Roman Stanisław Jakub Kozłowski - Polish paleontologist and geologist, professor, founder of the Institute of Paleozoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (currently the Roman Kozłowski Institute of Paleobiology of the Polish Academy of Sciences).

Born on February 1, 1889 in Włocławek, died on May 2, 1977 in Warsaw.

The founder of Polish paleontology, full member of the Polish Academy of Sciences, honorary member of, among others: the French and Colombian Academies of Sciences and the Paleontological Society of America; professor at the University of Warsaw, honorary doctor of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, the Sorbonne in Paris and the University of Modena. Alongside the most outstanding paleontologists and geologists (including G. Simpson, H. Whittington, L. Agassiz and R. Owen), he was the only Polish scientist to be awarded the Mary Clark Thompson medal (1958)1 and the Wollaston medal2 (1962).

He graduated in geological and biological sciences from the Sorbonne, after which he conducted paleontological research under the supervision of Professor Marcellin Boule at the Museum of Natural History in Paris. In 1913 he was invited to Bolivia to lecture at the Mining School (Escuela Nacional de Mineria) in Oruro, where he went to avoid being drafted into the Tsarist army. He lectured in mineralogy, topography and drawing, among other subjects, and from 1915 to 1919 was the director of the School. Thanks to his activity, in 1918 the President of Bolivia approved the transformation of the Mining School into the Faculty of Engineering (Facultad Nacional de Ingeniería) at the Polytechnic University of Oruro (Universidad Técnica de Oruro).

After Poland regained independence, Professor Kozłowski returned to his homeland and took an active part in the reconstruction of Polish science. He became a co-founder of the Museum of the Earth in Warsaw and the Department of Paleontology at the University of Warsaw. After World War II, he lectured at the University of Warsaw and for the second time began the reconstruction of Polish science, becoming one of the great creators of its rebirth. In 1952, he initiated the establishment of the Department of Paleozoology, one of the first institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences, today the Institute of Paleobiology of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Professor Roman Kozłowski devoted his life to research, organization, editorial work and education. He contributed to world science classic studies of Paleozoic faunas, especially brachiopods and graptolites, using innovative methods of studying and illustrating specimens. His most important discovery was establishing the systematic position of graptolites (Graptolithina), as Pterobranchia belonging to the Hemichordata, which overturned earlier interpretations considering them as coelenterates or bryozoans. Professor Kozłowski's research not only profoundly transformed paleontology, but also had a great influence on many biological disciplines. Thanks to his significant discoveries and ethical attitude, Professor Kozłowski became a legend for paleontologists around the world.

As a teacher, he captivated his students with the clarity of his lectures, in which he combined the world of fossil and contemporary organisms into one transparent whole. He invested young paleontologists with great trust, believing in their enthusiasm, talent and honesty as researchers. He watched over their development tirelessly.
Professor Kozłowski founded the journals: Palaeontologia Polonica and Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, bringing Polish paleontology into the mainstream of world science. He was their editor-in-chief for many years and constantly raised the level of these journals. He provided special care to young, inexperienced authors. In all his actions, Professor Kozłowski strove for perfection, he was a man of great integrity, modesty, expecting no honors.

Roman Kozłowski - wikipedia

Articles:
Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 1977 Editorial Board. In memoriam - Roman Kozłowski
Paläontologische Zeitschrift 1977 Krystyna Pożaryska. Obituary - Roman Kozłowski
Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 1978 Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska and Adam Urbanek. Dedication
The Palaeontology Newsletter 2009 Jan Zalasiewicz. The meaning of palaeontology.