K E I N W A R D T I A Published by Herbarium Bogoriense, Kebun Raya Indonesia Volume 2, Part 3, pp. 367-372 (1954) .- . IN MEMORIAM DOCTOR DIRK FOK VAN SLOOTEN March 17, 1891 — March 7, 1953 (With Frontispiece) In the midst of his work Van Slooten has been suddenly called away at the relatively early age of 61. It was known that his heart was not too good, but it was expected that living a quiet life he would be able to finish his life's work, the monograph of the Malaysian Dipterocarpaceae, to which he had been able since 1951 to devote all his time and concentration undisturbed by other duties. The striving towards the completion of this work on the most important family of Malaysian forest trees always occupied his mind and had been to a large extent the main object of his life. Van Slooten's ambition was to produce careful work, meticulous in all details. This made him a slow worker, but at the same time one of the trustworthy kind. This trend towards perfectionism expressed itself equally in the preliminaries and routine work towards his objective. Through his method of working progress was steady but unfortunately relatively slow. Other factors beyond his control added to this result. Besides delays due to World War II, Van Slooten performed many other official duties in the same earnest way in which he carried out his research work. Any spontaneity and opportunism he had in his character was suppressed through his orderliness. Only in exceptional and very urgent circumstances would he make decisions á 1'improviste. It is of course questionable whether one can deduce a man's character from his published writings. Whether this thesis be accepted as a generality or not, it is certain that it held for Van Slooten. His care for details, for straight- forwardness, for trying to find the truth in his work found a remarkable parallel in his office work, and his private life. He wanted things to be clean and orderly. Even on excursions, which he made surprisingly seldom, his clothes were as speckless as they could possibly be in the circumstances. [Reinwardtia, Vol. 2, Part 2 was issued October 26, 1963] — 367 — 3 6 8 R E I N W A R D T I A [VOL. 2 Quiet, never spectacular, avoiding the limelight, he lived a life of a rather retiring nature. He always had himself under control and his honesty and integrity could never be doubted. All this gave a rather grave tinge to his behaviour, at the same time giving it the firmness of one who could be trusted to make decisions with care. To a certain extent a man characterises himself by the devices he chooses; Van Slooten chose for his presidential address to the biological section of the 1935 Science Congress at Bandung: Quidquid agis, prudenter agas et respice finem (What you do, do it with consideration, and do not lose sight of the aim). Writing an obituary note we should know the motives of the deceased. These are, in all respects, far more important to know than the facts themselves. I have had the privilege of working closely with Van Slooten for nearly two decades and I have always felt a great admiration for the noble, tolerant and reasonable way in which he viewed both personal and objective things. No living person is of course devoid of idiosyncracies, of sympathies and dislikes, but Van Slooten appreciated good qualities, even in those whom he would not call his friends. He was always kind and tolerant to his personnel and I have myself on several occasions profited by his generous way of arranging work in the office. It is clear from the above that he was exemplary in doing his duties for the benefit of the Herbarium and the Botanic Gardens. Official, often dull, routine work was executed with the same care as his scientific research. Vanity was unknown to him, and he accomplished all he had to perform as well as he could. He had few further ambitions. It was certainly with no special enthusiasm that he accepted responsibility when he was on several occasions appointed Acting Director of the Gardens (1935-1936, 1940-1943) and when he was finally made Director in 1949. Still, he did not like to refuse, as he found it his duty to give his full energy if such unasked for obligations were laid on his shoulders. Manifold were the services he rendered to scientific and semi-popular societies, always showing that he was ready to give, to help, and to co- operate. For several years (1929-1934) he was the chief editor of ''De Tropische Natuur," a well-known semi-popular natural history magazine which, under his care, maintained its unique standard. He served the Natural History Society as its president 1933-1942. For several years (1936-1938) he was president of the Buitenzorg Branch of the Royal Physical Society. Later he felt strongly attracted to Rotary, a movement which by its device of mutual help among mankind carried a great attrac- tion for him. He was an active member and served it in several capacities. 1954] VAN STEENIS: IN Memorium D. F. van Slooten 869 1 have always felt that Rotary suited him exceedingly well by its appeal to ideals of social ethics which fitted the ideals he carried himself. He tried to fathom the essence of Rotary in his '"De kern van Rotary," printed 1939. A special word should be said about the very difficult period of the Japanese occupation when all of us were under arms save a very few who were appointed to the emergency formation. Van Slooten, then temporary director of the Gardens, tried to organise what he could, both for the dislocated institutes and for the equally confused community. He organized social help, specially for the families of the personnel of the Gardens. Throughout this period his calm, correct behaviour did a lot of good, both in relations with the Japanese civilians serving with their Army and with others. He tried to impress the small European community and the Garden personnel with the need for unselfishness. For all those who tried to make the best of it, his appreciation was alike, regardless of race or nation. Through this exemplary behaviour he was respected by all. His work on the Dipterocarpaceae, a huge task, started about 1925 and at first revisions of separate genera appeared at fairly short inter- vals. Coming to the large genera Shorea and Vatica, he found the intense concentration needed for this kind of work made almost impossible by the official work which fell on his shoulders soon after 1930. In addition, the staff of Herbarium Bogoriense dwindled, owing to the slump of the thirties, to three botanists, viz., a Keeper, a Phanerogamist and a Mycolo- gist, a deplorable situation which lasted until 1940. Also the postwar years immediately following the so-called liberation were entirely unfit for concentrated herbarium work. This opportunity came again about 1950 when his research gradually gained pace and his insight into the large genera Vatica and Shorea was deepening. After his settling down at Amsterdam, where he could work undisturbed, results seemed to speed up and I had the impression that he had definitely gained command of the situation and that it merely required time to perform the task. Un- fortunately Fate had decided otherwise and suddenly deprived him of the opportunity to complete his magnum opus. His death means a serious loss to Malaysian botany and forestry. Dirk Fok van Slooten was born March 17, 1891, at Amersfoort, Netherlands, where he attended the primary school and the grammar school. He entered Utrecht University in 1910, attained his bachelor's degree in 1913 and his master's degree in 1916. He then started to write his thesis on the taxonomy of the Combretaceae and Flacourtiaceae of the 3?0 REINWARDTIA [VOL. 2 Netherlands East Indies on which he got his doctor's degree in February 1919. He was the first pupil of Prof. A. A. Pulle at Utrecht and was his assistant 1913-1918. In July 1919 he was appointed Botanist in the Herbarium Bogoriense, serving as Acting Keeper July 1929 to April 1930, finally being appointed as Keeper February 1931, and remaining in that position till January 1949, when he was appointed Director of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia, to be replaced by Prof. Ir. Kusnoto in January 1950, remaining Advisor to Kebun Raya Indonesia, and during the absence of the director replacing- him. In January 1951 he went on leave to Holland and retired February 1952, after 33 years of service in the Botanic Gardens. He proceeded in Holland with his studies on the Dipterocarpaceae and through the generous co-operation of the Royal Institute for the Tropics at Amsterdam he obtained a reasonable working space in the herbarium of that institute. In addition to his other functions he gave lectures on fodder,, poison- ous and medicinal plants at the Netherlands Indies Veterinary School at Bogor (1922-1927, 1932-1934). He was elected a member of the "Utrechtsch Provinciaal Genootschap voor Kunsten en Wetenschappen," Utrecht, in 1932. The great and long services he rendered to the Botanic Gardens at Bogor were recognized by appointing him as Honorary Co-operator of these Gardens, May 18, 1952, a distinction he highly appreciated. When he definitely settled in Holland he accepted the position of Honorary Co-operator of the Rijksherbarium, Leyden, July 1951. C. G. G. J. VAN STEENIS LIST OF PUBLICATIONS 1919. Bijdrage tot de kennis der Combretaceee'n en Flacourtiaceee'n van Nederlandsch- Indie. Proefschrift, Utrecht, (viil), 170, & (3) pp. 2 pis. 1922. Index Flaeourtiacearum quae anno 1921 in Horto Botanico Bogoriensi coluntur. In Bull. Jard. bot. Buitenz. Ill 4: 279-280. Index Combretacearum quae anno 1921 in Horto Botanico Bogoriensi coluntur. In Bull. Jard. bot. Buitenz. Ill 4: 281-282. De Nederlandsch-Indisehe Lumnitzeva-soorten en hare verspreiding. In Trop. Natuur, Weltevreden 11: 51-56, 65-70 I, /»., 1 textmap. 1924. (With C. A. BACKER:) Geillustreerd handbook der Javaansche theeonkruiden en hunne beteekenis voor de cultuur. Batavia. 47 & (308) pp. 240 pis. Contributions a l'etude de la flore des Indes neerlandaises, II. The Combretaceae of the Dutch East Indies. In Bull. Jard. bot. Buitenz. Ill 6: 11-64 5 fs., 1 textmap. Contributions a l'etude de la flore des Indes neerlandaises. III. The Stylidiaceae of the Dutch East Indies. In Bull. Jard. bot. Buitenz. Ill 6: 65-67. 1954] VAN STEENIS: In Memorium D. F. ran Slooten 371 1925. Contributions a l'etude de la flore des Indes neerlandaises. VI. The Flacour- tiaceae of the Dutch East Indies. In Bull. Jard. bot. Buitenz. I l l 7: 291-421. IS h. 1926. Contributions a l'etude de la flore des Indes neerlandaises. VIII. The Diptero- carpaceae of the Duteh East Indies. I. The genus Anisoptera. In Bull. Jard bot. Buitenz. I l l 8: 1-17 2 fs. Flacourtiaeeae. In Nova Guinea 14: 190-194. -1927." Stylidiaceae. hi Nova Guinea 14: 195. -1927." Combretaceae. In Nova Guinea 14: 19G-198. '1927." Dipterocarpaceae. In Nova Guinea 14: 222-227 pi. IS. "1927." 1927. Contributions a l'etude de la flore des Indes neerlandaises. XI. The Diptero- earpaeeae of the Dutch East Indies. II. The genus Dipterocarpus. In Bull. Jard. tot. Buitenz. Ill 8: 263-352 15 fs. Contributions a l'etude de la flore des Indes neerlandaises. XII. The Diptero- earpaeeae of the Dutch East Indies. III. The genus Paraskorea. In Bull. Jard. bot. Buitenz. Ill 8: 370-380 3 fs. Contributions a l'etude de la flore des Indes neerlandaises. XIV. The Diptero- jarpaceae of the Dutch East Indies. IV. The genus Vattca. In Bull. Jard. bot. Buitenz. I l l 9: 67-137 13 fs. 1928. Het geslacht Dipterocarpus. hi Trop. Natuur, Weltevreden 17: 139-149. IS fs. 1929. Contributions a l'etude de la flore des Indes neerlandaises. XVHI. The Diptero- carpaeeae of the Dutch East Indies. V. The genus Cotylelobium. In Bull. Jard. bot. Buitenz. I l l 10: 393-406 S fs. Dipterocarpaeeae. Apud Merrill, PI. Elmer, born, in Univ. California Publ. Bot. 15: 200-206. Heinrich Zollinger als Botaniker und seine Bedeutung fur unsere Kenntnis der Flora Java's, hi Mitt. Gruppe niederl. Indien neu. helvet. Ges., Buitenzorg 8: 15-22 1 f. 1931. Yeysmann herdacht bjj gelegenheid van het eeuwfeest ziiner benoeming tot Hor- tulanus van s1 Lands Plantentuin. In Natuurk. Tijdschr. Ned. Indie 91: 27-49 1 portrait, 1 pi. 1932. Contributions a l'etude de la flore des Indes neerlandaises. XX. The Diptero- carpaceae of the Dutch East Indies. VI. The genus Dryobalanops. In Bull. Jard. bot. Buitenz. Ill 12: 1-45 5 fa. 1933. Biologisch en landbouwkundig werk in Nederlandsch Indie. 15. Het Herbarium en Museum voor systematische Botanie van 's Lands Plantentuin. In Vakbl. Biologen 14: 161-174. 1934. Zum Geleit. In Blumea 1: 7-9. 1935. Mr. Ridley and the flora of the Netherlands Indies. In Gdns' Bull., Straits Settl. 9: 44-48. 1936. Wetensehap en Maatschappy. In Handel, zevende Ned.-Ind. natuurw. Congr., Batavia 395-402. 1937. Dr J. J. Smith on the occasion of his 70th birthday 29-VI-1867—29-VI-1937. In Bull. Jard. bot. Buitenz. Ill 14: 99-114 pi. 2. Contributions a l'etude de la flore des Indes neerlandaises. XXXI. The Stylidia- ceae of the Netherlands Indies. In Bull. Jard. bot. Buitenz. I l l 14: 169-174 S fs. Die Verbreitung von Lmnnitzera und einigen anderen Mangrovengewachsen. In Blumea, Suppl. 1: 162-175 g fs. 372 R E I N W A R D T I A [VOL. 2 Het Proefstation en de flora van Ned.-Indie. Zjjn beteekenis voor de kermis van onkruiden. In Soerabaiasch Handelsblad, E x t r a Uitgave ter Eere van het gouden Jubileum Proefsta. Pasoeroean 11-12. Vrjjdag 9 Juli. 1939. (With C. G. G. J. VAN STEENIS:) Dr August Adriaan Pulle 18-V-1914—18-V-1939. In Bull. J a r d . bot. Buitenz. I l l 16: 103-105 1 portrait. 1940. Sertulum Dipterocarpacearum malayensium. I. In Bull. J a r d . bot. Buitenz. I l l 16: 430-454 10 fs. 1941. Sertulum Dipteroearpacearum malayensium. I I . In Bull. bot. Gdns Buitenz. I l l 17: 96-138 SO fs. 1942. Sertulum Dipteroearpacearum malayensium. III. In Bull. bot. Gdna Buitenz, III 17: 220-255 36 fs. 1949. Sertulum Dipterocarpacearum malayensium. IV. hi Bull. bot. Gdns Buiten?.. I l l 18: 229-269 U fs. Wetenschap: het reserve-kapitaal der maatsehappij. In Chron. Nat., Batavia 105: 186-190. 1951. Kebun Raya Indonesia. In Vakbl. Biologen 3 1 : 130-134. 1952. Sertulum Dipterocarpacearum malayensium—V. The Dipterocarpaceae of east- ern Malaysia (Celebes, the Moluccas, and New Guinea). In Reinwardtia 2: 1-68 22 fs. In preparation: Stylidiaceae. In Fl. mal. I 4, — In the press. Sertulum Dipterocarpacearum malayensium—VI. Sertulum Dipterocarpacearum malayensium—VII. 367 368 369 370 371 372