Alexander Agassiz

Born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, in 1835, Alexander Agassiz later made his career in the United States. He studied at Harvard and became closely connected with the Museum of Comparative Zoology, the institution founded by his father, Louis Agassiz.

Agassiz was a zoologist and oceanographer best known for his work on marine life, especially echinoderms such as sea urchins and starfish. He directed the Museum of Comparative Zoology for many years and took part in important dredging and ocean research expeditions, helping expand scientific understanding of coral reefs and deep-sea life.

He was also unusual among scientists of his era because he gained great wealth through the Calumet and Hecla copper mining company, which helped support both his research and the museum. He died in 1910, remembered as an energetic naturalist whose scientific work ranged from careful museum study to ambitious exploration at sea.