THE INFLUENCE OF UNIVERSITY AND MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS IN THE FORMATION OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAMMALOGISTS In the early 1900s, C. Hart Merriam had ly to Nature for their inspiration" (The in full gear a well-organized Bureau of Bi- Condor, 42:17, 1940). Joseph Grinnell was ological Survey, a coterie of young people one of the first to be asked to serve as di- eager to do field work as well as museum rector of the new American Society of research, a ready source of publishing, and Mammalogists and the only person to hold a far-sighted, ambitious Hartley Jackson the presidency for only 1 year. He felt that bent on establishing a society of mammal- this position was sufficiently important that ogists. Added to this scenario was the in- it should be shared with numerous individ- creased offering at the college level of uals, and thus chose a 1-year term. courses in natural history, especially of the Wilfred Osgood spent his boyhood in the vertebrates, evolution, vertebrate paleontol- then pristine beauty of Santa Clara Valley, ogy, and others. Few courses in mammal- California. Here he became interested in ogy, per se, were being taught at this time, natural history, especially birds and oology. but work with mammals was included in He obtained his bachelor's degree from other courses. Also, museum curators were Stanford University, but most of his train- more involved with the public, giving lec- ing was under the influence of C. Hart Mer- tures on mammals and related subjects. riam and the young men of the Biological Numerous persons in academia were in- Survey. Some 10 years before The Ameri- volved. Joseph Grinnell was attracting stu- can Society of Mammalogists was formed, dents with both his enthusiastic instruction Osgood left the Biological Survey and and thorough field work. Already at age 26, joined the staff of the Field Museum in Chi- when he taught at Throop Polytechnic In- cago. Between 1909 and his death in 1947, stitute in Pasadena, California, he attracted Osgood's research with mammals, especial- such young men as Walter P. Taylor, Joseph ly of North and South America, attracted Dixon, and Charles Camp. His influence many persons to visit and work with him. was more firmly enhanced when Grinnell, His kindness and gentleness, yet thorough- with the financial help of Annie M. Alex- ness, influenced many young mammalo- ander, established the Museum of Verte- gists. Wilfred Osgood served as Vice-pres- brate Zoology at the University of Califor- ident of The American Society of nia in 1908. Already in 1909, Grinnell was Mammalogists from its beginning until giving a series of lectures on vertebrates, 1924 and as President from 1924 to 1926. some of which were open to the general The Museum of Comparative Zoology at public, and this led to his special course in Harvard University with its outstanding Natural History of the Vertebrates. His out- collections has always attracted mammalo- standing publications based on intensive gists. In the early 1900s, the curation of the field work attracted graduate students from mammals was that of Glover Allen who many parts of the United States. Grinnell took over in 1907 at age 28 and continued did not believe in "arm-chair" biology and until his death in 1942. Allen was truly a his wife Hilda expressed this well when she graduate of Harvard: AB, 1901; AM, 1903; wrote that "lectures Joseph Grinnell gave Ph.D., 1904. Not only was Glover keenly before his classes and indoor laboratory ex- interested in the vertebrates, he was skilled ercises he supervised, but it was in the lab- in many languages. Many persons who had oratory of the Berkeley Hills that he was the opportunity to work with Glover Allen happiest, encouraging students to go direct- found "he was unfailingly considerate, nev- 1 er impatient, never faultfinding" (Barbara such person. He served as Recording Sec- Lawrence, Journal of Mammalogy, 24:300, retary of The American Society of Mam- 1943). He gave courses on both mammals malogists from its beginning until 1932. Dr. and birds and had great influence on such Lane routed many students to the univer- young students as Oliver Pearson and Da- sity's Museum of Natural History where vid Davis. Allen's advice was sought in the they came into contact with Charles Bun- development of The American Society of ker. Bunker had great influence on many Mammalogists and he served as Vice-pres- undergraduate students. Those who prided ident from 1924 to 1927 and President from themselves as being "Bunk's Boys" includ- 1927 to 1929. ed E. R. Hall, Jean Linsdale, R. A. Stirton, R. A. W. H. Burt. The Museum of the Academy of Natural Kellogg, Wetmore, Albert Hazen was at Sciences of Philadelphia was at the fore- Wright teaching Cornell when The American So- front in the of sci- University development biological of was formed. One of ence in the United States. Witmer Stone, a ciety Mammalogists his early students was Francis Harper. Al- graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, exander G. Ruthven was teaching zoology served the Museum in various capacities and directing the museum at the University from 1888 to 1939. he was inter- Although of Michigan in the early 1900s and was re- ested in all vertebrates, his interest special sponsible for bringing Lee R. Dice to that was with birds. His book entitled American university. Animals mammal- influenced many young By the end of the second decade of the ogists. Witmer was involved with the 20th century, the time was ripe for the for- American Ornithological Union between mation of a society of mammalogists. An 1897 and 1923, serving on numerous com- eager and willing young H. H. T. Jackson mittees and the Council. This background had the foresight for such an organization with the AOU served him well to help with and the cooperation of colleagues of the the formation of The American Society of United States Bureau of Biological Survey. Mammalogists where he was called upon to At the same time, universities were devel- be Vice-president from 1927 to 1929 and oping courses in mammalogy as well as President from 1929 to 1931. collections of mammals to complement Many other persons in academia were in- these courses. These ingredients resulted in of volved in influencing students to work with The American Society Mammalogists. mammals in the early 1900s. Henry H. DONALD E HOFFMEISTER, Historian, Lane at the University of Kansas was one The American Society of Mammalogists. ii .