author
1850–1942
Best known as a careful botanist and field collector, he also wrote across subjects ranging from religion and education to poetry and public affairs. His life moved from teaching into scientific work in Washington, D.C., where he helped document North American plants.
Born in 1850 and educated at Oberlin College, he earned an A.B. in 1872 and later a seminary degree in 1877. Early in his career he taught and wrote, showing the broad interests that would stay with him throughout his life.
By the late 1880s he had moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked on the Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia. He then held a series of botanical posts, including work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the United States National Museum, and became known for plant collecting and research, especially in the eastern United States.
Although remembered chiefly as a botanist, he also published books and pamphlets, including Music and Christian Education and Armenia Immolata. That mix of science, teaching, and writing makes him an especially interesting figure for readers who enjoy authors with wide-ranging minds.