Charles Emerson Beecher
Encyclopedia
Charles Emerson Beecher (Dunkirk, October 9, 1856 – New Haven
, February 14, 1904) was an American Paleontologist
most famous for the thorough excavation, preparation and study of trilobite ventral anatomy from specimens collected at Beecher's Trilobite Bed. Beecher was rapidly promoted at Yale Peabody Museum, eventually rising to head that institution.
, where he attended private and high schools.
A born naturalist and collector, Beecher began collecting fossils from the Chemung and Waverly Formations about Warren, resulting in an extensive collection of fossil Phyllocarids
and freshwater Unionids
presented to the New York State Museum
in Albany
in 1886 and 1887. 20,000 specimens (40,000 if duplicates are included), largely collected by Beecher himself, were present, including at least 121 species of land and fresh-water Mollusca. 102 localities are represented, seventy of which are in New York State, the others being in various parts of the United States, especially Warren, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Beecher received an undergraduate degree (B.S.) from University of Michigan
in 1878.
(who also counted Fielding Meek
, Charles Walcott and Josiah Whitney
among his assistants) the State Geologist of New York. Working with Hall provided a strong background in systematic paleontology and allowed Beecher to further improve his fossil preparation and photography skills. Beecher is credited in many of Hall's publications for his fossil preparation, photographic and systematic contributions.
In 1888, at the request of then Curator of the Geological Collections Othniel Charles Marsh
, Beecher moved to New Haven, Connecticut
, to oversee the Yale Peabody Museum’s growing collection of invertebrate fossils. In 1891 he was Instructor for Paleontology at Sheffield Scientific School
(SSS) and took the geology course for James Dwight Dana
, who was ill.
Beecher was awarded his doctorate for his study on Brachiospongidae (enigmatic Silurian sponges) in 1891. In 1892 Beecher renewed his working relationship with Charles Schuchert
(who had also worked with Hall) preparing slabs of Crawfordsville
crinoids for the 'Chicago Exposition'
. Remarkable preparations of brachiopods, trilobites, Crawfordsville crinoids and Uintacrinus
specimens for exhibition at Yale Peabody Museum were especially noteworthy and pay tribute to Beecher's exceptional skills as a fossil preparator.
Beecher was first to thoroughly excavate a thin deposit of shale that now bears his name; Beecher's Trilobite Bed. Exceptional preservation (by pyrite
) of soft body parts at Beecher's Trilobite Bed is geologically rare and was later recognized as a highly significant paleontological
site, a Konservat-Lagerstätten. In 1893 Beecher began the publication of his brilliant papers on the structure, development and classification of trilobites, his preparatory skill and patience worked out the structure of antennae, legs and other ventral appendages; previously impossible on any known material.
Beecher's bachelor days at New Haven (where he roomed in "the attic," the top story of the
SSS with Louis Valentine Pirsson, Samuel Lewis Penfield & Horace Lemuel Wells) came to an end on September 12, 1894, when he married Miss Mary Salome Galligan.
Beecher was a leading proponent of Neo-Lamarckism (epitomized by Edward Drinker Cope
and Alpheus Hyatt
) and also argued for orthogenesis
and racial senescence
.
Beecher’s promotion path at Yale was rapid. Promoted to Professor of Historical Geology at SSS in 1897 and, on the death of Marsh in 1899, Beecher succeeded him as Curator of the Geological Collections, Yale Peabody Museum. Beecher's title at SSS was later renamed University Professor of Paleontology.
In June, 1899, Beecher gave his large personal collection to the Peabody Museum. Representing 20 years of work, the 100,000+ specimens were all self collected. Mostly Devonian and Lower Carboniferous material from New York and Pennsylvania, the donated collection contained about 500 type specimens and also contained hundreds of specimens representing developmental stages, rare species, and exquisitely prepared examples showing structural detail. All specimens were meticulously labeled, named and provenanced.
Beecher died suddenly of heart disease on February 14, 1904 leaving many of his studies unfinished. Beecher was survived by his wife, two young daughters, mother and brother. Beecher was succeeded by his close friend and colleague Charles Schuchert
as Curator of the Geological Collections.
he is also regarded for his work on corals and was ultimately regarded as a leading authority on fossil crustacea and brachiopoda and noted for contributions in evolution.
Yale reprinted a collection of some of Beecher's most important papers, Studies in Evolution, as part of their bicentennial in 1901, although a modest Beecher deplored as extravagance the republication of papers already in print. Beecher's bibliography includes some 100+ scientific papers, often brief, describing 7 new orders, 1 new family, 2 new subfamilies, 7 new genera, and 20 new species. An apparently low content of stratigraphic and systematic paleontology publications in his body of work should be offset by his contribution to the work of Hall.
Obituaries published in some of the leading academic journals of the time attest to his professional impact: American Journal of Science
; American Geologist; Science; Museum's Journal [London]; Geology Magazine [London]; and American Naturalist
. A comprehensive re-examination of exceptionally preserved trilobites published in 1920 was dedicated to Beecher; his contribution was still significant nearly 20 years after his death.
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, February 14, 1904) was an American Paleontologist
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
most famous for the thorough excavation, preparation and study of trilobite ventral anatomy from specimens collected at Beecher's Trilobite Bed. Beecher was rapidly promoted at Yale Peabody Museum, eventually rising to head that institution.
Early life
Charles Emerson Beecher, the son of Moses and Emily Emerson Beecher, was born in Dunkirk, New York, October 9, 1856. In early childhood Beecher's family moved to Warren, PennsylvaniaWarren, Pennsylvania
Warren is a city in Warren County, Pennsylvania, United States, located along the Allegheny River. The population was 9,710 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Warren County. It is home to the headquarters of the Allegheny National Forest and the Cornplanter State Forest...
, where he attended private and high schools.
A born naturalist and collector, Beecher began collecting fossils from the Chemung and Waverly Formations about Warren, resulting in an extensive collection of fossil Phyllocarids
Phyllocarida
Phyllocarida is a subclass of crustaceans, comprising the extant order Leptostraca and the extinct orders Hymenostraca and Archaeostraca....
and freshwater Unionids
Unionidae
Unionidae is a family of freshwater mussels, the largest in the order Unionoida, the bivalve mollusks sometimes known as river mussels, naiads, or simply as unionids.The range of distribution for this family is world-wide...
presented to the New York State Museum
New York State Museum
The New York State Museum is a research-backed institution in Albany, New York, United States. It is located on Madison Avenue, attached to the south side of the Empire State Plaza, facing onto the plaza and towards the New York State Capitol...
in Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
in 1886 and 1887. 20,000 specimens (40,000 if duplicates are included), largely collected by Beecher himself, were present, including at least 121 species of land and fresh-water Mollusca. 102 localities are represented, seventy of which are in New York State, the others being in various parts of the United States, especially Warren, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Beecher received an undergraduate degree (B.S.) from University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1878.
Academic Life
Following graduation, Beecher worked for 10 years as personal assistant to the difficult, but highly influential James HallJames Hall (paleontologist)
James Hall was an American geologist and paleontologist. He was a noted authority on stratigraphy and had an influential role in the development of American paleontology.-Early life:...
(who also counted Fielding Meek
Fielding Bradford Meek
Fielding Bradford Meek was an American geologist and paleontologist.The son of a lawyer, he was born in Madison, Indiana. In early life he was in business as a merchant, but his leisure hours were devoted to collecting fossils and studying the rocks of the neighborhood of Madison...
, Charles Walcott and Josiah Whitney
Josiah Whitney
Josiah Dwight Whitney was an American geologist, professor of geology at Harvard University , and chief of the California Geological Survey...
among his assistants) the State Geologist of New York. Working with Hall provided a strong background in systematic paleontology and allowed Beecher to further improve his fossil preparation and photography skills. Beecher is credited in many of Hall's publications for his fossil preparation, photographic and systematic contributions.
In 1888, at the request of then Curator of the Geological Collections Othniel Charles Marsh
Othniel Charles Marsh
Othniel Charles Marsh was an American paleontologist. Marsh was one of the preeminent scientists in the field; the discovery or description of dozens of news species and theories on the origins of birds are among his legacies.Born into a modest family, Marsh was able to afford higher education...
, Beecher moved to New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, to oversee the Yale Peabody Museum’s growing collection of invertebrate fossils. In 1891 he was Instructor for Paleontology at Sheffield Scientific School
Sheffield Scientific School
Sheffield Scientific School was founded in 1847 as a school of Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut for instruction in science and engineering. Originally named the Yale Scientific School, it was renamed in 1861 in honor of Joseph E. Sheffield, the railroad executive. The school was...
(SSS) and took the geology course for James Dwight Dana
James Dwight Dana
James Dwight Dana was an American geologist, mineralogist and zoologist. He made pioneering studies of mountain-building, volcanic activity, and the origin and structure of continents and oceans around the world.-Early life and career:...
, who was ill.
Beecher was awarded his doctorate for his study on Brachiospongidae (enigmatic Silurian sponges) in 1891. In 1892 Beecher renewed his working relationship with Charles Schuchert
Charles Schuchert
Charles Schuchert was an American invertebrate paleontologist who was a leader in the development of paleogeography, the study of the distribution of lands and seas in the geological past.-Biography:...
(who had also worked with Hall) preparing slabs of Crawfordsville
Crawfordsville, Indiana
Crawfordsville is a city in Union Township, Montgomery County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,915. The city is the county seat of Montgomery County...
crinoids for the 'Chicago Exposition'
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
. Remarkable preparations of brachiopods, trilobites, Crawfordsville crinoids and Uintacrinus
Uintacrinus
Uintacrinus is an extinct genus of crinoid from the Cretaceous of Kansas. It was unusual among crinoids because it had no stalk, and probably floated above the seafloor. It lived in the Western Interior Seaway...
specimens for exhibition at Yale Peabody Museum were especially noteworthy and pay tribute to Beecher's exceptional skills as a fossil preparator.
Beecher was first to thoroughly excavate a thin deposit of shale that now bears his name; Beecher's Trilobite Bed. Exceptional preservation (by pyrite
Pyrite
The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is an iron sulfide with the formula FeS2. This mineral's metallic luster and pale-to-normal, brass-yellow hue have earned it the nickname fool's gold because of its resemblance to gold...
) of soft body parts at Beecher's Trilobite Bed is geologically rare and was later recognized as a highly significant paleontological
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
site, a Konservat-Lagerstätten. In 1893 Beecher began the publication of his brilliant papers on the structure, development and classification of trilobites, his preparatory skill and patience worked out the structure of antennae, legs and other ventral appendages; previously impossible on any known material.
Beecher's bachelor days at New Haven (where he roomed in "the attic," the top story of the
SSS with Louis Valentine Pirsson, Samuel Lewis Penfield & Horace Lemuel Wells) came to an end on September 12, 1894, when he married Miss Mary Salome Galligan.
Beecher was a leading proponent of Neo-Lamarckism (epitomized by Edward Drinker Cope
Edward Drinker Cope
Edward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen...
and Alpheus Hyatt
Alpheus Hyatt
Alpheus Hyatt was an American zoologist and palaeontologist.- Biography :Alpheus Hyatt II was born in Washington, D.C. to Alpheus Hyatt and Harriet Randolph Hyatt...
) and also argued for orthogenesis
Orthogenesis
Orthogenesis, orthogenetic evolution, progressive evolution or autogenesis, is the hypothesis that life has an innate tendency to evolve in a unilinear fashion due to some internal or external "driving force". The hypothesis is based on essentialism and cosmic teleology and proposes an intrinsic...
and racial senescence
Senescence
Senescence or biological aging is the change in the biology of an organism as it ages after its maturity. Such changes range from those affecting its cells and their function to those affecting the whole organism...
.
Beecher’s promotion path at Yale was rapid. Promoted to Professor of Historical Geology at SSS in 1897 and, on the death of Marsh in 1899, Beecher succeeded him as Curator of the Geological Collections, Yale Peabody Museum. Beecher's title at SSS was later renamed University Professor of Paleontology.
In June, 1899, Beecher gave his large personal collection to the Peabody Museum. Representing 20 years of work, the 100,000+ specimens were all self collected. Mostly Devonian and Lower Carboniferous material from New York and Pennsylvania, the donated collection contained about 500 type specimens and also contained hundreds of specimens representing developmental stages, rare species, and exquisitely prepared examples showing structural detail. All specimens were meticulously labeled, named and provenanced.
Beecher died suddenly of heart disease on February 14, 1904 leaving many of his studies unfinished. Beecher was survived by his wife, two young daughters, mother and brother. Beecher was succeeded by his close friend and colleague Charles Schuchert
Charles Schuchert
Charles Schuchert was an American invertebrate paleontologist who was a leader in the development of paleogeography, the study of the distribution of lands and seas in the geological past.-Biography:...
as Curator of the Geological Collections.
Impact
Although Beecher is most noted for his seminal work on trilobiteshe is also regarded for his work on corals and was ultimately regarded as a leading authority on fossil crustacea and brachiopoda and noted for contributions in evolution.
Yale reprinted a collection of some of Beecher's most important papers, Studies in Evolution, as part of their bicentennial in 1901, although a modest Beecher deplored as extravagance the republication of papers already in print. Beecher's bibliography includes some 100+ scientific papers, often brief, describing 7 new orders, 1 new family, 2 new subfamilies, 7 new genera, and 20 new species. An apparently low content of stratigraphic and systematic paleontology publications in his body of work should be offset by his contribution to the work of Hall.
Obituaries published in some of the leading academic journals of the time attest to his professional impact: American Journal of Science
American Journal of Science
The American Journal of Science is the United States of America's longest-running scientific journal, having been published continuously since its conception in 1818 by Professor Benjamin Silliman, who edited and financed it himself...
; American Geologist; Science; Museum's Journal [London]; Geology Magazine [London]; and American Naturalist
American Naturalist
The American Naturalist is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal that was established in 1867. It is published by the University of Chicago Press on behalf of the American Society of Naturalists. The journal covers research in ecology, evolutionary biology, population, and integrative biology....
. A comprehensive re-examination of exceptionally preserved trilobites published in 1920 was dedicated to Beecher; his contribution was still significant nearly 20 years after his death.
Career Summary
- B.S., University of Michigan, 1878
- Assistant to James HallJames Hall (paleontologist)James Hall was an American geologist and paleontologist. He was a noted authority on stratigraphy and had an influential role in the development of American paleontology.-Early life:...
, New York State MuseumNew York State MuseumThe New York State Museum is a research-backed institution in Albany, New York, United States. It is located on Madison Avenue, attached to the south side of the Empire State Plaza, facing onto the plaza and towards the New York State Capitol...
, 1878–1888 - Assistant in Paleontology, New York State Museum
- Consulting Paleontologist, New York State Museum
- Assistant, Yale Peabody Museum, 1888–1899
- Ph.D. awarded, Yale University, 1889
- Instructor in Paleontology, Sheffield Scientific SchoolSheffield Scientific SchoolSheffield Scientific School was founded in 1847 as a school of Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut for instruction in science and engineering. Originally named the Yale Scientific School, it was renamed in 1861 in honor of Joseph E. Sheffield, the railroad executive. The school was...
, Yale, 1891–1892 - Assistant Professor of Paleontology, Sheffield Scientific School, Yale, 1892–1897
- Member of the governing board of the Sheffield Scientific School, Yale, 1892
- Professor of Historical Geology, Sheffield Scientific School, Yale, 1897–1902
- Corresponding member of the Boston Society of Natural HistoryBoston Society of Natural HistoryThe Boston Society of Natural History in Boston, Massachusetts, was an organization dedicated to the study and promotion of natural history. It published a scholarly journal and established a museum. In its first few decades, the society occupied several successive locations in Boston's Financial...
, 1898 - Curator of Geological Collections, Yale Peabody Museum, 1899–1904
- Member of the National Academy of Sciences, 1899
- Foreign correspondent of the Geological Society of London, 1899
- Fellow of the Geological Society of America, 1899
- Member of the Board of Trustees, Yale Peabody Museum, 1899
- Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Yale Peabody Museum
- Member of the Executive Committee, Yale Peabody Museum
- President of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1900–1902
- University Professor of Paleontology, Sheffield Scientific School, Yale, 1902–1904
See also
- Beecher's Trilobite Bed the trilobite Konservat-Lagerstätten that bears his name