William A. (William Albert) Locy

Born in Troy, Michigan, in 1857, William Albert Locy became an American zoologist and educator whose career joined laboratory science, teaching, and the history of biology. After early work in education, he taught at Lake Forest University and later spent more than a quarter century as professor of zoology at Northwestern University.

Locy was known not only for research in zoology and embryology, but also for his ability to explain science in an inviting way. He worked at the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole during several summers, and his writing reached beyond specialists to students and general readers.

His best-known book, Biology and Its Makers, traces the development of biological thought through the lives and discoveries of major scientists. That mix of scientific knowledge, historical perspective, and clear prose helped make him a valued guide to the story of biology before his death in 1924.