George Vasey

author

George Vasey

1822–1893

A doctor turned botanist, he became one of the key figures in building American botany in the 19th century. His work on grasses and his leadership at the U.S. Department of Agriculture helped shape the National Herbarium.

1 Audiobook

Delineations of the Ox Tribe: The Natural History of Bulls, Bisons, and Buffaloes. Exhibiting all the Known Species and the More Remarkable Varieties of the Genus Bos.

Delineations of the Ox Tribe: The Natural History of Bulls, Bisons, and Buffaloes. Exhibiting all the Known Species and the More Remarkable Varieties of the Genus Bos.

by George Vasey

About the author

Born near Scarborough, England, in 1822, he moved to the United States as a child and later trained as a physician. After practicing medicine in Illinois for many years, he pursued botany more fully and became especially known for his work in plant classification and the study of grasses.

In 1872, he was appointed botanist to the United States Department of Agriculture, a role he held for the rest of his life. He also served as curator of the National Herbarium, helping expand it into an important scientific collection, and in 1889 he was named Honorary Curator of Botany at the United States National Museum.

Remembered as an English-born American physician, botanist, and agrostologist, he played a lasting part in the growth of botanical science in the United States before his death in 1893.