STERLING B. HENDRICKS

1902-1981

He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the recipient of an impressive number of honorary degrees in addition to the standard academic diplomas in Chemical Engineering and other higher degrees majoring in Chemistry. His citations included the President’s Distinguished Civilian Service Award; The Rockefeller Public Service Award; The Washington Academy of Sciences Award; The Hillebrand Prize of the Washington, D.C. Section of the American Chemical Society; The National Medal of Sciences; The Finsen Award of the International Society of Photo-biology for his basic contributions to Photoperiodicity in plant growth; and many other acclaims of equal merit. He was a member of the Committee on Research and Explorations of the National Geographic Society.

But in addition, he was an avid rock-climber, skilled alpinist, and a pioneer in early American mountaineering; comparable with, or even superior to (if possible), his attainments in science. He is even featured in song and story among his intimate rock-climbing peers, for his feats of skill on the cliffs of the Potomac River Gorge. In fact, no one of his eminence and skills, who came under the surveillance of the Conns (Jan and Herbie) could possibly escape Jan’s guitar and Herbie’s lyrics. As Herbie would probably describe The Strawberry Climber: “It is all for laughs, and laughs for all.”

Do not get the idea for one moment that his efforts were largely confined to the show-case aspects of mountaineering. For example, while crossing a stream, one of the horses, in deep water, had caught one leg through the bridle loop. It was impossible for the heavily laden pack- animal to raise his head above the water. While others hung back, anxiously wondering what to do, or what could be done as the hapless animal seemed doomed, Sterling leaped into the freezing cold water with drawn knife and dove down among the thrashing steel-shod hooves to sever the bridle rein.

He was active for numerous decades in mountaineering, and made many first ascents and many more early ascents in mountain areas difficult of access. He evaluated equipment on Mount McKinley for the first United States mountaineer troops. With so much exposure, serious accidents do inevitably occur. On one such occasion, Sterling, who himself had suffered a cracked vertebra and a broken ball-and-socket shoulder joint, undertook alone to summon succor for his fallen and broken companions. The journey over uncongenial terrain involving two rappels required most of two days and a night’s bivouac on ice and snow with no food and pitifully inadequate clothing. He had left these behind that others might survive.

Certainly no one should develop an inferiority complex, because he may feel incapable of emulating a Hendricks; for few indeed are those who can.

His active interest in both mountaineering and science had continued to the end of his days. He attended the annual meeting of the American Alpine Club in Washington, D.C. a month before he died.

A person has difficulty in imagining Sterling being deactivated merely by a change in base from the definite here to the indefinite there, namely, over the high pass out of the Valley of Storm into a new Land of Sunshine, where the wild cataracts leap in glory in their joyous escape from the frozen icefields and where the distant snow-capped peaks, the upland evergreen forests and the lupine and indian paint brush in the high alpine meadows all beckon, as they whisper their secrets to the breezes which carry them to the cosmos. Perhaps he may choose to tarry there for awhile for the rest of us to catch up. And then we can all stroll forward together again to adventures unlimited.

Donald Hubbard