The Quaternary community lost a giant and a leader on October 5, 2020, when David Quentin Bowen, known to many as “DQ” and founding editor of Quaternary Science Reviews, passed away in Cardiff. Born on February 14, 1938 in Llanelli, SouthWales, he received his PhD at University College London. David’s 50 years of contributions to our science cannot be adequately summarized in a brief memorial but past, present, and future generations of Quaternary scientists will long remember his landmark achievements in publishing, his scientific contributions, and his personal and professional class in all his endeavors

Andrews, John T.

Bridgland, David R.

Clark, Peter U.

Cronin, Thomas M.

Hillaire-Marcel, Claude

Maddy, Darrel

Miller, Gifford H.

Muhs, Daniel R

Murray-Wallace, Colin V.

English

DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska

University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln USGS Staff -- Published Research US Geological Survey 2020 David Quentin Bowen: A memorial John T. Andrews University of Colorado, Boulder David R. Bridgland Durham University, Durham, UK Peter U. Clark Oregon State University, Corvallis, Thomas M. Cronin U.S. Geological Survey, tcronin@usgs.gov Claude Hillaire-Marcel Université du Québec à Montréal See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub  Part of the Geology Commons, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons, Other Earth Sciences Commons, and the Other Environmental Sciences Commons Andrews, John T.; Bridgland, David R.; Clark, Peter U.; Cronin, Thomas M.; Hillaire-Marcel, Claude; Maddy, Darrel; Miller, Gifford H.; Muhs, Daniel R.; and Murray-Wallace, Colin V., "David Quentin Bowen: A memorial" (2020). USGS Staff -- Published Research. 1267. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub/1267 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the US Geological Survey at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in USGS Staff -- Published Research by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Authors John T. Andrews, David R. Bridgland, Peter U. Clark, Thomas M. Cronin, Claude Hillaire-Marcel, Darrel Maddy, Gifford H. Miller, Daniel R. Muhs, and Colin V. Murray-Wallace This article is available at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub/1267 David Quentin Bowen: A memorialThe Quaternary community lost a giant and a leader on October5, 2020, when David Quentin Bowen, known to many as “DQ” andfounding editor of Quaternary Science Reviews, passed away in Car-diff. Born on February 14, 1938 in Llanelli, South Wales, he receivedhis PhD at University College London. David’s 50 years of contribu-tions to our science cannot be adequately summarized in a briefmemorial but past, present, and future generations of Quaternaryscientists will long remember his landmark achievements in pub-lishing, his scientific contributions, and his personal and profes-sional class in all his endeavors.David’s landmark 1978 book Quaternary Geology: A stratigraphicframework for multidisciplinary work (Pergamon) was the first tobridge the gap between traditional “Pleistocene Geology” and theexploding field of paleoclimatology. In this book he recognizedthe community needed a paradigm shift from land-based studiesof past ice sheets to new approaches to understand the last 2million years of Earth history. Thus, he incorporated chapters onnew regions (non-glaciated areas), the significance of new marinerecords (including marine oxygen isotope stratigraphy), the criticalnature of stratigraphy and geochronology in nearly all Quaternarystudies, and other topics we take for granted today. His early recog-nition of the significance of land e sea correlations in Quaternaryscience culminated in the 2005 QSR volume dedicated to David,“Quaternary landeocean correlation: A tribute to Professor DavidQ. Bowen” edited by D. Maddy, A. Long, and D. Bridgland.How do we measure his impact? His book on Quaternary geol-ogy has been used and cited by countless scholars. It is on the book-shelf of every serious student of the Quaternary. His encyclopedicknowledge of the Quaternary of the British Isles includes contribu-tions on complex stratigraphic correlations, interglacial sea-levelhigh stands, and geochronology. His numerous journal articleshave been cited hundreds of times. Perhaps his greatest legacywas the founding of QSR in 1981, first published in 1982. In doingso, he launched a truly interdisciplinary outlet that has grownexponentially and today is the field’s premier journal, covering dis-ciplines from archaeology to climate modeling. Some of us had thehonor of contributing to the inaugural QSR volume, and like thou-sands of scientists since then who have published in QSR, we allbenefitted from David’s singular foresight and vision. Other QSRmilestones of David’s include changing QSR from a review-onlyjournal to one welcoming original research papers, inviting guesteditors, publishing pre-Quaternary special volumes, enlighteningbook reviews and much more.David had a great talent for inspiring young advocates of theQuaternary, as is evident from the esteem in which he is held bythose he taught and supervised. His undergraduate students atAberystwyth went on to research careers inspired by his knowl-edge and enthusiasm. His oratory skills, his ability to paint a pictureand weave an engaging narrative allowed students to “experience”the Quaternary not just study it.As for promoting our subject morewidely, it is worth noting Da-vid’s contribution to the conservation of geological and, especially,Quaternary interests, as exemplified by his work for British govern-ment conservation agencies: for the Nature Conservancy Council(NCC) as Quaternary advisor and editor of the Geological Conserva-tion Review (GCR) and member of the Advisory Committee forWales (1986e1991); as co-author of the first volume to be pub-lished in the GGR series (Quaternary of Wales); following the divi-sion of the NCC, as Vice-Chairman (1991e2001) of the CountrysideCouncil for Wales and a member of the governing committee of theJoint Nature Conservation Committee, the body formed to overseeand co-ordinate the now separate national agencies for England,Scotland and Wales. He was also the Chairman of the Llanelli Mil-lennium Coastal Park (1996e2001), at the town of his birth andwhere he spent his youth. David’s many activities and recognitionsinclude Fellow Geological Society London; member AmericanGeophysical Union, Quaternary Research Association, UnitedKingdom, and honorary life member of the International UnionQuaternary Research.More than his scientific contributions, it was David’s personalityand perpetual optimism that distinguished him from others. Thosewho knew himwere fortunate to enjoy his wit and charm, his kind-ness, his field trips and lectures on outcrops, and the fire and spiritwhich he brought to many scientific debates. Memories of stimu-lating conversations over excellent food and a fine wine and astop at an interesting pubwere essential when DQwas leading fieldexcursions.These sentiments, captured best by one of us (JTA), put the DavidBowen we all knew into focus:“DQ was both a friend and a colleague although I have to admitthat we were staunch enemies when it came to rugby—DQ was aproudWelshman; for my part I continually reminded him that a rugbyXV from my small mining town (pop. 7000) went down to Llanelli inthe 1890’s and beat the Llanelli 1st XV. I was also at pains to pointContents lists available at ScienceDirectQuaternary Science Reviewsjournal homepage: www.elsevier .com/locate/quascirevQuaternary Science Reviews 250 (2020) 106688https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.1066880277-3791out that the Millom RUFC was founded in 1873 two years prior to DQ’smore famous Club (pop. Now ~50,000). However, our friendshipstarted via snail mail and involved some of the first efforts to useamino acid racemization as a means of understanding the Quaternarysequence in the UK. This involved DQ sending samples to me to run inGiff Miller’s Amino Acid Lab at INSTAAR in the mid and late 1970’s.These initial exchanges led to a strong link between David and presentand past colleagues at INSTAAR, including Giff Miller, Peter Clark, JohnHollin (deceased), and Julie Brigham-Grette. In part, I would also claimthat the concept of “Quaternary Science Reviews” started or wasencouraged by this trans-Atlantic connection, and I was privileged tocontribute to that first issue of what has become the “go to” journalfor Quaternary studies. The ties were also personal, with David stayingwith John and Martha in Boulder, and John in the winter of 1982 (Ithink) taking the “train ride to hell”, i.e. a British Rail journey fromone isolated town, Millom, to another, Aberystwyth. It took somethinglike 6 changes of trains and innumerable hours. It also coincided witha major snowstorm that strandedme in Aber. As both road and rail ser-vice were blocked by snowdrifts.”David’s passing is an irreplaceable loss to our community and heis sorely missed. But his legacy of accomplishments and zest for ourscience will no doubt continue to influence future generations ofQuaternary scientists.John T. Andrewsa, David R. Bridglandb, Peter U. Clarkc, ThomasM. Cronind,*, Claude Hillaire-Marcele, Darrel Maddyf, GiffordH. Millera, Daniel R. Muhsg, Colin V. Murray-Wallaceha University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USAb Durham University, Durham, U.Kc Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USAd U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia USAe Universite du Quebec a Montreal, GEOTOP, Montreal, Canadaf University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, U.Kg U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado, USAh University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia* Corresponding author.E-mail address: tcronin@usgs.gov (T.M. Cronin).Available online 9 November 2020J.T. Andrews, D.R. Bridgland, P.U. Clark et al. Quaternary Science Reviews 250 (2020) 1066882

David Quentin Bowen: A memorial

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David Quentin Bowen: A memorial

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