Remembering Dr. Howard Tanner
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EmailThe MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources community commemorates the life and enduring legacy of Department of Fisheries and Wildlife alumnus Howard Tanner.
Dr. Howard Tanner, an acclaimed fisheries biologist, educator, conservation leader and College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) alumnus passed away on August 16, 2026, at the age of 102.
Earning his Ph.D. from the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife (FW) in 1952, Tanner’s pioneering work transformed the Great Lakes, impacting our ecosystem, economy and communities across the region.
Tanner was born in in Kalamazoo, MI, in 1923 and was an avid outdoorsman his entire life. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II before returning home and pursuing his education at Michigan State College, now Michigan State University. After earning his Ph.D., he joined the faculty at Colorado State University before starting a role with the Colorado Department of Game, Fish and Parks.
In 1964, Tanner returned to Michigan to take on a new challenge: leading the Fisheries Division of the Michigan Department of Conservation, which later became the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
In this leadership role, Tanner championed a transformational policy that forever changed the Great Lakes. Due to declining lake trout populations, invasive alewives were creating massive ecological and recreational challenges. To combat this problem, Tanner advocated for the introduction of Pacific salmon to the Great Lakes.
Under his leadership, Michigan began releasing coho salmon into tributaries of Lake Michigan in 1966. While there were doubters, the program was ultimately a resounding success, drastically reducing the alewife population and creating an entirely new recreational fishery that has benefited Michigan’s economy.
Tanner’s innovative leadership earned him recognition as the "father of the Great Lakes salmon fishery.” Beyond his work with the salmon program, Tanner served as CANR’s Director of Natural Resources and as DNR Director from 1975-1983.
“Dr. Tanner’s impact on fisheries conservation and natural resource management can’t be overstated,” said Dr. Dana Infante, chairperson of the MSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. “His visionary leadership helped transform the Great Lakes and created benefits that continue to be felt across Michigan and the region today. We are deeply grateful for his contributions and proud to carry forward his legacy through the students and professionals he inspired.”
In 2018, Tanner published his memoir “Something Spectacular: My Great Lakes Salmon Story” through the MSU Press, recounting his experience leading the salmon program in Michigan.
Throughout his distinguished career, Tanner earned many prestigious honors, including induction into the American Fisheries Society's Fisheries Management Hall of Excellence and the Michigan Outdoor Hall of Fame. In 2022, the Michigan Natural Resources Commission awarded him the Thomas L. Washington Lifetime Conservation Award in recognition of his extraordinary legacy of public service.
Tanner always remained actively engaged with CANR and the FW Department. He helped mentor generations of MSU FW students in their academic and professional careers and was a constant advocate for the stewardship of Michigan’s natural resources.
Tanner’s legacy lives on in the FW department through the Dr. Howard A. Tanner Fisheries Excellence Fellowship. This annual award recognizes a graduate student who is committed to fisheries research related to the Great Lakes, connecting waterway or tributary stream research.
Learn more about Dr. Howard Tanner by reading his obituary: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/east-lansing-mi/howard-tanner-13004580
Learn more about Dr. Tanner’s role introducing salmon into the Great Lakes: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/a-bold-decision-created-a-fishing-success-story-msg26-schroeder26
You can support the Tanner Fisheries Excellence Fellowship here.
