Last month, Wayne Sentman gave us the sad news that NANPA member and 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Robert L. Dunne had passed away at the age of 89. Born in Brooklyn, NY, he graduated from Parsons School of Design and New York University. Dunne joined the staff of the National Wildlife Federation in 1967 and became executive editor of Ranger Rick. A conservation champion, mentor, educator and artist in his own right, he influenced and inspired many children and adults.
John Nuhn interviewed Dunne for NANPA’s History Committee and sends these memories.
“In Ranger Rick’s masthead, Bob Dunne was listed as Executive Editor. But he had another critical responsibility—obtaining and editing the images used in the monthly magazine. This is how photographers and agencies knew him. He joined Ranger Rick’s first editor, Trudy Ferrand, to produce its first issue in 1967. During my interview with Bob for NANPA’s oral history project a few years ago, he showed me the layouts for that first issue.
“I didn’t meet Bob until National Wildlife and International Wildlife moved to the National Wildlife Federation’s headquarters in Virginia in 1982. We quickly began working together, alerting each other of photographers who were visiting, and sharing contact info of those whose work impressed us.
“Bob was the first in the country to label images in the magazine as taken under captive conditions, using the letter P with the photographers’ credits. The young readers might not have cared, but he felt it was important for parents and others to know which images were actually made in the wild.
“Bob greatly deserved NANPA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 and while he couldn’t attend in person to receive it, he presented his gratitude via video at NANPA’s summit.
Following his retirement in 1995, Bob enjoyed working in his garden and creating with ceramics. I, along with so many others in our industry, will miss him. He was a pioneer.”
Read Robert L. Dunne’s obituary here. Our condolences to his family and friends.
