Stanley Paul Young (October 31, 1889May 15, 1969) was an American
biologist
A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...
who spent forty-two years working for the U.S. government in several departments which dealt with wildlife management and research. Also known as an author and ecologist, his primary interests were the predatory mammals of the American West: the
wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...
,
coyote, puma or
cougar, and
bobcat.
Early life and education
Young was born in
Astoria, Oregon, to Benjamin and Christine () Young. He attended the
University of Oregon
The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...
, graduating with a
BA in
mining engineering
Mining in the engineering discipline is the extraction of minerals from underneath, open pit, above or on the ground. Mining engineering is associated with many other disciplines, such as mineral processing, exploration, excavation, geology, and ...
in 1911. After working for three years as a mining engineer, he decided to change careers and enrolled at the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
, earning a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in biology. In an interview in 1961, Young said, "As a boy I earned pin money trapping coon and mink near the mouth of the Columbia. I had a deep interest in animal life. It was this interest that made me decide to become a biologist."
Career
In 1917, Young was hired as a ranger by the
U. S. Forest Service in Arizona; a few months later he was working as a hunter of predatory mammals for the
Bureau of Biological Survey.
Young continued to work in predatory animal control in the West until 1927, when he moved to Washington, D.C., to become the assistant head of the Division of Predatory Animal and Rodent Control. Young held a number of positions in the Biological Survey. When the Survey was transferred to the Department of Interior in 1939, Young was made senior biologist in the Branch of Wildlife Research, and devoted his career to research.
In 1957, Young was named Director of the Bird and Mammal Laboratories, where he remained until his retirement in 1959. The Department of the Interior awarded him its Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor the agency can bestow.
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
External links
*
Stanley P. Young Papersat the
Harry Ransom Center
The Harry Ransom Center (until 1983 the Humanities Research Center) is an archive, library and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the Americas and Europe for the pur ...
, University of Texas at Austin.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Stanley Paul
1889 births
1969 deaths
University of Michigan alumni
University of Oregon alumni
People from Astoria, Oregon