User:Egb67/Dr. Gerard A. Bertrand

Dr. Gerard A. Bertrand, Esq. == ==

Dr. Gerard A. "Jerry" Bertrand is an internationally known conservationist who has worked to preserve and protect wildlife from Tierra del Fuego  ((cite Wikipedia | title=Tierra del Fuego | url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tierra_del_Fuego)) to the Kamchatka Peninsula ((cite Wikipedia | title=Kamchatka Peninsula | url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamchatka_Peninsula)) for more than thirty-nine (39) years. Early life

Dr. Jerry Bertrand was born in eastern Massachusetts, to Lt.Col. Gerard A. and Theresa M. Bertrand. Eldest of four children, Dr. Bertrand grew up following his father's Army career. After spending time in France the family moved to Oklahoma, where Col. Bertrand ran a large military hospital. From there, the family moved to Manchester, NH.

Education and early professional life

Dr. Bertrand attended Bishop Bradley high school ((cite Wikipedia | title=Trinity High School | url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_High_School_%28Manchester,_New_Hampshire%29)), where he learned to love poetry, writing, football, and boxing. He was graduated in 1961 and matriculated to the University of New Hampshire on a football scholarship. In 1962 he played on the varsity football team under the guidance of A. Barr "Whoop" Snively ((cite UNH | title=UNH Athletics | url=http://issuu.com/unhathletics/docs/2009_football_guide_part_3w-covers)) and as defensive captain, helped guide the team to an undefeated season and the Yankee Conference Championship in 1962.

In 1965, Dr. Bertrand married Faith C. Mead, whom he had met at a nearby camp for special-needs children (Dr. Bertrand had been a camp counselor and cook for several summers during his time at UNH) and the two moved to Florida, where Dr. Bertrand attended Florida State University((cite FSU Biology | title=Coastal and Marine Biology | url=http://www.marinelab.fsu.edu/)) ; studying intertidal-zone marine biology. He earned a Master's in Science with highest honors.

In 1967, his first son was born in Melrose, MA. Later that same year, the family moved to Corvallis, Oregon, where they lived while Dr. Bertrand pursued a Ph.D in Marine Biology at Oregon State University((cite OSU | url=http://biology.science.oregonstate.edu/)).

In September, 1968, their second son was born.

In early 1970, Dr. Bertrand reported for active-duty military service to Ft. Belvoir((cite U.S. Army | url=http://www.belvoir.army.mil/)), in order to complete his four-year obligation to the U.S. Army. As a part of his military obligation, Dr. Bertrand served in the Corps. of Engineers, as the Senior Scientific Adviser from the Corps. to the President of the United States under the leadership of Lieutenant-General Frederick J. Clarke ((cite US Army | title=Chief of Engineers | url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_Engineers)).

In early 1973, after his military obligation was completed, Dr. Bertrand became a part of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), where he was quickly caught up in the effort to re-write the 1969 codification of the Endangered Species Act (ESA)((cite Wikipedia | title=Endangered Species Act | url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_Species_Act)). Dr. Bertrand was the principal author of several critically important sections of the ESA, including section seven (7), called the 'takings clause'. That section, in particular, because a focus of repeated challenges in court and was upheld unanimously by the United States Supreme Court in 2002.((cite Open Spaces, Inc. | url=http://www.open-spaces.com/article-v5n3-davison.php))