LINCOLN DAY

DAY--Lincoln H. Lincoln H. Day, demograp-her, sociologist, passionate defender of peace, and steward of the natural environment, died quietly in San Francisco, on December 11, 2021 at the age of 94. Alice, his wife of 69 years, was at his side. Their teamwork as husband and wife, experts and equal scholars, accompanies his life story. Lincoln was born in Ames, IA, to college-educated parents. The family moved to Denver, CO, when Lincoln was nine, so his father, John Armstrong Day, could be treated for tuberculosis. Vera Hills Day, a school teacher and nutritionist, became the primary wage earner. Born into a lineage with a great respect for education and fairness, that fought for independence during the American Revolution, for the Union in the Civil War, and operated stations on the Underground Railroad, Lincoln's family history suggests that activism to improve the quality of life was a family trait. He received a scholarship to attend Yale, where he earned his BA, then his MA and PhD from Columbia. The flood of mail generated by an article he wrote at 32 years old, "The American Fertility Cult: Our Irresponsible Birth Rate," became the impetus for Lincoln and Alice, (herself a sociologist and graduate of Smith and Columbia), to write "Too Many Americans," 1964. The article and the book were the first to raise the specter of overpopulation, and triggered further combative debates, such as Paul and Anne Ehrlich's, "The Population Bomb," 1968, and the Zero Population Growth (ZPG) movement. Lincoln joined the faculties of Princeton, Harvard, and Yale, and went on to be the Chief of the Demographic and Social Statistics Branch at the United Nations. In 1973, he accepted the position of Senior Research Fellow at the Australian National University. After a 20-year residency, the Days became joint citizens of the United States and Australia in 1986. Lincoln retired in 1994, in Washington, DC where he committed to political and environmental causes, as a member of the Council for a Livable World, WorldWatch, the Woman's National Democratic Club, and the DC Environmental Film Festival. At 75 years old, the Days produced an award-winning documentary: "Scarred Lands and Wounded Lives: the Environmental Footprint of War," 2008. "Link" was the author, co-author, and editor of over 80 book chapters and articles, and several books. He was a photographer and meticulous chronicler of his travels, lover of folk and classical music, political demonstrator in all weathers, a loyal friend, and a lifelong feminist who took seriously his role as household dishwasher. He is survived by his wife Alice T. Day of Washington, DC, children Thomas Day and his wife Sari Alter, Lexington, MA; Caroline Day, San Francisco, CA; his grandchildren Edward Alter Day and his wife Abigail Williams, Chicago, IL, Elizabeth Alter Day, Boston, MA, and Julian Day Santesteban, Chicago, IL. Predeceased by son John Taylor Day in 1958.