Annie Montague Alexander
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Annie Montague Alexander (29 December 1867 - 10 September 1950) was an
explorer Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...
, naturalist,
paleontological Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of foss ...
collector, and
philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
. She founded the
University of California Museum of Paleontology The University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) is a paleontology museum located on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. The museum is within the Valley Life Sciences Building (VLSB), designed by George W. Kelham and ...
(UCMP) and the
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology is a natural history museum at the University of California, Berkeley. The museum was founded by philanthropist Annie Montague Alexander in 1908. Alexander recommended zoologist Joseph Grinnell as museum director, ...
(MVZ). From its establishment in 1908 until she died in 1950 she financed the museum's collections and supported a series of paleontological expeditions throughout the western
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Alexander herself took part in many of these expeditions, accumulating a significant collection of fossils and exotic game animals that she would later donate to the museum. Alexander is remembered by the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
as one of the "builders of Berkeley" and as the benefactress of the museum.


Early life

Annie Montague Alexander was born December 29, 1867, in
Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
during the
Kingdom of Hawaii The Hawaiian Kingdom, or Kingdom of Hawaiʻi ( Hawaiian: ''Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina''), was a sovereign state located in the Hawaiian Islands. The country was formed in 1795, when the warrior chief Kamehameha the Great, of the independent island ...
. She was the granddaughter of
New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
missionaries in Maui. Her father
Samuel Thomas Alexander Samuel Thomas Alexander (October 29, 1836 – September 10, 1904) co-founded a major agricultural and transportation business in the Kingdom of Hawaii. Early life In November 1831, the Reverend William Patterson Alexander (1805–1884) and Mary A ...
and her uncle
Henry Perrine Baldwin Henry Perrine Baldwin (August 29, 1842 – July 8, 1911) was a businessman and politician on Maui in the Hawaiian Islands. He supervised the construction of the East Maui Irrigation System and co-founded Alexander & Baldwin, one of the " Big Fiv ...
were founders of
Alexander & Baldwin Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. is an American company that was once part of the Big Five companies in territorial Hawaii. The company currently operates businesses in real estate, land operations, and materials and construction. It was also the last ...
. Her mother Martha Cooke was the daughter of
Amos Starr Cooke Amos Starr Cooke (December 1, 1810 – March 20, 1871) was an American educator and businessman in the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was patriarch of a family that influenced Hawaii during the 20th century. Life Amos Starr Cooke was born in Danbury, Co ...
, the founder of
Castle & Cooke Castle & Cooke, Inc., is a Los Angeles-based company that was once part of the Big Five companies in territorial Hawaii. The company at one time did most of its business in agriculture, including becoming, through mergers with the modern Dole F ...
. These were two of the " Big Five" corporations that started as
sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...
plantation owners and then dominated the economy of the
Territory of Hawaii The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory ( Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 30, 1900, until August 21, 1959, when most of its territory, excluding ...
. Annie Montague was the second of five children. Her youngest brother, Clarence Chambers, was born in 1880 but died in 1884. Her cousins included
Henry Alexander Baldwin Henry Alexander Baldwin or Harry Alexander Baldwin (January 12, 1871 – October 8, 1946) was a sugarcane plantation manager, and politician who served as Congressional Delegate to the United States House of Representatives representing the Ter ...
and
Clarence Hyde Cooke Clarence Hyde Cooke (April 17, 1876 – August 23, 1944) was a politician and businessman in Honolulu. Life Clarence Cooke was born April 17, 1876 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was the second son of Charles Montague Cooke and Anna Rice Cooke, and gr ...
who carried on the family businesses. She attended Punahou School for one year, but when her family moved to
Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
in 1882 to get medical attention for her grandfather, she enrolled in Oakland High School. In 1886 she attended Lasell Seminary for Young Women in
Auburndale, Massachusetts Auburndale is one of the thirteen villages within the city of Newton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It lies at the western end of Newton near the intersection of interstate highways 90 and 95. It is bisected by the Massachu ...
. In 1888, she traveled with her family to
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
and studied painting. She returned to Oakland and trained briefly as a nurse, but enjoyed being outside instead and facing the threat of blindness returned to
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. Her father left the business to others and took Annie, her sister Martha, and a cousin on a 1,500-mile bicycle trip through
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
in 1893. In 1896 Alexander and her uncle explored the South Pacific stopping in
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, and
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. On that same trip, they also explored
Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
,
Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...
, and
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. In 1899 she went camping in
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
with her friend Martha Beckwith and then went with her father to
Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = " Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , e ...
. Alexander's passion for paleontology was sparked on her trip to
Crater Lake Crater Lake ( Klamath: ''Giiwas'') is a volcanic crater lake in south-central Oregon in the western United States. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and is famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The lake partly fill ...
with Beckwith and in 1900 she began auditing paleontology lectures at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
. At Berkeley, Alexander met Professor
John C. Merriam John Campbell Merriam (October 20, 1869 – October 30, 1945) was an American paleontologist, educator, and conservationist. The first vertebrate paleontologist on the West Coast of the United States, he is best known for his taxonomy of ver ...
. As their friendship developed she offered to underwrite the entire cost of his upcoming expeditions. She later participated in Merriam's 1901 expedition to
Fossil Lake Fossil Butte National Monument is a United States National Monument managed by the National Park Service, located west of Kemmerer, Wyoming, United States. It centers on an assemblage of Eocene Epoch (56 to 34 million years ago) animal and pl ...
in
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
, as well as his 1902 and 1903 expeditions to
Shasta County Shasta County (), officially the County of Shasta, is a county in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its population is 182,155 as of the 2020 census, up from 177,223 from the 2010 census. The county seat is Redding. Shasta ...
in Northern California.


Early expeditions, 1901-1910


Fossil Lake, 1901

In February 1901 John C. Merriam and Alexander began organizing an expedition. They were unable to decide on a location until Merriam proposed a trip to Shasta County where they could collect Triassic vertebrate fossils to which Alexander agreed. Three weeks before departure, Merriam convinced Alexander to instead go to
Fossil Lake Fossil Butte National Monument is a United States National Monument managed by the National Park Service, located west of Kemmerer, Wyoming, United States. It centers on an assemblage of Eocene Epoch (56 to 34 million years ago) animal and pl ...
in south-central
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
(what is now Lake County.) This dry and arid region had been explored previously beginning in the 1870s and would prove a fruitful location for Alexander. Alexander was attended by Herbert Furlong and William Greeley, two of Merriam's students who were chosen to provide assistance and expertise for her. They planned their route from Northern California up to Fossil Lake and then headed West to
Crater Lake Crater Lake ( Klamath: ''Giiwas'') is a volcanic crater lake in south-central Oregon in the western United States. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and is famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The lake partly fill ...
before heading back to California. Other participants included Ernest, an African American wagon driver and cook, and a young boy named Willis. Alexander also invited her friend Mary Wilson. The trip lasted from May 30 to August 13 and they returned with nearly 300 hundred pounds in fossils.


Shasta County, 1901-1903


1901

This expedition was organized by John C. Merriam and financed by Alexander though she did not attend because she was currently on an expedition to Fossil Lake. Shasta County had captured attention from California Paleontologists in 1893 after
James Perrin Smith James Perrin Smith (November 27, 1864 – January 1, 1931) was an American geologist and paleontologist. Smith was of English descent. T. M. Forster, one of his ancestors, was a surgeon in the Royal Navy and moved to Virginia in 1745. His paternal ...
(of Stanford) searched for ammonites. Though he did find
ammonites Ammonoids are a group of extinct marine mollusc animals in the subclass Ammonoidea of the class Cephalopoda. These molluscs, commonly referred to as ammonites, are more closely related to living coleoids (i.e., octopuses, squid and cuttl ...
, he also returned with the first
Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceo ...
marine vertebrate found in California he named ''
Nothosaurus ''Nothosaurus'' ("false lizard", from the Ancient Greek (), "illegitimate", and (), "lizard") is an extinct genus of sauropterygian reptile from the Triassic period, approximately 240–210 million years ago, with fossils being distributed fro ...
.'' In 1895, Smith sent his findings to Merriam and sparked what became Merriam's intense focus on Shasta County.


1902

From June 16 to July 13, Alexander and her team explored along a limestone ridge in Shasta County. Participants included Vance Osmont, an assistant and student of John C. Merriam, Eustace Furlong, Waldemar Schaller, and Katherine Jones. Jones was in charge of keeping an account of the trip. Alexander's role in the expedition included funding, collecting and, excavating, as well as cooking for the team. The trip was brief but they returned with three significant fossils including '' Shastasaurus alexandre'' named in honor of Alexander.


1903

Little is known about this trip beyond its participants and some of its findings. Along with Alexander, the participants were Edna Wemple, Eustace Furlong, Frederick Sylvanus Ray, and Ward Benjamin Esterly. On this trip, Alexander uncovered her first significant fossil that was new to the scientific world which John C. Merriam named in her honor ''
Thalattosaurus alexandrae ''Thalattosaurus'' (pronounced: , "tha-la-to-SORE-us") meaning "sea lizard," from the Attic Greek ' (), "sea," and ' (), "lizard," is an extinct genus of marine reptile in the family Thalattosauroidea. They were aquatic diapsids that are known ...
.''


Africa, 1904

In 1904, Alexander left on a trip with her father and Thomas L. Gulick, son of missionary Peter Johnson Gulick and younger brother of John Thomas Gulick who was an early developer of theories of
evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...
. The men were looking forward to hunting big game in
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
, while Annie was collecting fossils and taking pictures. Gulick became ill and died on August 15, 1904, in
Kijabe Kijabe is a town in Kenya. Etymology The name Kijabe likely derives from the Maasai 'Donyo Kejabe' meaning 'Gold mountain'.as many would think,kijabe was never discovered by white people Description It stands on the edge of the Great Rift Vall ...
,
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
. On September 8, the Alexanders reached
Victoria Falls Victoria Falls ( Lozi: ''Mosi-oa-Tunya'', "The Smoke That Thunders"; Tonga: ''Shungu Namutitima'', "Boiling Water") is a waterfall on the Zambezi River in southern Africa, which provides habitat for several unique species of plants and anim ...
. The next day they crossed the
Zambezi river The Zambezi River (also spelled Zambeze and Zambesi) is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. Its drainage basin covers , slightly less than hal ...
and climbed down the canyon for a better view. While she was preparing to take a picture, Samuel was hit by a boulder tossed down from workers above that crushed his foot. Her father died a day later on September 10 after receiving an emergency amputation. The death of her father had a profound effect on shaping her career as a naturalist. In personal letters after his death, Alexander expressed a need to find a distraction that would prevent her from thinking about the loss of her father. It was then that she decided to dedicate her life to preserving the wild flora and fauna of California and the West Coast.


Saurian Expedition, Nevada, 1905

In 1905, she financed and took part in the Saurian Expedition to the West Humboldt Range in
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
. The expedition discovered many of the finest specimens of ichthyosaur. In 1905, Alexander financed and attended another expedition alongside
John C. Merriam John Campbell Merriam (October 20, 1869 – October 30, 1945) was an American paleontologist, educator, and conservationist. The first vertebrate paleontologist on the West Coast of the United States, he is best known for his taxonomy of ver ...
and his assistant
Eustace L. Furlong Eustace L. Furlong (1874-1950) was a paleontologist and fossil preparator noted for his work on ancient mammals and the Mesozoic reptiles of California. Furlong was born to a family with deep roots in the California area and spent his childhood in ...
. They headed 300 miles west to the West Humboldt Mountain Range located in northwestern Nevada. The expedition lasted only a few months but they returned with many of the finest specimens of ichthyosaur found at that time. During many of her expeditions, Alexander kept a scrapbook containing photos of landscapes, participants, and fossil finds. In her scrapbook from the Saurian Expedition, Annie included photos of herself and Edna Wemple documenting their work in the field.


Alaska, 1906-07

Alexander met
C. Hart Merriam Clinton Hart Merriam (December 5, 1855 – March 19, 1942) was an American zoologist, mammalogist, ornithologist, entomologist, ecologist, ethnographer, geographer, naturalist and physician. He was commonly known as the 'father of mammalogy', a ...
(cousin of John C. Merriam) in 1904. At the time, Merriam was the chief of the United States Biological Survey and he became interested in Alexander's fossil collection. In one meeting, he recalled stories of
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
which inspired Alexander to explore again. In the spring of 1906, Alexander and her team left for the
Kenai Peninsula The Kenai Peninsula ( Dena'ina: ''Yaghenen'') is a large peninsula jutting from the coast of Southcentral Alaska. The name Kenai (, ) is derived from the word "Kenaitze" or "Kenaitze Indian Tribe", the name of the Native Athabascan Alaskan trib ...
. Participants included Edna Wemple and
Alvin Seale Alvin Seale (July 8, 1871 – July 28, 1958) was a naturalist known for his aquarium design and as an ichthyologist. Early life Alvin Seale was born on July 8, 1871, in Fairmount, Indiana, to a family of Quakers. In 1892, he attended Stanford Uni ...
. The expedition began in southeastern Alaska at
Malaspina Glacier __NOTOC__ The Malaspina Glacier (Lingít: ''Sít' Tlein'') in southeastern Alaska is the largest piedmont glacier in the world. Situated at the head of the Alaska Panhandle, it is about wide and long, with an area of some . Name The Lingít na ...
and ended at
Skilak Lake Skilak Lake ( Dena'ina: ''Q'es Dudilen Bena'') is a large lake on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. The lake is part of the Kenai River system but also contains glacial runoff, being fed by meltwater from Skilak Glacier. The water is exceptionally c ...
. From April to August 1907, Alexander financed and led another trip to
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
; the expedition to southeastern Alaska included Alexander, Joseph S. Dixon, Chase Littlejohn, Frank Stephens and,
Kate Stephens Kate Stephens was an American naturalist and the Curator of Mollusks and Marine Invertebrates at the San Diego Natural History Museum from 1910 to 1936. Biography Kate Brown Stephens was born circa 1853 in London, England. Her father, Thomas B ...
.


Vancouver Island, 1910

In 1910, Alexander embarked on a trip north to
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
with Louise Kellogg to expand upon the research they had done in Alaska. While there, Alexander enlisted the help of a local trapper named Edward Despard who was tasked with finding minks, marten,
raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...
s, otters, and beavers. While Despard hunted on his own, Alexander and Kellogg remained together looking for smaller mammals and birds. Together Alexander and Kellogg found 75
song sparrow The song sparrow (''Melospiza melodia'') is a medium-sized New World sparrow. Among the native sparrows in North America, it is easily one of the most abundant, variable and adaptable species. Description Adult song sparrows have brown upperp ...
s. The women returned to California with 137 specimens including a
cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large Felidae, cat native to the Americas. Its Species distribution, range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mamm ...
, many minks, and a large black bear that Alexander purchased from a farmer.


The University of California Museum of Paleontology

After numerous expeditions in Alaska, Alexander had amassed a large collection of both flora and fauna. Moved by the notion that she needed to preserve the wildlife that she saw as rapidly disappearing from the western United States, Alexander proposed and financed a new museum in California. The goal of the museum was to provide paleontological material to researchers on campus to further their studies as well as preserve the declining environment around them for posterity as well as cultivating an interest in natural history. In 1907, Alexander met
Joseph Grinnell Joseph Grinnell (February 27, 1877 – May 29, 1939) was an American field biologist and zoologist. He made extensive studies of the fauna of California, and is credited with introducing a method of recording precise field observations known as ...
, a young scientist from Stanford who had already begun to make a name for himself in the field of zoology. Upon meeting Alexander he expressed his wish that the West Coast had a museum of natural history. Grinnell proposed a museum at Stanford but Alexander stood her ground and she pushed for a museum at the University of California, Berkeley where her passion for paleontology had flourished. Grinnell proposed the name
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology is a natural history museum at the University of California, Berkeley. The museum was founded by philanthropist Annie Montague Alexander in 1908. Alexander recommended zoologist Joseph Grinnell as museum director, ...
and he was named by Alexander as the permanent choice of
director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...
. Grinnell held this position until he died in 1939. While waiting for the museum to open, Alexander embarked on more trips to Alaska with her new companion Louise Kellogg. In 1909, the museum opened and needed fossils. Merriam, Furlong, Kellogg, and Alexander headed back to Humboldt County,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
in search of fossils. They found wooly rhinoceroses,
camel A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. C ...
s,
mastodon A mastodon ( 'breast' + 'tooth') is any proboscidean belonging to the extinct genus ''Mammut'' (family Mammutidae). Mastodons inhabited North and Central America during the late Miocene or late Pliocene up to their extinction at the end of th ...
s,
mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...
s,
lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
s, and birds. Throughout their lifetimes, Alexander and Kellogg collected nearly 7,000 specimens of birds, mammals, and amphibians for the museum. They also collected over 17,000 plants for the University Herbarium and contributed thousands of fossils for the UCMP. Alexander remained, until the end of her life, the largest donor and benefactress of the museum helping to fund and fill the museum with everything she found. In 1920, when Merriam left the University to become president of the
Carnegie Institution The Carnegie Institution of Washington (the organization's legal name), known also for public purposes as the Carnegie Institution for Science (CIS), is an organization in the United States established to fund and perform scientific research. T ...
, the paleontology department was merged with the
geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...
department, displeasing both Merriam and Alexander. Merriam's departure from the museum angered Alexander but her dedication to the museum remained unwavering. She subsequently helped establish the UCMP and created an endowment for its funding. After Merriam's defection, Alexander continued to give money to the university but grew frustrated with the Regents that Merriam was allowed to exert control over her donations. She also helped finance much of the work of
William Diller Matthew William Diller Matthew FRS (February 19, 1871 – September 24, 1930) was a vertebrate paleontologist who worked primarily on mammal fossils, although he also published a few early papers on mineralogy, petrological geology, one on botany, one on ...
and his protégé
George Gaylord Simpson George Gaylord Simpson (June 16, 1902 – October 6, 1984) was an American paleontologist. Simpson was perhaps the most influential paleontologist of the twentieth century, and a major participant in the modern synthesis, contributing '' Tempo ...
.


Later life

Alexander shared her life with Kellogg for forty-two years. By all accounts, it was a devoted "
Boston marriage A "Boston marriage" was, historically, the cohabitation of two wealthy women, independent of financial support from a man. The term is said to have been in use in New England in the late 19th/early 20th century. Some of these relationships were ...
." Among other activities, the two ran a working farm together; they raised
cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...
but eventually switched to
asparagus Asparagus, or garden asparagus, folk name sparrow grass, scientific name ''Asparagus officinalis'', is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus '' Asparagus''. Its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. It was once classified in ...
which was a seasonal crop so it left them more time throughout the year to travel. During the summer, they could go on fossil trips and then spend their winters in Hawaii. Both Alexander and Kellogg were dedicated to their findings and on a trip to Hawaii in 1920 they found over 100 species of shells for the Paleontology Department. Alexander continued to finance expeditions and perform fieldwork throughout her life, celebrating her 80th birthday while in the
Sierra de la Laguna The Sierra de la Laguna is a mountain range at the southern end of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico, and is the southernmost range of the Peninsular Ranges System. It is located in La Paz Municipality and Los Cabos Municipality of sout ...
mountains. In 1949, before planned her winter trip to Hawaii, Alexander had a stroke and remained in a coma until she died on September 10, 1950 just before her 83rd birthday. Alexander's ashes were returned to Hawaii and were buried at the Makawao Cemetery, Maui near her childhood home. By the time of her death, Alexander had explored and collected in
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
,
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
,
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
,
Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...
,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
,
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
,
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
,
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, and
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
.


Benefaction and investments

Throughout her affiliation with
U.C. Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant univ ...
, Alexander wished to remain anonymous asking for her donations to be marked as given by "a friend of the university" rather than by name. For Alexander, the hard work and the science were far more important to her than the fame of being its benefactress. She is remembered today as helping to 'build Berkeley' as well as being the benefactress of many of their most well-known paleontologists. For more than fifty years, Alexander continued to believe in the work that public education could do. Alexander was an heiress who experienced vastly more freedom than many women of her time and she used her money to expand public education in the hopes that all could appreciate California's wildlife for generations. As a woman with money, Alexander also had an interest in stocks and finances. Alexander once invited a wealthy friend who had encouraged her to invest her fortune in exchange for larger returns to the museum. Alexander gave her friend a tour of the museum and gestured to a group of working students and said "Here are my investments." Alexander maintained control of the museum until she died in 1950. She wanted to fill the museum with scientists who had "their accomplishments ahead of, rather than behind them." She insisted on this because she believed that this museum could become a place of great authority on the west coast that would enable the careers of many paleontologists. By the time of her death, Alexander, with great help from Kellogg, donated 20,564 specimens to the
University of California Museum of Paleontology The University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) is a paleontology museum located on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. The museum is within the Valley Life Sciences Building (VLSB), designed by George W. Kelham and ...
. Not only did Alexander establish, finance, and provide specimens for two museums she also helped to bring natural history and its leading scientists into the spotlight. Alexander hired, funded, and collected specimens for men who are recognized as giants of
vertebrate zoology The State Museum of Zoology (german: Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde) in Dresden is a natural history museum that houses 10,000–50,000 specimens, including skeletons and large insect collections. Many are types. The collection suffered war ...
and
paleontology Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...
such as
Joseph Grinnell Joseph Grinnell (February 27, 1877 – May 29, 1939) was an American field biologist and zoologist. He made extensive studies of the fauna of California, and is credited with introducing a method of recording precise field observations known as ...
, Alden H. Miller, E. Raymond Hall,
John C. Merriam John Campbell Merriam (October 20, 1869 – October 30, 1945) was an American paleontologist, educator, and conservationist. The first vertebrate paleontologist on the West Coast of the United States, he is best known for his taxonomy of ver ...
, and Charles L. Camp. Her benefaction and dedication to natural history provided these men the resources they needed and indirectly provided the world with the research they created. Annie Alexander's philanthropy and contributions to science and the University of California Berkeley were honored by naming one of the Cal Falcons nesting on Sather Tower after her. Through an anonymous donation, Alexander also established in 1920 the Folklore Foundation at
Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...
. The chair created as part of the foundation, was the first chair in folklore at any college or university in the United States. It was held by Martha Beckwith and ended on her retirement in 1938.


Taxa named for Annie M. Alexander

* '' Acrodus alexandre'' * '' Alticamelus alexandre'' a
miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...
camel A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. C ...
* ''
Anniealexandria ''Anniealexandria'' is an extinct genus of amphisbaenian lizard known by the type species ''Anniealexandria gansi'' from the earliest Eocene of Wyoming. ''Anniealexandria'' is the only known member of the family Bipedidae in the fossil record, w ...
* '' Aplodontia alexandrae'' named by Eustace Furlong * '' Bouvardia alexanderae'' * '' Eriogonum ochrocephaum'' var. ''alexandrae'' * '' Hydrotherosaurus alexandre'' a
cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...
plesiosaur named by
Samuel Paul Welles Samuel Paul Welles (November 9, 1907 – August 6, 1997) was an American palaeontologist. Welles was a research associate at the Museum of Palaeontology, University of California, Berkeley. He took part in excavations at the Placerias Quarry in ...
* '' Ilingoceros alexandrae'' * '' Lagopus alexandrae'' named by Grinnell * '' Lupinus alexandrae'' * ''Mojavemys alexandrae'' * '' Sitta carolinensis alexandrae'' named by Grinnell * '' Scaphiopus alexanderi'' * '' Shastasaurus alexandre'' a
Triassic The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago (Year#Abbreviations yr and ya, Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 ...
ichthyosaur named by
John C. Merriam John Campbell Merriam (October 20, 1869 – October 30, 1945) was an American paleontologist, educator, and conservationist. The first vertebrate paleontologist on the West Coast of the United States, he is best known for his taxonomy of ver ...
* '' Swallenia alexandre'' a rare grass species endemic to California (alt. ''Ectosperma alexandrae'' ) * '' Thalattosaurus alexandre'' a marine reptile from the
Late Triassic The Late Triassic is the third and final epoch (geology), epoch of the Triassic geologic time scale, Period in the geologic time scale, spanning the time between annum, Ma and Ma (million years ago). It is preceded by the Middle Triassic Epoch ...
named by John C. Merriam * '' Thomomys alexandrae'' * '' Ursus alexandre'' a subspecies of Alaskan grizzly bear named by John C. Merriam * Lake Alexander in Alaska (named after the Alaska expedition of 1907)


Family tree


References


External links

The University of California, Berkeley is in charge of many of Alexander's scrapbooks and papers. Access to the can be found through the UCMP history page or through the museum archives with permission. To see the photos linked above in greater context and at a higher resolution use the links below. The UCMP also has photos from a trip that a retiree took to Nevada to capture "then and now" photos.
1905 Saurian Expedition Scrapbook

Then versus now: The Saurian Expedition

The participants of the 1905 Saurian Expedition

The Annie M. Alexander Papers
For a closer look at Alexander and Kelloggs relationship, the Bancroft Library at University of California, Berkeley also has a collection of archival work that uncovers the hidden history of people affiliated with the campus. Alexander and Kellogg are featured and remembered as "one of the University's earliest known and most distinguished lesbian couples."
Gay Bears: The Hidden History of the Berkeley Campus "Annie Alexander and Louise Kellogg"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Annie Montague American paleontologists Women paleontologists University of California, Berkeley people Museum founders 1867 births 1950 deaths American philanthropists Women philanthropists Lasell College alumni LGBT scientists from the United States Queer scientists 19th-century LGBT people LGBT people from Hawaii