Richard Franklin Dame Jr.

Richard Franklin Dame, Ph.D, founder of the Marine Science Program at Coastal Carolina University and Research Associate with the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine Biology and Coastal Research died at the home he lovingly restored, 180 Ashley Avenue, Charleston SC on Tuesday, February 5, 2013. He was the son of Richard F. Dame, Sr. and Laurie Heisser Dame born in Charleston November 16, 1941. He was educated in the Charleston schools of Craft and Memminger Elementary, the High School of Charleston, and Saint Andrews High School from which he graduated in 1960. He earned a B.S. in Biology from the College of Charleston (1964), an M.A. in Zoology and Ecology from the University of North Carolina (1967), and a Ph.D in Biology and Marine Science from the University of South Carolina (1971) as the first Baruch Fellow.

Richard excelled in both the fields of education and scientific research. As an educator he taught physics at St. Andrew's High (1966-68). However, it was during his 35 year career at Coastal Carolina that he proved himself as a teacher, a coach, an administrator, and as a scholar.

As a teacher and a coach he taught the first classes in Marine Biology and initiated as well as coached the Men's Tennis Team (1972-1977). He also coached the Women's Tennis Team from (1980-1982). As the school grew from a two year junior college to a four year institution he helped develop a unique interdisciplinary curriculum for Marine Science that incorporated the four cornerstones of science-biology, geology, physics, and chemistry-into one major. In addition, he wrote grants and won awards from such agencies as National Science Foundation (NSF), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Sea Grant to provide scientific equipment that would facilitate students in their pursuit of a marine science education. Still other grants helped him produce a television series on marine science and a program on coastal development. Other courses he would develop included Oceans and Man as well as Ecology for Teachers for long distance education as well as the highly popular Coral Reef Ecology course which began in the Florida Keys and continued in Jamaica at Discovery Bay Marine Lab from 1985-present. Finally, he served on several national and international facilities or committees including the University of Wageningen, the Netherlands (1996) and Virginia Commonwealth University (2008-2010).

As an administrator he served as both Department Head (1971-1981) and Department Chair of Marine Science (1981-1991). From 1992 to 1994 he was Director of the Ecosystem Studies Program and Ecology Cluster Leader of the Division of Environmental Biology at the National Science Foundation in Arlington Virginia.

As a research scientist and scholar, he became an acknowledged expert in invertebrate physiological ecology, ecological energy flow and nutrient cycling as well as ecosystem processes, modeling, and complexity. He won over 8 million dollars in research grants and awards, was an invited scientist at the Rijksinstuut for Nature Management, Texel, the Netherlands (1986-1988), and key note speaker at the European Marine Biology Symposium (1991). He published over sixty peer-reviewed articles in professional journals (1972-2012). Richard was author/editor of several books. His last publication, Ecology Of Bivalves: An Ecosystem Approach, second edition (2011) was written for current researchers and those individuals who would follow. It was an expression of his thoughts on the important work that has been done as well as to offer suggestions for future ideas in order to save the estuaries of the world and the denizens that lived therein.

His honors included being cited in several different editions of Who's Who from 1973-2007. He was the distinguished alumnus of the College of Charleston (1989), the first Kearnes Palmetto Professor (1989), President of the Southeastern Estuarine Research Association (1996-1998), and Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Lecturer at Coastal Carolina University (1999).

In the communities in which he lived he was a Vestryman at Trinity Episcopal Church, Myrtle Beach, SC, on the Board of Directors of the Litchfield Beaches Homeowners Association, Pawley's Island, a member of the Baruch Foundation Property Management Board, and a community member of the St. Andrews School of Math and Science School Improvement Council.

He is survived by his wife of forty-five years, Meri Roberts Dame, his children Caroline LaRoche Dame Brown (Patrick) of John's Island and Elizabeth Dame Buchanan (Mark) of Blythewood, his sister Carole Dame Brown (Tom) of Summerville, and brother-in-law John A. Roberts of Columbia. He is also survived by his grandchildren Michael and Jonathan Brown, Meri Stewart and Cameron Buchanan. Finally he is survived by his nieces, their children and several cousins.

The relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral services Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. in Grace Episcopal Church. Interment, Magnolia Cemetery. Friends may call at J. HENRY STUHR, INC., DOWNTOWN CHAPEL, Friday between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m.

Memorials may be made to Home to Grace, Grace Episcopal Church, 115 Wentworth Street, Charleston, SC 29401 or to Richard F. Dame, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund, Coastal Carolina University Office of Philanthropy, P.O. Box 261954, Conway, SC 29528-6054.