John Merton Aldrich
John Merton Aldrich | |
|---|---|
 John Merton Aldrich | |
| Born | January 28, 1866[1] |
| Died | May 27, 1934 (aged 68) |
| Nationality | American |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | entomologist |
John Merton Aldrich (1866–1934) was an American zoologist and entomologist. Aldrich was the Associate Curator of Insects at the United States National Museum. He is considered one of the most prolific entomologists in the study of flies.[1]
Life and education
John Merton Aldrich was born in Olmsted County, Minnesota. He went to school in Rochester.[1] He graduated from South Dakota State University in 1888.[1][2] After graduation he worked at the South Dakota State Agricultural Experiment Station, briefly.[2] From 1888 until 1890 he attended Michigan State College, before getting his Masters of Science from South Dakota State University.[1] In 1891 he became the first zoology professor at the University of Idaho.[2][3] In 1892 he then attended the University of Kansas and obtained a second Masters of Science in 1893.[1] Back in Idaho, he would marry Ellen Roe. They lived in Moscow, Idaho, and four years later Roe and their infant son would die.[1]
In 1905 he married Della Smith in Moscow and Aldrich would store his collection and library at his fathers house in Moscow. He moved to California so Aldrich could attend Stanford University. The following year he obtained his Ph.D. and returned to Idaho. After almost twenty years as professor at the University of Idaho, he lost his job.[1]
Career
In 1913, he became Entomological Assistant at the Bureau of Entomology.[2][4][5] As Assistant, he worked in the Cereal and Forage Crop Insects Section, based in Lafayette,[1] Indiana.[2] Aldrich became the Associate Curator of Insects and the Custodian of Diptera at the United States National Museum, where he replaced Frederick Knab, after his death in 1918.[1][2] He donated his personal collection of diptera to the museum in 1928. In total, he donated 45,000 specimens and 4,000 named species, along with the documenting card catalog, which, as of 1934, was the only documentation related to American flies in the world.[1]
Research
Aldrich's early research work involved the study of economic entomology and its different phases. While teaching at the University of Idaho, he started working on his book about American flies.[2] While in Indiana, he studied the lives of grass files, and other flies, that were involved in cereal crop destruction. In his research, he traveled to Utah, California, Alaska, Guatemala, and Sweden. He was an active member of the Entomological Society of America, serving as president and secretary-treasurer, and also served as president of the Washington Entomological Society.[1]
Later life
Aldrich was active in the All Souls Unitarian-Universalist Church in Washington, D.C., where he taught religion classes. He co-founded the Thomas Say Foundation.[1] He served as curator and custodian at the United States National Museum until his death in 1930. His archival collections are held in the Smithsonian Institution Archives.[2] He died suddenly on May 27, 1934. Just before his death, he had plans for his bi-annual Pacific Coast collecting trip. He was buried in Moscow, Idaho.[1]
Further reading
- Aldrich, John M. and Carl Robert Osten-Sacken. A catalogue of North American Diptera (or two-winged flies). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution (1905).
- Aldrich, John M. "The North American species of parasitic two-winged flies belonging to the genus Phorocera and allied genera." Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 63:2486 (1924): 1-90.
- Aldrich, John M. "Notes on the Types of American two-winged Flies of the Genus Sarcophaga and a few related Forms described by the early Authors." "Proceedings of the United States National Museum." 78.2855 (1930): 39.
- Aldrich, John M. and ed. Samuel Wendell Williston. "Dolichopodidae and Phoridae." On the Diptera of St. Vincent. London: Royal Entomological Society of London (1896).
- Aldrich, John M. Papers on Diptera.. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution (1913).
- Aldrich, John M. Sarcophaga and allies in North America. Murphey-Bivins Co. Press (1916).
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Melander, A.L. (1934). "John Merton Aldrich". Psyche. 41: 133–149. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Aldrich, John Merton, 1866-1944, John Merton Aldrich Papers". Record Unit 7305. Smithsonian Institution Archives. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
- ^ American Entomological Society (1900). The entomologists ̓directory: containing the names, addresses, special departments of study, etc., of those interested in the study of insect life in the United States and Canada. American Entomological Society. p. 64. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
- ^ I. M. Orcutt; John Merton Aldrich (1892). Report of the Department of Entomology. South Dakota Agricultural College and Experiment Station. p. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
- ^ Economic entomology: Pamphlets. 1915. p. 332. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
External links
- Letter Written by Dr. Hendel to Dr. John M. Aldrich from the Smithsonian Institution Archives
- 1866 births
- 1934 deaths
- American entomologists
- Dipterists
- University of Kansas alumni
- Members of the Universalist Church of America
- Michigan State University alumni
- People from Moscow, Idaho
- People from Olmsted County, Minnesota
- Smithsonian Institution Archives related
- Smithsonian Institution people
- South Dakota State University alumni
- Stanford University alumni
- University of Idaho faculty