THE field of herpetology landed Bob Inger, now Emeritus Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles, Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH), Chicago, through a series of fortuitous events. Bob is a wonderful example of how the serendipitous presence of a zoo, a museum, and early field experience can turn talented and interested young people into highly productive professionals who give so much to the world of natural history.
Both of Bob's parents had roots in Eastern Europe. His mother, Anna Bourd, was born in the Ukraine. After she immigrated to the United States, she married Jacob Inger in St. Louis. Jacob, one of 11 children, was born in St. Louis, but his parents came from eastern Poland. One of Bob's earliest contacts with natural history came from listening to stories his maternal grandfather told about nature from his life on a farm in the Ukraine. The Ingers had two children, Robert,...