James McLeod is best known in the cryptozoological community for his founding of the earliest university based cryptozoology organization in 1983, the now defunct North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club or NICCC. In 1984 the NICCC conducted what they entitled Cryptoquest, which received national attention when it conducted an expedition to northern Idaho’s Lake Pend Oreille in search of the creature known as Paddler.
Soon after this expedition McLeod wrote a limited edition report entitled Mysterious Lake Pend Oreille and Its Monster, regarded by some as a model for cryptozoological investigations. In this report McLeod wrote that the expedition concluded that about 98 percent of the sightings could be of lake sturgeon. Though no lake sturgeon have been documented living in Lake Pend Oreille some experts suggest that a lake as deep as Lake Pend Oreille could easily house a population of sturgeon.
James McLeod would go on to direct the North Idaho College’s highly respected Scottish Studies Program in Idaho and Scotland for many years, traveling to Loch Ness several times to look into reports of the Loch Ness Monster, as well as conducting more mainstream scholarly inquiries. McLeod also taught at the University of Idaho, after he taught at North Idaho College, and has won several teaching and leadership awards.
Quick Info: (where applicable)
Date of Birth: 1946
Birthplace: Spokane, Washington, United States of America
Current Location:
Books: NA
Schooling and/or Degrees:
• Undergraduate Degree – University of Washington
• Graduate Degree – Eastern Washington University
Organizations:
• North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club (NICCC) (Founder)
Website:
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