George Francis Atkinson (January 26, 1854 – November 14, 1918) 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

mycologist Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their taxonomy, genetics, biochemical properties, and use by humans. Fungi can be a source of tinder, food, traditional medicine, as well as entheogens, poison, and ...

.Makers of American Botany,

Harry Baker Humphrey Harry Baker Humphrey (4 August, 1873–1955) was an American botanist.Makers of American Botany, Harry Baker Humphrey, Ronald Press Company, Library of Congress Card Number 61-18435 He was a pathologist with the USDA, specializing on research on br ...

, Ronald Press Company, Library of Congress Card Number 61-18435 He was born on January 26, 1854, in Raisinville,

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, and died on November 14, 1918. He was the son of Joseph and Josephine Atkinson (née Fish). He studied at

Olivet College The University of Olivet, formerly known as Olivet College, is a private Christian college in Olivet, Michigan, United States. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It was founded in 1844 by missionaries from Oberlin Coll ...

from 1878 to 1883 and obtained his bachelor's degree from

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

in 1885. He is best known for his contributions to the fields of

mycology Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungus, fungi, including their Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, genetics, biochemistry, biochemical properties, and ethnomycology, use by humans. Fungi can be a source of tinder, Edible ...

and

botany 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 ...

Career

He was an assistant professor of entomology and zoology from 1885 to 1886, and associate professor in 1886 to 1888 at the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...

. He was a professor of botany and zoology at the

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

from 1888 to 1889 and a botanist at the Experiment Station of the University. From 1889 to 1892 he taught biology at the

Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 26,800 undergraduate students, over 6,100 post-graduate students, and a total enrollment of more than 34,000 students ...

; from 1892 to 1893 he was an assistant professor of cryptogamic botany at

, then associate professor (1893–1896), and from 1896, Chairman of the Botany Department. He was President of the

Botanical Society of America The Botanical Society of America (BSA) represents professional and amateur botanists, researchers, educators and students in over 80 countries of the world. It functions as a United States nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership society. History The soc ...

in 1907, elected to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

in 1913, and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in the Spring of 1918. His herbarium of fungus specimens is at th
Cornell Plant Pathology Herbarium
(CUP). He was the author of the book ''First Studies of Plant Life'' (1901) which was a text book for the

nature study The nature study movement (alternatively, Nature Study or nature-study) was a popular education movement that originated in the United States and spread throughout the English-speaking world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Nature study ...

movement. A UK edition was publish in 1905, which had been revised by

Emily Margaret Wood Emily Margaret Wood (1865 – 1907) was an English botany teacher and painter of scientific illustrations and Arts and Crafts ceramics. Life Wood was born 23 August 1865 in Calcutta, India, to Emily Maria (née Riddell) and Charles Bell Wood. ...

with new plant examples, illustrations and photographs for the UK market. Atkinson died from

influenza Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These sympto ...

and

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

on November 14, 1918.

Eponymous taxa

*''

Atkinsonella ''Atkinsonella'' is a genus of fungi within the Clavicipitaceae The Clavicipitaceae are a family (biology), family of fungi within the order Hypocreales. A 2008 estimate placed 43 genus, genera in the family, but a study in 2020 has increased ...

'' Diehl *'' Amanita atkinsoniana'' Coker *'' Armillaria atkinsoniana'' (Coker) Locq. *'' Boletus atkinsonianus'' *''

Calonectria atkinsonii ''Calonectria'' (anamorph '' Cylindrocladium'') is a genus of ascomycete fungi. ''Calonectria'' species are plant pathogens. Species *'' Calonectria acicola'' *'' Calonectria adianti'' *'' Calonectria agnina'' *'' Calonectria ambigua'' *'' Calo ...

'' *'' Cercospora atkinsonii'' *'' Ceriomyces atkinsonianus'' *'' Conocybe atkinsonii'' *'' Corticium atkinsonii'' *''

Cortinarius atkinsonianus ''Cortinarius'' is a globally distributed genus of fungus in the family Cortinariaceae. Its members are commonly known by the names cortinar and webcap. It is suspected to be the largest genus of agarics, containing over 2,000 widespread specie ...

'' *'' Galerina atkinsoniana'' *'' Ganoderma atkinsonii'' *'' Kirschsteiniothelia atkinsonii'' *'' Kneiffia atkinsonii'' *'' Lachnocladium atkinsonii'' *'' Mycena atkinsoniana'' *'' Mycena atkinsonii'' *'' Peniophora atkinsonii'' *'' Phlebia atkinsoniana'' *'' Puccinia atkinsoniana'' *''

Pulveroboletus atkinsonianus ''Pulveroboletus'' is a genus of fungi in the family Boletaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution and contains 41 species. Taxonomy The genus was first described by American mycologist William Alphonso Murrill in 1909. He defined specie ...

'' *'' Ramaria atkinsonii'' *'' Scoleconectria atkinsonii''

References

External links

National Academy of Sciences Biographical Memoir
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Atkinson, George Francis American mycologists American phytopathologists 1854 births 1918 deaths Deaths from the Spanish flu pandemic in Washington (state) Cornell University alumni Cornell University faculty People from Monroe County, Michigan 19th-century American botanists 20th-century American botanists Members of the American Philosophical Society

Career

Eponymous taxa

See also

References

External links