Daniel Loney Leedy was born on 17 February 1912 in Butler, Ohio, and died in Washington, D.C., on 20 January 2003. He grew up on an Ohio farm and developed an early interest in birds from watching his mother crack nuts for them. He graduated with honors from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, in 1934 with an A.B. degree in geology, and in 1935 with a B.S. degree in education. He obtained his M.S. (1938) and Ph.D. (1940) in zoology, majoring in wildlife conservation, from Ohio State University. He was an instructor in wildlife conservation at Ohio State until drafted into the U.S. Army in 1942. He served in the Medical Corps and as an aerial photo interpreter in Europe until he was discharged with the rank of Captain in 1945.
In September 1945, Dan became leader of the Ohio Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, where he continued his earlier pheasant research. He moved to Washington, D.C., in 1949 as biologistin-charge of the nationwide Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit program. From 1957 to 1963, he served as chief of the Wildlife Research Branch of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He moved to the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation in 1963 as chief of the Division of Research and Education. From 1965 to 1974, he was senior scientist with the Office of Water Resources Research of the U.S. Department of the Interior. After his formal retirement in 1974, Dan made significant contributions to urban wildlife ecology and conservation. From 1974 to 1994, he was research director and senior scientist of the Urban Wildlife Research Center and its successor, the National Institute for Urban Wildlife. His publications, including chapters in several books, reviews, and papers on a wide variety of subjects, especially pheasants, number more than 100.
Dan was a member of many professional societies and was particularly active in The Wildlife Society, serving as president in 1952 and executive secretary from 1953 to 1957. He joined the AOU in 1937 and became an Elective Member in 1984. As a member of the Washington Biologists' Field Club, he was active in the club's activities until his health failed. He enjoyed the club's outings to Plummers Island in the Potomac River just upstream from Washington, D.C., especially his conversations with experts from every biological discipline.
Dan received numerous awards throughout his career, including the American Motors Conservation Award, 1958; U.S. Department of the Interior Distinguished Service Award, 1972; Distinguished Alumni Award, Ohio State University, 1975; the Aldo Leopold Award (the highest honor bestowed by The Wildlife Society) for distinguished service to wildlife conservation, 1983; and the Daniel L. Leedy Urban Wildlife Conservation Award, established in his honor by the National Institute for Urban Wildlife, 1985. Dan was a soft-spoken man who quietly got things done. He acknowledged the work of others and inspired confidence in them through his positive feedback. He was a mentor and friend to many young biologists, including myself.
Dan was an avid Ohio State University football fan. On 3 January, shortly before his death, he watched the televised Fiesta Bowl where Ohio State beat Miami for the national championship. He is survived by his wife, Virginia; a son, Robert; a daughter, Kathleen; and eight grandchildren.
