Richard (Dick) Pugh, cofounder of the Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory, was in many ways the heart of the Lab, helping establish endowments and funds, donating meteorites and materials, and being the public face of the lab's outreach and informal education efforts for many years. In 2011 he received the Service Award from the Meteoritical Society for outreach and informal education. His efforts lead to the recognition of new meteorite finds in the United States, and a new fall in Cambodia. He co-authored papers. Arguably more important and notable, though, was Dick's infectious enthusiasm for meteorites, which he viewed as his life mission to spread to as many people as possible. In varied ways, it is not an exaggeration to say that Dick's efforts were crucial to raising the profile of the Lab and making it what it is today.

One of Dick's last requests before his passing in 2020 was that funds in his memory be put forward to securing a curatorial position for the lab.

To this end, Portland State University has begun a Dick Pugh Memorial Campaign to help establish a curatorial position for the Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory. All funds donated to the Lange Endowment will be used from this point forward to establish an endowment for a curator, in his honor. As Dick knew, such a position is the single most important thing needed to ensure that the Cascadia Meteorite Lab will continue on into the future as a center of meteorite research at Portland State University.  Please consider making a donation to this important endeavor.

 And please spread the word!