John Titcomb

February 24, 1860 (age 71)

During the succeeding thirteen years he was in the employ of the Howe Scale Company at St. Johnsbury, Vt. In 1891 he was appointed one of the fish and game commissioners of the state of Vermont, and in 1894 he assumed in addition the superintendency of the federal fish hatchery at St. Johnsbury. In 1902 he went to Washington as chief of the division of fish culture of the United States bureau of fisheries, and in this position showed himself to be an efficient and progressive administrator. A year later, at the request of the Argentinian government, he spent a number of months in South America establishing a fisheries service in the Argentine and successfully introducing American fishes. The Peruvian government later requested his services for a similar purpose, but for some reason the trip was not made. When his services with the bureau of fisheries ended in 1909, he returned to Vermont, and again assumed the duties of state fish and game commissioner. From 1916 to 1921 he was state fish culturist for New York. He intermittently accepted private commissions as well, in the somewhat unusual character of consulting fish culturist. He entered the employ of the state of Connecticut in 1921, and in 1922 became superintendent of its board of fisheries and game. In this position, which he occupied until his death, he achieved real success in demonstrating the possibility of maintaining fishing and hunting in a state having a limited area and a large population. He was president of the American Fisheries Society, 1899-1900 and 1926-27, its librarian for a number of years, and an officer and active participant in the American Game Conference sponsored by the American Game Association. He was always prominent in deliberations having a bearing upon the conservation of wild life, and the vigor with which he supported his own views at times engendered unjustified opposition. Titcomb was a fairly prolific writer, most of his work being of a technical, though not strictly scientific nature. Government publications under his authorship comprise six titles, and he wrote extensively for the official reports of the states with which he was connected, and for the transactions and proceedings of the societies in which he had a membership. He also contributed occasional articles to sportsmen's magazines. His first consideration was for the welfare of wild life rather than the desires of would-be exploiters of game and fish, and he deserves recognition as a successful conservation administrator during an era when, all too frequently, positions of this nature were political spoils, and were filled by men who had little conception of their responsibilities and limited ability for meeting them. He died in Hartford, Connecticut.

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Works

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State of Vermont Department of Fisheries and Game. A Chapter on the Artificial Propagation of the Brook Trout

(Leopold is delighted to publish this classic book as part...)

Fish-cultural practices in the United States Bureau of fisheries

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Department of commerce and labor bureau of fisheries: Aquatic plants in pond Culture, No. 643

(Leopold Classic Library is delighted to publish this clas...)

A Chapter on the Artificial Propagation of the Brook Trout..

( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)

Aquatic Plants In Pond Culture, Volumes 643-671

( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)

John Wheelock Titcomb

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conservationist

Background

John was born on February 24, 1860 in Farmington, N. H. He was the son of George Alfred and Mary Elizabeth Lemist (Lancaster) Titcomb.

Education

He was educated in the public schools and at Phillips Exeter Academy, from which he graduated in 1880.

Career

During the succeeding thirteen years he was in the employ of the Howe Scale Company at St. Johnsbury, Vt. In 1891 he was appointed one of the fish and game commissioners of the state of Vermont, and in 1894 he assumed in addition the superintendency of the federal fish hatchery at St. Johnsbury.

In 1902 he went to Washington as chief of the division of fish culture of the United States bureau of fisheries, and in this position showed himself to be an efficient and progressive administrator. A year later, at the request of the Argentinian government, he spent a number of months in South America establishing a fisheries service in the Argentine and successfully introducing American fishes. The Peruvian government later requested his services for a similar purpose, but for some reason the trip was not made.

When his services with the bureau of fisheries ended in 1909, he returned to Vermont, and again assumed the duties of state fish and game commissioner. From 1916 to 1921 he was state fish culturist for New York. He intermittently accepted private commissions as well, in the somewhat unusual character of consulting fish culturist.

He entered the employ of the state of Connecticut in 1921, and in 1922 became superintendent of its board of fisheries and game. In this position, which he occupied until his death, he achieved real success in demonstrating the possibility of maintaining fishing and hunting in a state having a limited area and a large population. He was president of the American Fisheries Society, 1899-1900 and 1926-27, its librarian for a number of years, and an officer and active participant in the American Game Conference sponsored by the American Game Association.

He was always prominent in deliberations having a bearing upon the conservation of wild life, and the vigor with which he supported his own views at times engendered unjustified opposition.

Titcomb was a fairly prolific writer, most of his work being of a technical, though not strictly scientific nature. Government publications under his authorship comprise six titles, and he wrote extensively for the official reports of the states with which he was connected, and for the transactions and proceedings of the societies in which he had a membership. He also contributed occasional articles to sportsmen's magazines. His first consideration was for the welfare of wild life rather than the desires of would-be exploiters of game and fish, and he deserves recognition as a successful conservation administrator during an era when, all too frequently, positions of this nature were political spoils, and were filled by men who had little conception of their responsibilities and limited ability for meeting them.

He died in Hartford, Connecticut.

Achievements

Among his outstanding publications were a government pamphlet on Aquatic Plants in Pond Culture (1909) and a report on a biological survey of Lake George, N. Y.