George Ord
Encyclopedia
George Ord was an American
ornithologist
.
Ord was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. His father (also named George) was a rope maker and Ord joined him in the business, continuing after his father's death in 1806. In 1829 he retired from the business so that he could devote more time to science.
In 1815 Ord became a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences
of Philadelphia, and two years later became a member of the American Philosophical Society
. He went on to hold important positions in both. Ord received several of the specimens brought back by Lewis and Clark for description, including the Grizzly Bear
and the Pronghorn
.
Ord was friend and avid supporter of Alexander Wilson
, accompanying him on several of his journeys. After Wilson's death he finished the eighth and ninth volumes of Wilson's American Ornithology. He issued a life of Wilson in 1828 and published biographies of his fellow naturalists Thomas Say
(1834) and Charles Alexandre Lesueur
(1849). He also assisted in the enlargement of Samuel Johnson
's dictionary and the first edition of Noah Webster
's dictionary. He was hostile to John James Audubon
, whose drawings he disliked and who he felt was usurping the position of Wilson. He is buried in Philadelphia next to Wilson in Gloria Dei Church cemetery
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ornithologist
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
.
Ord was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. His father (also named George) was a rope maker and Ord joined him in the business, continuing after his father's death in 1806. In 1829 he retired from the business so that he could devote more time to science.
In 1815 Ord became a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences
Academy of Natural Sciences
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, formerly Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, is the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the New World...
of Philadelphia, and two years later became a member of 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,...
. He went on to hold important positions in both. Ord received several of the specimens brought back by Lewis and Clark for description, including the Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
and the Pronghorn
Pronghorn
The pronghorn is a species of artiodactyl mammal endemic to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is often known colloquially in North America as the prong buck, pronghorn antelope, or simply antelope, as it closely resembles the true antelopes of the Old World and...
.
Ord was friend and avid supporter of Alexander Wilson
Alexander Wilson
Alexander Wilson was a Scottish-American poet, ornithologist, naturalist, and illustrator.Wilson was born in Paisley, Scotland, the son of an illiterate distiller. In 1779 he was apprenticed as a weaver. His main interest at this time was in writing poetry...
, accompanying him on several of his journeys. After Wilson's death he finished the eighth and ninth volumes of Wilson's American Ornithology. He issued a life of Wilson in 1828 and published biographies of his fellow naturalists Thomas Say
Thomas Say
Thomas Say was an American naturalist, entomologist, malacologist, herpetologist and carcinologist. A taxonomist, he is often considered to be the father of descriptive entomology in the United States. He described more than 1,000 new species of beetles and over 400 species of insects of other...
(1834) and Charles Alexandre Lesueur
Charles Alexandre Lesueur
Charles Alexandre Lesueur was a French naturalist, artist and explorer.Pictured here is the oil portrait by Charles Willson Peale of Charles-Alexandre Lesueur...
(1849). He also assisted in the enlargement of Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
's dictionary and the first edition of Noah Webster
Noah Webster
Noah Webster was an American educator, lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English spelling reformer, political writer, editor, and prolific author...
's dictionary. He was hostile to John James Audubon
John James Audubon
John James Audubon was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats...
, whose drawings he disliked and who he felt was usurping the position of Wilson. He is buried in Philadelphia next to Wilson in Gloria Dei Church cemetery
Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church National Historic Site
Gloria Dei Church, founded in 1677, and built between 1697 and 1700, is a historic church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The congregation was originally Swedish Lutheran, but has been Episcopalian since 1845.-Background:...
.