author
H. W. (Herbert William) Conn
1859–1917
A pioneering American bacteriologist and teacher, this Wesleyan professor helped bring microbiology to a wider public through clear, practical science writing. His books connected laboratory discoveries to everyday questions about health, farming, and life itself.
2 Audiobooks
The Story of Germ Life
by H. W. (Herbert William) Conn
About the author
Born in 1859, Herbert William Conn was an American bacteriologist, zoologist, and educator whose career was closely tied to Wesleyan University. After studying at Boston University and earning a doctorate at Johns Hopkins, he joined Wesleyan's faculty and went on to found its biology department.
Conn became known not only for his scientific work but also for his ability to explain new ideas in biology for general readers and students. He wrote on bacteriology, evolution, sanitation, dairy science, and the role of microbes in everyday life, helping readers understand a field that was still new and rapidly developing.
He died in 1917, but his work remains a window into the period when modern microbiology was taking shape in the United States. For listeners interested in early popular science, his writing offers both historical perspective and a lively sense of scientific discovery.