left, concluding his career as Professor Emeritus after 38 years.
Doug was awarded the Regents Professor Award in recognition of his outstanding service and commitment through professional contributions to the university. He was recognized as a national expert in Black-capped Vireos and the endangered Whooping Cranes. He authored numerous professional journal articles, reviewed articles for many major journals in his field, and secured millions of research dollars for the university, including the largest grant in the history of the department. His work was an essential factor in the establishment of the Balcones Canyonlands Wildlife Preserve, a system of preserves of 30,500 acres managed by Austin and Travis County that serve as habitat for eight endangered species and other species of concern. He co-authored a field research laboratory manual for students that has been in continuous use since 1982. He developed drop-net trapping techniques for marsh birds now used nation-wide on birds and mammals. He served many years as assistant department head.
As member of the Texas A&M Chancellor’s first leadership development institute, Doug spent a semester working with the administration of the Texas A&M Prairie View campus study their unique place in the TAMU system. He also flew to the TAMU Qatar campus to help strengthen their Faculty Senate.
Doug was elected as Speaker of the Faculty Senate at Texas A&M, the representative body for faculty participation in university. As Speaker, he led the first, and only, march on the Chancellor’s office over issues of faculty evaluations. Shortly thereafter, he and the Chancellor had drinks together at the country club, much to the surprise of passersby and a testament to Doug’s ability to find the good in everyone he met. He was the keynote speaker at the Texas A&M graduation ceremony on May 12, 2007.
When Texas A&M President Robert Gates left the university to return to the Pentagon, Doug was tapped to chair the search committee for his replacement.
A huge fan of Texas A&M athletics, he served on the Athletic Council and was privileged to attend the 75th Anniversary of the Cotton Bowl. There, he met for the first time his life-long hero, Jim Brown, fullback of the Cleveland Browns, considered one of the greatest players of all time.
His primary focus at Texas A&M, however, was his students. He loved to teach, and he earned numerous teaching awards. He always had time to talk with students who sought his wise counsel. One student remembers that he was the turning point in her life, giving her encouragement and suggestions for a path forward that allowed her to succeed. She recalls, “He exuded reality and vital truth in everything he did and said.” Another described him as “the formidable voice in my life for many years.” Under his guidance, 38 students earned graduate degrees, including 13 doctorates.
Doug’s focus on students extended to the department, college and university levels as he participated in initiatives to improve the college learning experience through curriculum development, encouraging international studies, and introducing writing into the science classroom. One student remarked, “Thanks to people like Dr. Slack who gave a lot of themselves to teach young upstarts about how to write effective sentences that people would want to read!”
For a number of years, he initiated and conducted a summer international studies course in the Caribbean Island of Dominica. He chaired a complete revision of the department undergraduate curriculum and created and managed the student honors program in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences.
He created a popular junior/senior seminar on career management. As part of that class, students rode a bus to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Board of Directors meetings each semester. He was a Fellow of the Center for Leadership in Higher Education and a Wakonse Teaching Fellow.
For most of his career, he was the advisor to the student chapter of The Wildlife Society professional organization. He arranged for students to attend the national meetings to connect with the leading researchers in the field. He also coached the student “Wildlife Bowl” quiz team and was never prouder than when they won state, regional and national competitions. Each spring on parents’ weekend, the student chapter hosted a wild game BBQ and served wild hog, various varieties of venison, elk, antelope, snake, alligator, turtle, etc.
He served as president of the Texas Chapter and the Southwest Chapter of The Wildlife Society and earned the designation of “Certified Wildlife Biologist” from that organization. He initiated professional networking events for students and created a competition for the outstanding graduate paper.
One of Doug’s proudest moments was when his father came to visit from Ohio, and Doug invited him to one of his classes. His father, a factory worker who had not graduated from high school, always encouraged Doug to get a good education. His father sat on the back row of the large lecture hall. When Doug introduced him to the class, the students clapped and cheered. On the way home, his dad said, “Don’t give up your day job.”
Besides his career activities, he was active in various civic and church groups. He and Charlotte founded the homeowners association in Foxfire, their rural subdivision, and Doug served as the first president. He led the successful initiative to annex Foxfire to the city of College Station by hand-carrying a petition to every home in the sprawling neighborhood of one-to-three acre lots. Later, he served a period of years on the College Station Planning and Zoning Commission.
After retirement, Doug served as executive director of the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society. In this position, he often testified in legislative hearings on issues related to wildlife and the environment. A professional lobbyist commented that he’d never seen a legislative committee swayed by testimony until he heard Doug in action. One colleague called him “a giant in our world.”
For his last lecture before retirement, students were amazed to see him walk into the classroom wearing a tuxedo. He dedicated the class to his four grandsons. He wanted to leave a lasting impression regarding the students’ responsibility to use their skills, science and creativity to maintain the earth’s biodiversity. A photo and a heartwarming story about his last lecture appeared on the front page of the local newspaper.
Despite Doug’s many professional and civic accomplishments, his first priority has always been his family. Doug and Charlotte celebrated 55 magical years together on August 29, 2020, a team in every sense of the word. He doted on their daughters, rarely missing their events of any kind. Doug is survived by his wife Charlotte Beard Slack; daughter Kathleen Noack, her husband Chris of Austin, grandsons Andrew and Steven; daughter Sandra Glover, husband Eric of Guilford, Connecticut, grandsons Edward and Henry; brother Roger Slack of Cardington, Ohio, nieces Kelli Heiser, Danielle Butzier, and nephew Michael Slack; Aunt Loretta Irons of Cardington, Ohio; numerous extended family members; and friends in abundance.
For those wishing to make a donation in Doug’s honor, please consider the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Attention: Dr. Doug Slack Memorial, PO Box 861, Del Valle, TX 78617 or online at https://tctws.org/support-us/
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