Fonds F0226 - Dr. Richard Harington fonds

Dr. Richard Harington was born in Calgary, Alberta May 22nd, 1933. He graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.A. (arts specializing in philosophy) in 1954 and a B.Sc. (science specializing in physical geography and zoology) in 1957. Harrington completed his graduate work from McGill University with a M.Sc. in zoology and physical geography in 1961 and his PhD from the University of Alberta in 1977; his dissertation was on Pleistocene mammals of the Yukon Territory.

In 1957-1958, as part of the International Geophysical Year, Harington was the leader of the Winter Party at Lake Hazen, northern Ellesmere Island, N.W.T. Between 1959 and 1965 he worked as biologist and later Wildlife Biologist for the Canadian Wildlife Service, pioneering studies of polar bear dennning ecology. In 1965 he became Curator of Quaternary Zoology at the National Museum of Natural Science, later the Canadian Museum of Nature where he developed the national collection of Canadian Quarternary vertebrates from about 60 specimens to over 40,000. Harington retired in 1998.

Harington's research interests include Quarternary mammals of vertebrates of Greenland, Eurasia, the Yukon Territory, Northwest Territory and Nunavat, and Quaternary mammoths, bears, bison, muskox, moose and saiga antelope. He is also interested in climate change and has edited five volumes of Climate Change in Canada.

Harington has been recognized as an Officer of the Order of Canada, has received both the Queen's Gold Jubilee and the Diamond Jubilee Medals, and an honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Alberta.