- Date Of Birth: April 13, 1928
- Date Of Death: August 3, 2011
- State: New Mexico
Dr. Bruce J Hayward (Professor Emeritus) 83, passed away August 3, 2011 at his residence in Silver City. At his request, no funeral or memorial services are scheduled.
He came to Silver City and Western New Mexico University in 1961 from the University of Arizona and remained at WNMU throughout his career. In addition to teaching his coursed in the Biological Sciences, he was active in small mammal research projects with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Bureau of Land Management, United States Forest Service, the Chicago Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.
He also wrote and presented numerous research papers from his studies to the American Society of Mammalogists and his research was published in other natural history journals. While at WNMU he served on numerous committees to help maintain the high educational standards of the University. Within the community he served as President of the Grant County Community Concert Association, as a volunteer at the Silver City Murray Ryan Visitor’s Center and portraying Father Christmas for the Silver City Museum’s Victorian Christmas celebration. He was also active in the New Mexico Ornithological Society and participated in bird counts around the area and state until his death. During his worldwide travels he visited all seven continents and over 100 countries. In addition to his studies of the country’s fauna and flora, he took great interest in the people and their culture. He delighted in going “native” and could be seen around town upon his return in one for the brightly colored native costumes he had acquired during his visits.
Dr. Hayward was born and raised on the family farm in Pine Island, Minnesota. He served his country in the United States Air Force and returned afterwards to Minnesota to obtain a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the University of Minnesota. Upon graduation he went to work for the Minnesota Game and Fish Department. Leaving the department, he ventured out west to the University of Arizona and obtained his doctorate degree in Mammalogy. Here he developed a keen interest in many species of bats and became known throughout the community as the original “Bat Man”. He was constantly visiting old mining sites and mist netting stock tanks in pursuit of a variety of bat species.
He is survived by a favorite nephew, Dale Hayward of Pine Island, Minnesota; his biology students (who participated in his classes and memorable field trips) and the numerous friends he made within the community and throughout the word.
