Bohumil Shimek was born amid humble surroundings on a farm near Shueyville, Johnson County Iowa, on June 25, 1861.  His parents were natives of Czechoslovakia.  They came to America to escape the religious and political sufferings which were a part of the revolt against Austro-Teutonic oppression.
     Young Shimek came to Iowa City in 1870.  His mother had died when he was 5 years old, and while he was sill a boy he lost also by death his father, sister, and brother, the only other members of his family.  He was left entirely on his own resources.  He worked his way through high school and college.  In 1878 he entered the University of Iowa where he pursued the course of civil engineering.  He graduated in 1883.  For 2 years he was a county engineer; then he taught high school, during which time he was showing his interest in nature by making collections of plants, animals, and rocks.  In 1888 he became instructor in zoology in the University of Nebraska, but 2 years later he returned to Iowa City to join the faculty of the department of botany of his alma mater.  This department he continued to serve until his death on January 30, 1937, at the age of 75 years.
     Shimek had a most successful career in academic circles.  He soon became professor of botany, later head of the department, director of the Lakeside Laboratory at Lake Okoboji, in northwestern Iowa, and curator of the herbarium.  During the last few years of his life he was research professor.  In 1932, after he had completed 50 years of teaching service in the University, a testimonial celebration- a golden anniversary- was tendered him by faculty, alumni, students, and friends in the State of Iowa and elsewhere.  In the printed pamphlet which was prepared for the occasion, tribute was paid to Doctor Shimek as pioneer, engineer, zoologist, geologist, botanist, educator, patriot, and citizen.
     An honor which was greatly prized by Professor Shimek was his appointment in 1914 as exchange professor in botany at Charles University, Prague, Bohemia.  Later this University honored him, also, by awarding him the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in recognition of his scientific contributions.  In this connection it may be of interest ot state that in 1918 Professor Shimek was an ardent advocate of the independence of Czechoslovakia, the land of his forbears.  He labored faithfully for the accomplishment of this result and was very much pleased when his personal friend, Thomas G. Masaryk, became the new nation's first president.
      Shimek's scientific activities were by no means limited to his specialty, botany.  He did important work in other sciences, also, particularly in geology and paleobotany.  In these two sciences his chief researches dealt with the interpretation of loess deposits and their fossils.  His collection of loess fossils was perhaps the largest that had ever been brought under one roof.  He was much interested, also, in the glacial drifts and in the faunas of interglacial deposits of Iowa and adjacent States.  In 1909 he named the oldest drift the Nebraskan, a term now well established in the classification of Pleistocene deposits of the Mississippi Valley.
     He was for many years a member of the staff of the Iowa Geological Survey.  In 1911 he was chairman of the geology and geography section of the American Association for the ADvancement of Science.  He was honored, also, by membership and by office in many other scientific organizations, American and foreign.  He was the last survivor of four distinguished scientists- Calvin, Macbride, Nutting, and Shimek- who were associated for many years at the University of Iowa.
      Shimek entered actively and earnestly into all plans which he considered to be for the best interest of the State of Iowa.  He was a devoted conservationist.  He served as a member of several park boards, school boards, and other civic organizations.  The Shimek Elementary School of Iowa City was named for him.  He was a Fluent speaker and an ardent participant in Masonry.
In 1886 Professor Shimek married Anna Elizabeth Konvalinka of Iowa City.  To them were born four daughters and one son.  Following the death of Mrs. Shimek, in 1921, Professor Shimek, in 1924, married Miss Marjorie Meerdink, of Muscatine.