The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Dr. Edgar McCullough
Southern Arizona lost a pathfinder recently, Dr. Edgar McCullough, 94.
Ed arrived in Tucson in 1956 to earn his PhD in geology at the University of Arizona. He remained and taught there until he retired in 1997. Ed made it his business to develop and share scientific knowledge about our small fragment of the solar system. His yardstick was millions of years. Over the years he won numerous teaching awards and served as the first Dean of the Faculty of Science at the U of A. Ed set thousands of geologists on a path to explore the earth’s physical complexity.
During his years at U of A, Professor McCullough witnessed the transformation of the human element of the Arizona Borderlands. In 1956, the border was a casual affair where commerce, labor, culture and families flowed freely between the two nations. In 1994, the Clinton administration restricted the flow of folks to the north through the cities of San Diego, Nogales and El Paso, forcing desperate immigrants into the unoccupied, unforgiving deserts. The planners of “Operation Gatekeeper” anticipated the natural barriers imposed by our vast desert outside of border cities would deter immigrants from crossing. They were wrong. Ed knew it.
Immediately after Gatekeeper was passed, our brother and sister immigrants started dying by the hundreds. As the number of deaths increased, a small group of Tucsonans organized with the goal of relieving death and suffering in the desert: Humane Borders, Tucson Samaritans and No More Deaths were created. Ed immediately volunteered. He drew from decades of experience scratching around in the Borderlands and extensive knowledge of mining and ranch roads. Ed set out in his trusty Ford pickup, “the Beast”, to find the obscure trailheads. He eventually hiked and mapped over 3000 miles of Borderland trails. As he walked, first using a compass and USGS maps of the area, he found evidence of people who were traveling these walkways. He encountered men, women and children suffering from dehydration, extreme medical problems and hunger. He created trail maps for the humanitarian organizations to use. He taught concerned volunteers how to read topographic maps. He became an accomplished student of GPS technology and passed along his expertise. Hiking in his trademark sandals and shorts, Ed also marked the trails with his DNA ... samples from quarts of blood drawn from the countless scratches on his legs from the brush.
This trail mapping project is the foundation of Southern Arizona humanitarian aid searches to this day. Thanks to Ed’s leadership, Tucson Samaritans, Green Valley/Sahuarita Samaritans, Ajo Samaritans, Humane Borders, No More Deaths humanitarians are out every day year-around saving lives by strategically providing food, water and medical care to folks in our desert. Tragically, over 4,400 human remains have been recovered in our area through the years with thousands more unaccounted for. Even in the face of the staggering numbers, these humanitarian organizations are saving countless lives, trying to stem the tide of agony. Migrants, hikers, mountain bikers, hunters and even Border Patrol agents have received their care. The humanitarian volunteers are medical professionals, educators, faith leaders, retired military and a spectrum of other professions, all following Ed’s path.
Remarkably, Ed continued teaching into his nineties. Geology, immigration policy, land navigation, and four-wheel drive techniques were all in the Ed McCullough course catalog. It was a sunny outdoor classroom filled with eager-to-learn humanitarians. “Know where you are at all times.” “Know where your hike began.” “Keep your partner in sight.” That is not a bad general philosophy in life, Ed taught us.
Dr. Edgar McCullough’s resume is filled with scientific achievement, important titles and countless accolades from prominent sources. That alone would define a consequential life. But Dr. McCullough would like to be remembered as “Ed, humanitarian and teacher.” Have an enchilada and Negra Modelo in his honor. And, if you want to make a contribution, advocate for sensible immigration reform.
Thanks for leading us down the path, Ed. Presente!
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