Anna Isabel Mulford ( – June 16, 1943) was an American

botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

and

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

Education

Mulford was born in

East Orange, New Jersey East Orange is a City (New Jersey), city in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 69,612, an increase of 5,342 (+8.3%) from the 2010 United States ...

, and graduated

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. The college be ...

with an A.B., A.M. in 1886. In St. Louis, Missouri, she enrolled in the Shaw School of Botany at

Washington University Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853 by a group of civic leaders and named for George Washington, the university spans 355 acres across its Danforth ...

and in 1895, she was the first student to earn a Ph.D. (a faculty member had done so three years before). Mulford's doctoral dissertation described her research on

agave ''Agave'' (; ; ) is a genus of monocots native to the arid regions of the Americas. The genus is primarily known for its succulent and xerophytic species that typically form large Rosette (botany), rosettes of strong, fleshy leaves. Many plan ...

plants in the U.S. In the course of her studies, she discovered several new species and, subsequently, some of them were named after her. Over 300 specimen records collected by Mulford have been digitized and incorporated into the Garden’s Tropicos database. In 1892, Mulford embarked on a botanical expedition along the Oregon Trail, venturing into Oregon and Idaho. Throughout her journey, she meticulously gathered over 1,100 plant specimens. In an article for the Botanical Gazette, Mulford vividly described Idaho as a convergence point for diverse floras, encompassing sub-arctic plants from the north, traces of Siberian vegetation, as well as the presence of cacti and other southern flora. The landscape varied from vast desert flora to lush thickets and meadows teeming with vegetation. It was during this expedition that Mulford discovered Mulford’s milkvetch in Boise. In the summer of 1895, Mulford undertook another collecting expedition, this time in Texas and New Mexico, while concurrently working on her doctoral thesis. Her doctoral research focused on advancing the understanding of agaves, resulting in her dissertation titled "A Study of the Agave of the United States," which was published in the Garden’s Annual Report in 1896. Despite her significant contributions to botanical science, little is known about Dr. Mulford's personal and professional life beyond her time in St. Louis. Records indicate that she returned to her hometown of East Orange, New Jersey, by 1930. She lived until 1943, passing away at the age of 95.

Career

Mulford discovered '' Astragalus mulfordiae'', a member of the bean family, which was named in her honor as ''Mulford's milkvetch''. Her teaching career included both McKinley High School (1898) and St. Louis High School.

Written works

The Agaves of the United States
- Mulford's doctoral dissertation, published by the Missouri Botanical Garden in 1896

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mulford, Anna Isabel American women botanists 1840s births 1943 deaths Missouri Botanical Garden people 19th-century American botanists 20th-century American women scientists 20th-century American botanists Vassar College alumni Washington University in St. Louis alumni 19th-century American women scientists