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Edward Lee Greene (August 20, 1843–November 10, 1915) was an American
botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...
known for his numerous publications including the two-part ''Landmarks of Botanical History'' and the describing of over 4,400 species of plants in the American West.


Early life

Edward Lee Greene was born on August 20, 1843 in
Hopkinton, Rhode Island Hopkinton is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island. The population was 8,398 at the 2020 census. History Hopkinton is named after Stephen Hopkins, a signer of the Declaration of Independence who was governor of the Colony of Rhode Island a ...
. In 1859 Greene moved to Wisconsin and began studying at
Albion Academy The Albion Academy and Normal School was an academy founded in 1854 by Seventh Day Baptists in the hamlet of Albion in Dane County, Wisconsin. It was later operated by the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. The school closed in 19 ...
, a very reputable institution with a religious emphasis. There Greene met
Thure Kumlien Thure Ludwig Theodor Kumlien (November 9, 1819 – August 5, 1888) was a Swedish-American ornithologist, naturalist, and taxidermist. A contemporary of Thoreau, Audubon, and Agassiz, he contributed much to the knowledge of the natural history of ...
, a Swedish Naturalist with an interest in
botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
. Greene accompanied Kumlein on field trips, further developing Greene's interest in botany. In August 1862, Greene joined his father and brothers in joining the 13th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment of the Union Army. Though he never rose above the rank of private in his three years of service, Greene was able to advance his botanical studies, collecting specimens as he marched through Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama. Following his release from the Army, Greene returned to Albion Academy, earning his Bachelor of Philosophy in 1866. While in the service, Greene thought of moving west of the Mississippi, a desire he realized in 1870. With the aid of botanists
Asa Gray Asa Gray (November 18, 1810 – January 30, 1888) is considered the most important American botanist of the 19th century. His ''Darwiniana'' was considered an important explanation of how religion and science were not necessarily mutually excl ...
of Cambridge, Massachusetts and
George Engelmann George Engelmann, also known as Georg Engelmann, (2 February 1809 – 4 February 1884) was a German-American botanist. He was instrumental in describing the flora of the west of North America, then very poorly known to Europeans; he was particul ...
of St. Louis, Missouri, Greene made preparations to study botany in the West. While in Colorado in 1871, Greene renewed his spirituality and became both a botany teacher and a candidate for Episcopal priesthood, becoming ordained in 1873. In February 1874 Greene assumed pastorship of a church in Vallejo, California, the beginning of many short stays with churches throughout the Southwest. During these travels, Greene continued collecting plants, making forays into Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. In 1876–1877, while Greene was an
episcopal priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
in
Yreka, California Yreka ( ) is the county seat of Siskiyou County, California, United States, near the Shasta River; the city has an area of about , most of it land. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 7,807, reflecting a meager increase fr ...
, he discovered the first specimens of ''
Phlox hirsuta ''Phlox hirsuta'', the Yreka phlox or hairy phlox,Ca ...
'', a small flowering plant found only in that area. He eventually accepted a position as rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Berkeley, California. Between his arrival in 1881 and 1883, Greene began to drift away from the Episcopal Church toward Roman Catholicism, costing him his congregation and his standing within the ministry. Locked out of St. Mark's, Greene gave in to pressure and resigned in 1883, converting to Catholicism only a year later.


Academic career

Beginning in 1882, Greene began lecturing at the University of California. Following his resignation, he became curator of the herbarium at the
California Academy of Sciences The California Academy of Sciences is a research institute and natural history museum in San Francisco, California, that is among the largest museums of natural history in the world, housing over 46 million specimens. The Academy began in 1853 ...
. In 1885, was hired as the first professor of botany 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 un ...
(1885–1895). While he was chair of the newly founded botany department, Greene was one of only three American representatives to the International Committee on Botanical Nomenclature and president of the Madison Botanical Congress. His controversial advocacy of nomenclature reform brought him into conflict with the president of the University, leading him to accept a position at the
Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...
in Washington, D.C. from 1895 to 1904. Greene then became an associate in botany at the
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Found ...
(1904–1915), transferring some 4,000 volumes and his valuable herbarium to the institution for a period of ten years. Greene began to focus on the history of his field, publishing his seminal work ''Landmarks of Botanical History, Part 1'' in 1909. The second volume was submitted to the Smithsonian as a work in progress but was never completed, the rough draft being published posthumously in 1936. While at the Smithsonian, Greene renewed contact with Fr.
Julius Nieuwland Julius Aloysius Arthur Nieuwland, CSC, (14 February 1878 – 11 June 1936) was a Belgian-born Holy Cross priest and professor of chemistry and botany at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. He is known for his contributions to acetylene r ...
, a professor of botany at the
University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main c ...
and a student from Greene's years at the Catholic University of America. Following the expiration of his agreement with the Smithsonian in 1915, Greene moved to South Bend, Indiana along with his library and herbarium specimens. Greene returned to Washington, D.C. in October that same year to continue work on the ''Landmarks of Botanical History, Part 2'', which would eventually be published posthumously in 1983. Edward Lee Greene fell ill while in Washington, D.C., and died in
Providence Hospital Providence Hospital may refer to: * Providence Hospital (Columbia, South Carolina) * Providence Hospital (Mobile) in Mobile, Alabama * Providence Hospital (Southfield), Michigan * Providence Hospital (Washington, D.C.) in Washington, D.C. *Providenc ...
on November 10, 1915.


Legacy

By the end of his career Greene had named over 4,400 new species of plants, published 565 original papers, and amassed a library of over 4,000 volumes, some of which have no duplicates in North America. Greene's library and collections remain at the
University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main c ...
in the Greene-Nieuwland Herbarium.


Notes


References

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Further reading

* ; originally published as * {{DEFAULTSORT:Greene, Edward Lee American taxonomists Botanists active in California 1843 births 1915 deaths Scientists from California University of California, Berkeley faculty Catholic University of America faculty People from Hopkinton, Rhode Island People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War American Episcopal priests Converts to Roman Catholicism from Anglicanism University of Notre Dame people Writers from Rhode Island 19th-century American botanists 20th-century American botanists 19th-century American Episcopalians