Richard William Timm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Father
Richard William Timm
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Timm at CORR–The Jute Works (2012)
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| Born | March 2, 1923 |
| Died | September 11, 2020 (aged 97) South Bend, Indiana, United States
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| Occupation | Catholic priest, educator, zoologist, researcher and activist |
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Richard William Timm (born March 2, 1923 – died September 11, 2020) was a Catholic priest, a teacher, a zoologist (someone who studies animals), and a person who worked to help communities grow. He was a leader in the Congregation of Holy Cross, a religious group, in Dhaka. He also helped start Notre Dame College in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He was the principal of the college from 1970 to 1972.
Born in Michigan City, Indiana, USA, he was the second of four children.
Contents
Discovering New Animals
As a biologist, Father Timm studied tiny worms called Nematodes. He found over 250 new types of these worms!
His scientific trips took him all over the world. He explored places from penguin colonies in Antarctica to the Mangrove forests of South Asia. Many of his trips focused on the Sundarbans area and other parts of South Asia. But he also visited Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
Father Timm named many new species he found. Some of these include:
- Timmia parva – a type of marine nematode.
- Two kinds of Aphelenchoides – marine nematodes, which he described with Dr. Mary Franklyn.
- Imponema, Filiponema, and Plutellonema – three new groups of earth nematodes, found with Dr. Armand Maggenti.
- Two kinds of Megadontolaimus – a marine nematode from Cox's Bazar.
- A new group called Metasabatieria, and its main species, Metasabatieria primigena, from the Bay of Bengal.
His special scientific name for describing animals is Timm.
Helping Education Grow
Since 1952, Father Timm worked in education in what was then East Pakistan, and later Bangladesh. He was very important to the success of Notre Dame College. This college, started in 1949, is still known for its high quality and is one of the best schools in Bangladesh.
He was the principal of Notre Dame College from 1970 to 1971. He also worked as the Director of Studies. Even after his time as principal, he stayed connected to the college. Father Timm also started the Science Departments at Notre Dame College. He was a pioneer for student clubs there. He founded both the Notre Dame Debating Club and the Notre Dame Science Club. These were the first debating and science clubs in Bangladesh.
Father Timm also wrote The Textbook of College Biology. This book was used by students in Bangladeshi schools for many years.
Working for Social Change
In 1970, Father Timm became the first planning officer for the Christian Organization for Relief and Rehabilitation (CORR). This group later changed its name to Caritas Bangladesh, and he became its Director. He helped create The Association of the Development Agencies in Bangladesh (ADAB). This group grew to include over 130 NGOs (non-profit organizations) in Bangladesh. Because of his work, he is often called the Father of NGO in Bangladesh.
He worked as the executive secretary for the Justice and Peace Commission for almost 23 years, starting in 1974. While there, he studied over 1000 workers in garment factories. He looked at their pay, their right to form groups, and their maternity leave. He worked with students from Notre Dame College, Dhaka and Holy Cross College, Dhaka on this study. The results were shared widely in Bangladesh.
He also visited the Chittagong Hill Tracts and wrote books about how the local people were losing their land rights. He helped start the South Asia Forum for Human Rights (SAFHR) and led it for three years. He also founded CORR The Jute Works.
Father Timm founded the Coordinator Council for Human Rights in Bangladesh (CCHRB). He was its president for three terms until 1993. He also worked with Justice KM Sobhan to check on human rights in Myanmar. They looked at how local workers were treated during the building of the Yadana Gas Field pipeline. They shared their findings with the US House of Representatives.
Helping During the Liberation War
During the Conflict
Father Timm spoke out about the Bangladesh Liberation War. He wrote about the difficult lives of civilians and how human rights were being ignored. His letters helped people around the world, especially in the United States, understand what was happening.
He also helped provide aid to people who were suffering during the war.
After the Conflict
After the Bangladesh Liberation War, Father Timm actively helped rebuild the new country. He worked with the UN, USAID, CORR (which became Caritas), and CRS. They helped people who had lost their homes and everything else in the war.
His Final Years
Father Timm passed away in South Bend, Indiana, on September 11, 2020.
Awards and Special Recognitions
In 1987, Father Timm received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding. This award is given to people who help different countries get along.
Because of his work to help communities, three different governments gave Father Timm citizenship.
One of the many types of Nematodes he discovered, the Marine Nematode Timmia parva, was named after him.
See also
- List of Ramon Magsaysay Award winners
