Herbert Minoru Nakata passed away Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, in Pullman at the age of 92.
He was born March 10, 1930, to Russell Kingo Nakata and Fusayo Osaka Nakata in Pasadena, Calif. He was the youngest of four brothers.
Herb had happy memories of his childhood years in Pasadena. However, in February 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which led to the forced removal of all people of Japanese descent from California and several other areas. The two oldest brothers were permitted to leave for Chicago. Meanwhile, at the age of 12, Herb, his parents and his remaining brother were incarcerated for several months in a horse stall at an assembly center set up at an old race track outside of Tulare, Calif. Fortunately, a Pasadena lawyer, who had employed Herb’s father as a gardener, was able to negotiate their release. This enabled the family to be reunited in Chicago.
Herb attended Waller High School, where he was a member of the Class of 1948. He played trumpet in the high school band and in a five-piece combo that played for wedding receptions and parties. He taught himself to play an alto saxophone and was a member of the school orchestra. He also learned to play the clarinet.
Herb’s first two years of undergraduate study were undertaken at the branch campus of the University of Illinois in Chicago, which was then located on Navy Pier. There he joined the University Dance Band, playing alto saxophone and clarinet, and during his second year at the Pier, he was asked to lead the band. They even accompanied Dean Martin, when Dean and Jerry Lewis were performing on campus.
For his last two undergraduate years, Herb transferred to the university’s Urbana-Champaign campus. There, his musical instruments were stored away and he decided to major in bacteriology with his B.S. degree being awarded in 1952.
While serving briefly as director of bacteriology and immunology laboratories at Grant Hospital in Chicago, Herb was drafted into the U.S. Army. His active-duty years spanned from September 1952 to June 1954. Thirteen of those months were served with the First Forward Observation Battalion, 10th Corps, as a radar specialist in Korea. He received a Korean Service Ribbon with two Bronze Service Stars, a National Defense Service Medal and a United Nations Service Medal. He was honorably discharged from the Standby Reserve in September 1960.
Upon his return to the states in 1954, Herb began graduate study at the University of Illinois. His research focused on an aerobic spore-forming bacterium called Bacillus cereus, an interest he carried on into later years. He was awarded a M.S. degree in 1956 and a Ph.D. degree in 1959.
Later in 1959, he accepted a faculty position in what was then known as the Department of Bacteriology and Public Health at Washington State University. He was appointed department chair in 1968. There was a brief hiatus in 1975, when the whole family accompanied him on a sabbatical leave in Japan. While there, he served as a visiting professor at Osaka City University.
Back in Pullman, he continued as chair until 1992, for a total of 24 years. Professor Nakata retired from the Department of Microbiology in 1993, after 34 years with WSU. He was a member of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), Sigma Xi and the American Society for the Advancement of Science. He was twice president of the Northwest branch of ASM. After retirement, he completed a history entitled “One Hundred Years of Bacteriology/Microbiology at Washington State University (1895-1995).” In 2010, he received a Legacy of Excellence Award from the WSU College of Sciences.
Herb was married to Barbara Ann Wescott on April 9, 1960, in Madison, Wis., where Barbara had just completed work for her M.S. in Bacteriology. They had met while Barb was an undergraduate employee in his laboratory at the University of Illinois. They raised three children in Pullman, where they were enthusiastic supporters of WSU athletics and enjoyed the many educational, cultural and recreational opportunities in the area.
Herb was gifted with skills not related to his academic field. When the couple purchased a new home, he transformed the unfinished basement into a livable space. Years later, after an exterior shell had been erected for a lake cabin, he created a happy space for his family by completing all the interior work and building other structures on the property. He was also interested in woodworking and among his various creations were a beautiful lamp and a music stand that Barb treasures to this day. He was also an excellent cook and would often prepare memorable meals for family and friends.
The Nakatas loved to travel, and upon his retirement, Herb convinced Barb to retire early so they could begin to explore more of the world. They planned a major trip each year and together, they visited numerous countries on six continents.
Herb was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers Russell and Colbert; as well as by Colbert’s wife Winifred. He is survived by his brother Arthur (Kiyomi); his wife, Barbara; his son Stephen (Anne); his daughter Laura Vannucci (Troy); and his daughter Debra Nakata. Also surviving are four grandchildren, Jennifer and Bryan Nakata, and Ryan and Jordan Vannucci.
It is suggested that any memorial donations be made to a charity of choice or to the Herbert M. Nakata Microbiology Fund, in care of the Washington State University Foundation, P.O. Box 641925, Pullman, WA 99164-1925. A private gathering of family and friends will be held at a later date.
