"Among Professor Needham’s most distinguished research is his work with the aquatic insects—the , , and . To the damsel flies and dragonflies particularly, he gave much of his time in study of the biology and classification. His outstanding work A Manual of the Dragonflies of North America, revised in 1954 with a former student, Dr. M. J. Westfall, as co-author, was published by the only a few years before his death. During his career Professor Needham published more than 250 scientific articles, educational papers, and textbooks. His writing was clear, concise, and interesting to read."