NEEPSTERS

As a professor, he took a uniquely caring, other-oriented approach to his work. Unlike so many other elite researchers, he obviously and truly cared about teaching and about his students. He cared about his many graduate students over the years–a group of bright scholars who now hold academic positions around. Each of these alumni of his lights up upon hearing or speaking his name. The number of alumni of Gordon’s who describe his influence as life-changing is like nothing I’ve ever seen. Gordon actually cared about the people who were fortunate to work with him. He stands as the greatest academic mentor I’ve ever known. And as a scholar, he was world-class. In spite of having a deeply down-to-earth way about him, Gordon was actually as impactful of a researcher/scholar as anyone. His work on a broad array of topics (the fight or flight response in various vertebrates; self-awareness in non-human primates; learned taste aversion across species; the evolutionary psychology of human mating and relationships; biochemical and morphological facets of human mating and relationships; behavioral features of human intimate relationships; handgrip strength as a core feature of primate life; and much more). Gordon, with a background in primatology and comparative psychology / animal behavior, had a unique capacity to use evolutionary principles to shed new light on so many facets of the living world. It is no wonder that he was asked at one point to serve as the keynote speaker for the American Psychological Association–one of the greatest honors that can be bestowed upon someone in the field of psychological science. 

 

When I started teaching at SUNY New Paltz, an hour down the road from Albany, I was eager to advance my teaching and research in the field of evolutionary psychology. People from all different places started to tell me that I must get to know Gordon Gallup of Albany. Sure, I’d heard of this legendary scholar, but it was hard for me then to truly understand why so many people saw my meeting with him as such an imperative. 

 

That is, until I actually met him–a game-changing moment in my career–and in my life. 

 

Before meeting Gordon in person, I was in email communication with him about the idea of forming a regional intellectual society dedicated to advancing the field of evolutionary psychology. We would hold annual conferences in the Northeast. Our first conference was set for April of 2007–and Gordon had graciously agreed to serve as a keynote speaker. With this fact alone, there was reason for optimism about the incipient NorthEastern Evolutionary Psychology Society (NEEPS).

 

When Gordon showed up at the conference on my home campus of SUNY New Paltz, I immediately saw why Gordon’s reputation so emphatically preceded him. He was wearing worn-out jeans, a black t-shirt, and a well-worn flannel. He looked like he had just come back from the fields (so it wasn’t the least bit surprising when I learned later that he lived on a working cattle farm). He had the most genuine and kind smile and demeanor. And he spoke in a way that was uniquely engaging and welcoming. And he literally had a twinkle in his eyes at all times.

 

Yes, I thought, this guy is so the real deal–just like dozens of people had told me. Gordon was that rare kind of person who you just got to know almost immediately. Gordon attended the first NEEPS conference in its entirety. He brought about a dozen undergraduate and graduate students to the conference, pretty much ensuring that attendance for the first NEEPS conference would be solid (an essential ingredient for launching an intellectual society). He interacted with other attendees as if he was at a family reunion. He was just so kind and generous with his time. And I think what stood out most to me was that he had an authentically egalitarian way of interacting with others. He would spend just as much time and interest in talking with a freshman who was halfway through an initial introductory psychology course as he would talking to a highly published peer from an ivy league university. Gordon was a true humanist–he really cared about the people who were fortunate to get to know him–even if momentarily.

 

Suffice it to say, my admiration for Gordon was immediate. For years, he and I would communicate and stay in touch. We would visit one another’s campuses regularly–usually bringing students to create an informal Albany / New Paltz evolutionary psychology community. Gordon contributed some of the most important chapters to multiple books that I co-edited. Each time he visited New Paltz was like a visit from a cherished family member. And hearing him talk about his research and ideas was always delightful, provocative, and engaging. No one fell asleep during a lecture by Gordon Gallup. No one.

 

Everyone who knew Gordon well could drop multiple anecdotes–anecdotes that often told stories of, among other things, insightful moments of learning. Gordon was a masterful teacher and thinker. And listening to him dissect his ideas was like seeing the world illuminated for the first time. I will never forget one occasion when he was giving a lecture to students and faculty on my campus. He was talking about his research on the topic of handgrip strength. At some point, he paused for questions. I raised my hand and asked him this: Gordon, can you please briefly summarize why handgrip strength is so important from an evolutionary perspective in the first place? As was usually the case when Gordon answered questions of this variety, his answer was delivered with lightning speed and razor-sharp clarity: We need to keep in mind that for millions of generations in the evolutionary history of our lineage, our ancestors were arboreal–tree-dwelling. And if you live primarily in the treetops–and you fail to grab a branch on a single occasion, it’s lights out. That was all I needed to hear to deeply understand the point. I tell this anecdote to students every semester since. 

 

My career was hugely and positively influenced by the uniquely brilliant mind and uniquely generous nature of Dr. Gordon G. Gallup, Jr. But more importantly, I learned from Gordon what it means to be a good man. And I know that countless others feel exactly the same. Gordon’s influence on our world, at so many levels, has been both positive and, to use one of Gordon’s favorite words, ubiquitous. 

 

Rest in peace, Gordon. Thanks for the gift of NEEPS. Thanks for all you did to make this world a better place. You will always be loved. 

 

Glenn Geher, Founding President of the NorthEastern Evolutionary Psychology Society and Friend of Dr. Gordon G. Gallup, Jr.