A. C. (Austin Craig) Apgar

Austin Craig Apgar was an American botanist, teacher, and nature writer born in 1838 and died in 1908. He is closely associated with the New Jersey State Normal School, where contemporary references describe him as a professor of botany, and later accounts from his school remember him as a vice principal as well as a well-known botanist.

Apgar wrote hands-on guides that focused on identification and observation rather than formal jargon. His books include Trees of the Northern United States, Birds of the United States East of the Rocky Mountains, and Pocket Key of the Birds of the Northern United States. He also collaborated with Ellis A. Apgar on plant-analysis texts, showing how strongly his work was tied to classroom teaching.

His reputation seems to have rested on making natural history approachable for learners. Even a posthumous volume, Ornamental Shrubs of the United States, was edited for publication after his death, suggesting that his books remained useful and valued beyond his lifetime.