`Barnacle Lady' Dora Henry, 95, Oceanography Professor, Dies

In his book "The Sea of Cortez," John Steinbeck describes some unusual barnacles and how he sent some specimens off to "the barnacle lady" in Seattle.

No doubt the writer got his answer. Dora Henry, longtime oceanography professor at the University of Washington, was truly an authority on the life history and biology of Pacific Coast barnacles.

Mrs. Henry, who died Wednesday at the age of 95, was a popular figure around the UW lower campus for about 67 years.

Raised in Iowa, she earned her doctorate in zoology from the University of California at Berkeley. She married microbiologist Bernard Henry, and both took jobs at UW.

Mrs. Henry focused her research on barnacles, the tiny shellfish that attach themselves to rocks on the seashore.

In time she became an authority on the subject, and her publications remain a primary source of information on the creatures.

During World War II, she served as a government oceanographer and editor of scientific papers, a skill that she brought back to UW.

"She was an extraordinary editor," said Bruce Frost, a colleague.

In addition to her work with academic papers, Mrs. Henry served as longtime editor of "Deep Sea Research," an oceanographic journal.

Her reputation as "the barnacle lady" spread far and wide, Frost recalled - even after she formally retired from teaching in 1988. If anybody on the West Coast had a question about the tiny creatures, there was no question about whom to call.

Mrs. Henry left no family but a large circle of friends.