Royal D. Suttkus

Royal Dallas Suttkus (May 11, 1920, Bellville, Ohio – December 28, 2009, Atlanta, Georgia) was an ichthyologist and biology professor responsible for creating the Royal D. Suttkus Fish Collection, one of the largest of its kind. It houses approximately 7 million post-larval specimens of fishes. The collection is part of the Tulane University Biodiversity Research Institute and the Tulane University Museum of Natural History.

Biography of Royal D. Suttkus Early life and education Royal Dallas Suttkus was born in 1920 in Bellville, Ohio. His parents were John Albright Suttkus and Myna Louise Suttkus (née Schultz), and he was the third of their four children. Starting in childhood, he had the nickname "Sut". During his childhood, he acquired an interest in natural history through much involvement in outdoor activities in natural environments. In 1939, he enrolled at Michigan State University to study wildlife management. However, the military demands of World War II depleted the university of suitable faculty for a wildlife management major, and Suttkus switched to a zoology major. It was in this way that Suttkus was first introduced to ichthyology as a formal course of study.

Suttkus joined the ROTC while attending Michigan State University, training in field artillery. Beginning in early 1943, he became a member of the United States Army as a second lieutenant in the 686th Field Artillery Battalion. Suttkus served in the European Theatre of War, including the Battle of the Bulge. His military duty ended in June 1946, after having been promoted to captain.

Suttkus officially retired from his professorship at Tulane University in 1990, although he continued academic pursuits with emeritus status. During his academic career, he authored 122 scientific publications and served as thesis advisor for 24 graduate students.

The collection is located at 3705 Main Street, Belle Chasse, Louisiana 70037 USA. It is housed in two buildings that once were used to store ammunitions for the United States Navy. Tulane University had a natural history collection dating back to the 1880s, early in the history of the university. The collection existed as a museum, numbering approximately 170,000 specimens at its peak in the early 20th century. Following the end of the tenure of zoologist George Eugene Beyer as curator of the museum's collection, the collection fell into a period of neglect, eventually being disbanded in 1955.

In the first several years following World War II, Tulane University revitalized its efforts in natural history. In particular, the university hired as faculty members herpetologist Fred R. Cagle, botanist Joseph A. Ewan, invertebrate zoologist George H. Penn, and Royal D. Suttkus. From the beginning of his tenure as a faculty member at Tulane University, Suttkus concentrated on building an ichthyology collection that could be used for research purposes. Microdesmus suttkusi C. R. Gilbert., 1966 (Spotside wormfish) Notropis suttkusi J. M. Humphries & Cashner, 1994 (Rocky shiner) Percina suttkusi B. A. Thompson, 1997 (Gulf logperch) Scaphirhynchus suttkusi J. D. Williams & Clemmer, 1991 (Alabama sturgeon)