In Her Memory: Pengelley Endowment Supports Graduate Research In Evolutionary Biology

But the young zoologist could not resist the thought of owning a first edition of Charles Darwin's 1859 publication, On the Origin of Species, so he posed the question to her. After a good-humored conversation about the sacrifices the family needed to make to afford the book, Daphne said, "Let's do it."

Right: The walls of Ted Pengelley's home in Davis are filled with drawings and prints by Daphne, who was trained as an artist. Also displayed is a print, shown here, depicting Charles Darwin when he was about 60 years old. The print was a gift from Lady Nora Barlow, a granddaughter of Darwin's who established a close friendship with the Pengelleys.

The purchase, made in the late 1950s, turned out to be one of the most influential in Ted Pengelley's life. He became a keen student of Darwin, and over the next four decades collected all of the scientist's work in first and subsequent editions, as well as other books on evolutionary biology. When he sold his 300-volume collection in 1995 to a rare-book dealer, it was considered the best private collection of its kind in the country.

Pengelley is extremely grateful to his wife, who died in 1990, for the support and encouragement she provided throughout his career, much of which he spent as a biology professor at UC Riverside. To honor her memory, he recently established the Daphne and Ted Pengelley Endowment for Research in Evolutionary Biology with a $10,000 gift to UC Davis, where he holds an honorary title of professor emeritus. The endowment will help support graduate research in the campus's Center for Population Biology.

Left: Daphne Hill is shown here in 1943 in her British WAAF (Women's Auxillary Air Force) uniform. She me Ted Pengelley, a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, during World War !! when they were both stationed at a Royal Air Force radar station in Surrey, England. They were married in 1948. "I suppose every man who has had a happy marriage and loved his wife probably thinks she's the most wonderful woman in the world," says Pengelley. "I certainly do."

"Even though Darwin's principle of evolution by natural selection is the 'backbone,' so to speak, of all modern biology, there is precious little money available for research in the field, and it is desperately needed," says Pengelley. "Establishing the endowment has been enormously satisfying for me, knowing that it will last and help others in perpetuity."

Right: Ted and Daphne Pengelley, with their children, David and Alison, in their Riverside garden in 1964. David is now a professor of mathematics at New Mexico State University, Las Cruces. Alison is a nurse in Ashland, Oregon.

Center Director Maureen Stanton knows how difficult it is for students to find support for evolutionary research. Yet, she says, a little money can go a long way for a graduate student. "It can really get students going in research in the lab or field, and get them to both national and international meetings," she explains. "Our discipline will be enriched by Ted's vision."