Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings collection
Date of this Version
March 1990
Abstract
Good morning. On behalf of the Vertebrate Pest Council, I welcome you to the 14th Vertebrate Pest Conference. I am Lew Davis and will be serving as your chairman for this conference. I am rather “a new kid on the block” as this is only the 10th conference I have attended. As chairman, one of the few responsibilities I have is to present the opening remarks. Looking back at past opening remarks, I have found them to be short and not too philosophical except I did research back into the records of time and looked at the proceedings of the first conference held in 1962 here in Sacramento. The first chairman of this conference was none other than our old friend and colleague, Walter E. Howard, also known as Howdy to so many of us. Along with Howdy, some of these early founders of the conference were Maynard Cummings, who is still very active on the council, as well as Dick Dana, Rex Marsh, and Art Bischoff. Not only was Howdy chairman, he also presented a paper at that first conference, entitled “Control Methods for Snakes.” Now the reason I am telling you all these things is that all these past opening remarks have been quite short, one-half page or so, except for the one given by Howdy 28 years ago; his opening remarks filled seven pages.