Lee Oras Overholts (23 June 1890 – 10 November 1946) was an American

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 ...

known for his expertise on

polypore Polypores, also called bracket or shelf fungi, are a morphological group of basidiomycete-like gilled mushrooms and hydnoid fungi that form large fruiting bodies called conks, which are typically woody, circular, shelf- or bracket-shaped, ...

fungi.

Personal life

Lee Oras Overholts was born in

Camden, Ohio Camden is a village in Preble County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,989 at the 2020 census. History Camden was laid out in 1818 as Dover. In 1824, the name was changed to Newcomb after State Senator George Newcomb as Dover, Ohio h ...

and attended

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public university, public research university in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the second-oldest List of colleges and universities in Ohio, university in Ohi ...

, where he received a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree in 1912. His postgraduate education was 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 ...

where his Ph.D. was awarded in 1915. He was married twice, to Flora May Conarroe (died 7 June 1944) and then Marie Knautz. He had four children, two girls and two boys. Overholts died 10 November 1946 at State College after a very short illness although he had been unwell for the five previous years.

Scientific career

During the course of his graduate school research, he met prominent mycologists such as Bruce Fink, Frank Dunn Kern, and

Edward Angus Burt Edward Angus Burt (April 9, 1859 in Athens, Pennsylvania He received his M.A. in 1894 and PhD. in 1895, both from Harvard University under William G. Farlow and Roland Thaxter. He became a Professor of Natural History at Middlebury College in 189 ...

and developed an interest in the polypores. In 1915 Overholts accepted the offer of a faculty post at

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...

from Kern. He started teaching courses in

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 ...

, and later in mycology and

forest pathology Forest pathology is the research of both biotic and abiotic maladies affecting the health of a forest ecosystem, primarily fungal pathogens and their insect vectors. It is a subfield of forestry and plant pathology. Forest pathology is part ...

. He became a full professor in 1925. Overholts described 35 polypore fungi either alone or with his colleague

Josiah Lincoln Lowe Josiah Lincoln Lowe (13 February 1905 – 30 April 1997) was an American mycologist who specialized in the study of polypores. Lowe was born in Hopewell, New Jersey, where he attended primary school and high school. In 1927, he graduated with a Bac ...

. However, Overholts often neglected to include a

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

description, contrary to the then-prevailing rules of botanical nomenclature, and consequently a large proportion of his species were published invalidly.

Awards and recognition

Overholts was the vice president of the

Mycological Society of America 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, ...

in 1937, and its president in 1938. Several fungal

taxa In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; : taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular name and ...

been named in his honor: *'' Clitocybe overholtsii'' Murrill 1916 *'' Mycena overholtsii'' A.H.Sm. & Solheim 1953 *'' Peniophora overholtsii'' Burt 1926 *'' Phellinus overholtsii'' Ginns 1984 *'' Poria overholtsii'' Pilát 1940

Selected works

* * * * * J. Ben Hill, Lee Overholts and Henry W. Popp (1936) ''Botany, A textbook for Colleges'' 672pp McGraw Hill Book Company *Overholts, L.O. (1953). ''The Polyporaceae of the United States, Alaska and Canada''. University of Michigan Studies 19: 466 pp.

References

External links