Schwartz memorial internship established at refuge
The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge reported that Mark and Brenda Mittelstadt recently established the Herb Schwartz Memorial Internship to help those within conservation professions gain early experience toward their careers.
It was made in memory of Mark Mittelstadt’s grandfather, Schwartz, a wildlife photographer who worked with Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling at the Des Moines Register for many years, and Mittelstadt’s sister, Shelly Nonaka.
“This internship in the memory of Herb and Shelly is testament to the importance of inspiring others to care about our natural world,” the DDWS said. “Herb’s grandson is continuing this legacy of caring about our natural world through his gift and the belief that internships in conservation organizations help cultivate our next conservation stewards.”
Schwartz loved the natural world and shared that love with others, including his family. He was the consummate outdoorsman — hunting, fishing, and photographing nature throughout his life. Schwartz was born in 1896 in Ottumwa, Iowa, where the family had a large, irrigated farm and greenhouse.
He was a soloist in a Revival Show in small towns in Iowa before World War II, then a photographer and Military Police in the U.S. Army. After the war, Schwartz secured a position with the newspaper as its outdoor photographer. There, he met Darling and developed a personal and professional friendship and a mutual respect for the natural world and its need of protection.
When sportsmen like Darling and Schwartz saw the wildlife declining, they developed and promoted an ethic about responsible hunting, and the early conservation movement was born. Captions in his early movies of goose flights included “Here we are Father Ding, 100,000 strong” and “Not the end, but to be continued we hope.”
Schwartz’s best known photograph was of the capture of part of the Bonnie and Clyde gang in 1933 near Des Moines. Clyde’s brother was hit in the head and died a few days later; his wife was captured when she would not leave him. The photo made front pages across the country. He received the first annual Kalart Award in 1949 from Kent State University’s Media Department.
After his retirement, Schwartz started to compile a book of his photos and stories to be dedicated “to the memory of my real good friend and sportsman and photographer ‘Ding’ Darling.” Before the book could be completed, he suffered a stroke. Schwartz’s family kept the box of photos that he had sent to the publisher, but the stories were never found.
For more information about establishing a named annual internship, call DDWS Executive Director Ann-Marie Wildman at 239-789-8991.