Garrett James Hardin (1915–2003), born in Dallas, Texas, on April 21, was sometimes called the "father of human ecology" for his efforts to popularize a biological understanding of human beings that also draws out ethical implications. He was a strong advocate for controlling population growth and limiting immigration into the United States, because of the ecological implications of these issues. His two best-known essays, "The Tragedy of the Commons" (1968) and "Lifeboat Ethics" (1972), in their description of a problem and presentation of a response, became standard points of reference in bioethics broadly construed. Hardin died in Santa Barbara, California, on September 14.

Hardin earned a B.A. in zoology (University of Chicago, 1936) and a Ph.D. in microbiology (Stanford University, 1941). His most influential mentors were microbiologist Cornelius Bernardus van Niel (1897–1985) and Nobel Prize–winning geneticist George W. Beadle (1903–1989). In 1946 Hardin accepted an appointment in human ecology at the University of...