Person Agassiz; Jean Louis Rodolphe (1807 - 1873); naturalist and geologist Agassiz Jean Louis Rodolphe naturalist and geologist 1807 - 1873 American Male Motier-en-Vuly, Switzerland, Europe 28 May 1807 18070528 Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, North and Central America 14 December 1873 18731214 Burial: Bellwort Parth, Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, United States, North and Central America

Geologist Ichthyology Geology Palaeontology Education: Bienne secondary school; Lausanne; University of Zürich; Heidelberg; University of Erlangen (DPhil 1829); University of Munich (MD 1830) Career: Worked on describing a collection of freshwater fish brought back from Johann Baptis von Spix and Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius' expedition to Brazil (1826-1829); Professor of Natural History at University of Neuchâtel (1832); published 'Recherches sur les poisson fossiles' in five volumes (1833-1843); toured the Biritsh Isles for glacial phenomena with William Buckland (FRS 1818); moved to the United States (1846), where he gave a series of lectures for the Lowell Institute; Professor of Zoology and Geology at Harvard University (1847); founded the Museum of Comparative Zoology (1859) and served as its first director until his death; led a Brazil expedition to further study fish (1865) Memberships: American Philosophical Society (1891); Société des Sciences Naturelles de Neuchâtel (founder); Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (Foreign Member 1837); American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Foreign Honorary Member 1846) Parents: Louis Rudolphe Agassiz and Rose Mayer Married: 1) Cecile Braun; 2) Elizabeth Cabot Cary Children: Ida Higginson (née Agassiz); Pauline Shaw (née Agassiz); Alexander Agassiz (ForMemRS 1891) Additional relatives: sons-in-law Henry Lee Higginson; Quincy Adams Shaw Agassiz came under the tutelage of Alexander von Humboldt (FRS 1815), who later became his benefactor. Agassiz had a profound influence on his areas of scientific research, namely natural sciences especially geology, glaciology and ichthyology. Numerous geological areas and locations are named after him, for example the Agassizhorn in Bernese Alps, Switzerland. Several animal species are also named after him, mainly fish. His much improved classification system of fish, which divided them into four categories, has since been superseded. He was a frequent correspondent and collaborator with a variety of contemporary scientists, e.g. the botanist Asa Gray (FRS 1873), who, unlike Agassiz, was a firm supporter of Darwin's theories on humans' common evolutionary ancestry. After his move to the United States, Agassiz became a strong proponent of polygenism, believing that all races were created separately and that there existed a set hierarchy of races, with white people, in particular of Germanic or Anglo-Saxon origin at the top and Black people at the bottom. He advocated for racial segregation and called for legislation to prevent mixed race procreation, something he considered sinful. His ideas of scientific racism were frequently used by defenders of slavery. In 1850, he commissioned what are considered the first known photographs of enslaved persons, daguerrotypes depicting Renty Taylor and his daughter Delia. The photographs were then given to Harvard University, who licensed the photos for use in the late 20th century. The University was sued by Tamara Lanier, a descendant of Renty Taylor's, and her lawsuit was supported by 43 living descendants of Agassiz. Medals and prizes: Copley Medal 1861 Foreign Member 20/12/1838 31 William Hasledine Pepys Peter Mark Roget John Forbes Royle William Whewell Stephen Peter Rigaud Charles Wheatstone William Henry Smyth John Walker Francis Baily John George Children Samuel Hunter Christie John Frederic Daniell Davies Gilbert Charles Konig Spencer Joshua Alwyne Compton, Marquess of Northampton Philip de Malpas Grey Egerton Benjamin Travers Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DAB; DSB Iqbal S S. 2021. 'Louis Agassiz, Under a Microscope', in The Harvard Crimson [https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/3/18/louis-agassiz-scrut/; last accessed 23/11/2022] O'Hagan S. 2022. 'The Swiss mountain with a racist name - and the artist fighting to rechristen it', in The Guardian [https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/nov/21/swiss-mountain-agassiz-agassizhorn-racist-sasha-huber-hitler-enslaved; last accessed 23/11/2022] Menand, L. 2001-2002. 'Morton, Agassiz, and the Origins of Scientific Racism in the United States', in The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, vol. 34, pp. 110-113 Obituaries: Proc Roy Soc 1876-1877 vol 25 pp xxii-xxx References: Corden, J. 2002. 'Web of Science History', in Notes and Records, vol. 56, pp. 383-388 Agassiz L.jpg International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspl.1876.0002 RCN: R70540 RCN: 24463 RCN: 24458 RCN: R70487 RCN: 24456 RCN: 24459 RCN: R70475 RCN: R68813 RCN: 17907 RCN: 17906 RCN: R70488 RCN: 24464 RCN: 24454 RCN: 24460 RCN: 24465 RCN: 24448 RCN: 24457 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/results?mi_search_type=adv&mi_adv_search=yes&adv_person_id=AUTH144 28 May 1807 - 14 Dec 1873 NA4268 21/11/2001 Andyg pmab 08/09/2025 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes http://viaf.org/viaf/14832040 5e582131-21a2-497b-a2ba-6347fc12976c