Viola Shelly Schantz (1895–1977) 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, a multicellular organism, or a community of interacting populations. They usually speciali ...

and

zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...

. She worked for the

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

from 1918 to 1961, as a biological aide, biologist and systematic zoologist. Stationed 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". Founded ...

throughout her career, she was the curator for the North American mammal collection in the

National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. In 2021, with ...

Biography

Schantz was born in 1895 in Salisbury Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania to parents John and Laura Schantz. She died in May 1977 at the age of 82 in the District of Columbia.

Professional accomplishments

Schantz was one of the founding members of the

American Society of Mammalogists The American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) was founded in 1919. Its primary purpose is to encourage the study of mammals, and professions studying them. There are over 4,500 members of this society, and they are primarily professional scientists ...

(ASM), and was present at their inaugural meeting at the United States National Museum (now the

), in Washington, D.C. on April 3–4, 1919. Schantz served as treasurer for the organization for twenty-two consecutive years, from 1930 to 1952, and was the first woman to chair the Local Committee for the annual meeting of the ASM in 1959.

Publications

She co-authored, with James Arthur Poole, a comprehensive catalog of the mammal specimens in the collections of the

United States National Museum 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". Founded ...

, which was published in 1942.

Awards and honours

Schantz received an award for distinguished service, presented to her by the

Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the m ...

, 1962.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shantz, Viola Shelly 20th-century American zoologists Smithsonian Institution people 1895 births 1977 deaths 20th-century American women scientists American mammalogists Scientists from Pennsylvania American women curators American curators