Francis Harper (biologist)
Encyclopedia
Francis Harper was an American naturalist
. His research included studies of the Okefenokee Swamp
and fieldwork in the north eastern United States
and in northern Canada
, and he also studied the 18th century American naturalists John
and William Bartram
. Harper authored new combinations for two species originally described by William Bartram, Garberia heterophylla and Roystonea elata.
Harper received an A.B.
in 1914 and a Ph.D.
in 1925 from Cornell University
. He taught briefly at Swarthmore College
, but beyond that he worked for museums, government agencies and research agencies. In 1914 Harper made his first trip to northern Canada on an expedition to Lake Athabasca
working as a zoologist for the Geological Survey of Canada.
Between 1917 and 1919 Harper served as a rodent control officer in France with the United States Army
's 79th Division. He returned to Athabasca in 1920, Nueltin Lake
in southern Keewatin
in 1947 and the Ungava Peninsula
in 1953, his last trip north. Harper published notable works on the caribou of Keewatin, the birds of the Ungava Peninsula, and the Montagnais of the Ungava.
From 1917 through the 1950s Harper spent significant time researching the work of the early North American naturalists John Bartram
and his son William Bartram
. Harper traced the Bartrams' travels in the American South and helped revive both scientific and popular interest in the Bartrams' work. Harper's research into the Bartrams was funded by grants from the John Bartram Association in Philadelphia, the American Philosophical Society
, and the Guggenheim Foundation
among others. Harper published extensively on both of the Bartrams including annotated editions of John Bartram's "Diary of a Journey through the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida 1765-1766; William Bartram's "Report to Dr. John Fothergill 1773-1774" and an annotated naturalist's edition of William Bartram Travels... first published in Philadelphia in 1791.
Harper published on the mammals and folklore of the Okefenokee Swamp, including recordings of the local music. He also published on the "extinct and vanishing" mammals of the old world.
His papers are held in the Kenneth Spencer Memorial Library at the University of Kansas
.
The complete list is available from the University of Kansas archives.
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
. His research included studies of the Okefenokee Swamp
Okefenokee Swamp
The Okefenokee Swamp is a shallow, 438,000 acre , peat-filled wetland straddling the Georgia–Florida border in the United States. A majority of the swamp is in Georgia and protected by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the Okefenokee Wilderness. The Okefenokee Swamp is considered to be...
and fieldwork in the north eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and in northern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and he also studied the 18th century American naturalists John
John Bartram
*Hoffmann, Nancy E. and John C. Van Horne, eds., America’s Curious Botanist: A Tercentennial Reappraisal of John Bartram 1699-1777. Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 243. ....
and William Bartram
William Bartram
William Bartram was an American naturalist. The son of Ann and John Bartram, William Bartram and his twin sister Elizabeth were born in Kingsessing, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. As a boy, he accompanied his father on many of his travels, to the Catskill Mountains, the New Jersey Pine Barrens,...
. Harper authored new combinations for two species originally described by William Bartram, Garberia heterophylla and Roystonea elata.
Harper received an A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1914 and a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in 1925 from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. He taught briefly at Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
, but beyond that he worked for museums, government agencies and research agencies. In 1914 Harper made his first trip to northern Canada on an expedition to Lake Athabasca
Lake Athabasca
Lake Athabasca is located in the northwest corner of Saskatchewan and the northeast corner of Alberta between 58° and 60° N.-History:The name in the Dene language originally referred only to the large delta formed by the confluence the Athabasca River at the southwest corner of the lake...
working as a zoologist for the Geological Survey of Canada.
Between 1917 and 1919 Harper served as a rodent control officer in France with the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
's 79th Division. He returned to Athabasca in 1920, Nueltin Lake
Nueltin Lake
Nueltin Lake straddles the Manitoba-Nunavut border in Canada. The lake, which has an area of , is predominantly in Nunavut's Kivalliq Region, and on the Manitoba side there is the Nueltin Lake Airport which serves the fishing lodge...
in southern Keewatin
Keewatin Region, Northwest Territories
The Keewatin Region was a region of the Northwest Territories, in use as an administrative and statistical division until the creation of Nunavut in 1999...
in 1947 and the Ungava Peninsula
Ungava Peninsula
The Ungava Peninsula of Nunavik, Quebec, Canada, is bounded by Hudson Bay to the west, Hudson Strait to the north, and Ungava Bay to the east. The Ungava Peninsula is part of the Labrador Peninsula and covers about 252,000 km²...
in 1953, his last trip north. Harper published notable works on the caribou of Keewatin, the birds of the Ungava Peninsula, and the Montagnais of the Ungava.
From 1917 through the 1950s Harper spent significant time researching the work of the early North American naturalists John Bartram
John Bartram
*Hoffmann, Nancy E. and John C. Van Horne, eds., America’s Curious Botanist: A Tercentennial Reappraisal of John Bartram 1699-1777. Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 243. ....
and his son William Bartram
William Bartram
William Bartram was an American naturalist. The son of Ann and John Bartram, William Bartram and his twin sister Elizabeth were born in Kingsessing, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. As a boy, he accompanied his father on many of his travels, to the Catskill Mountains, the New Jersey Pine Barrens,...
. Harper traced the Bartrams' travels in the American South and helped revive both scientific and popular interest in the Bartrams' work. Harper's research into the Bartrams was funded by grants from the John Bartram Association in Philadelphia, the American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
, and the Guggenheim Foundation
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation was founded in 1925 by Mr. and Mrs. Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died April 26, 1922...
among others. Harper published extensively on both of the Bartrams including annotated editions of John Bartram's "Diary of a Journey through the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida 1765-1766; William Bartram's "Report to Dr. John Fothergill 1773-1774" and an annotated naturalist's edition of William Bartram Travels... first published in Philadelphia in 1791.
Harper published on the mammals and folklore of the Okefenokee Swamp, including recordings of the local music. He also published on the "extinct and vanishing" mammals of the old world.
His papers are held in the Kenneth Spencer Memorial Library at the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
.
Publications
Harper authored about 135 publications including- “Diary of a Journey through the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida, from July 1, 1765 to April 10, 1766.” edited by Francis Harper. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, n.s. vol. 33, part 1 (Dec. 1942), p. 1-122.
- “Travels in Georgia and Florida, 1773-74. A Report to Dr. John Fothergill.” edited by Francis Harper. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, n. s. vol. 33, part 2 (November 1943), p. 121-242.
- The Travels of William Bartram: Naturalist’s Edition, edited by Francis Harper, originally published Yale Univ. Press: 1958; University of Georgia Press: (30 Sep 1998), ISBN 0-8203-2027-7.
The complete list is available from the University of Kansas archives.