Though many have tried, no one has ever yet explained away the decisive fact that science, which can do so much, cannot decide what it ought to do.

Born in Knoxville Tennessee he initially studied at the University of Tennessee and received a masters degree and Ph. D. After moving to Arizona in 1952 he wrote books about natural issues of ecology the southwestern desert environment and the natural history of the Grand Canyon winning renown as a naturalist and conservationist.

He died in Tucson at age 76 from colon cancer in 1970. Afterwards he worked as teacher at Brooklyn Polytechnic.