Joseph Augustine Cushman
Encyclopedia
Joseph Augustine Cushman (January 31, 1881 – April 16, 1949) was an American
geologist
, paleontologist and foraminiferologist
.
He was born in Bridgewater, Massachusetts
, and was educated at Bridgewater State College. He was the captain and catcher for the baseball team along with fullback and manager for the football team. He graduated in 1901 from Bridgewater. Later He was educated at Harvard University
where he received a B.S.
in 1903. He became a curator at the Boston
Natural History Museum, working part time so he could attend graduate school. He was awarded his Ph.D.
from Harvard in 1909. He married and the couple had three children, but by 1912 he was a widower. In 1913 he became the director of the Boston Natural History Museum. The same year he re-married.
Next to his home in Sharon, Massachusetts
he constructed a building that would become the Cushman Laboratory for Foraminiferal Research in 1923. In his laboratory he worked as a consultant for oil companies, as well as teaching classes in micropaleontology
and performing research. He specialized in the study of marine protozoans (Foraminifera
) and became the foremost foraminiferologist of the first half of the twentieth century. (He may have been the first person ever to earn a living studying these organisms.) He was aided in his laboratory by members of his family. During his career he published over 500 papers.
He died from bladder cancer
and is buried in Great Hills Cemetery, which is located in Boston Ma., but his work was continued by his assistant and collaborator, M. Ruth Todd.
Joseph Augustine Cushman is a founding father of Kappa Delta Phi
National Fraternity.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
, paleontologist and foraminiferologist
Foraminifera
The Foraminifera , or forams for short, are a large group of amoeboid protists which are among the commonest plankton species. They have reticulating pseudopods, fine strands of cytoplasm that branch and merge to form a dynamic net...
.
He was born in Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Bridgewater, please see the article Bridgewater , Massachusetts.The Town of Bridgewater is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, 28 miles south of Boston. At the 2000 Census, the population was 25,185...
, and was educated at Bridgewater State College. He was the captain and catcher for the baseball team along with fullback and manager for the football team. He graduated in 1901 from Bridgewater. Later He was educated at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
where he received a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in 1903. He became a curator at the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
Natural History Museum, working part time so he could attend graduate school. He was awarded his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Harvard in 1909. He married and the couple had three children, but by 1912 he was a widower. In 1913 he became the director of the Boston Natural History Museum. The same year he re-married.
Next to his home in Sharon, Massachusetts
Sharon, Massachusetts
Sharon is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,612 at the 2010 census. Sharon is part of Greater Boston, about 17 miles southwest of downtown Boston....
he constructed a building that would become the Cushman Laboratory for Foraminiferal Research in 1923. In his laboratory he worked as a consultant for oil companies, as well as teaching classes in micropaleontology
Micropaleontology
Micropaleontology is the branch of paleontology that studies microfossils.-Microfossils:...
and performing research. He specialized in the study of marine protozoans (Foraminifera
Foraminifera
The Foraminifera , or forams for short, are a large group of amoeboid protists which are among the commonest plankton species. They have reticulating pseudopods, fine strands of cytoplasm that branch and merge to form a dynamic net...
) and became the foremost foraminiferologist of the first half of the twentieth century. (He may have been the first person ever to earn a living studying these organisms.) He was aided in his laboratory by members of his family. During his career he published over 500 papers.
He died from bladder cancer
Bladder cancer
Bladder cancer is any of several types of malignant growths of the urinary bladder. It is a disease in which abnormal cells multiply without control in the bladder. The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ that stores urine; it is located in the pelvis...
and is buried in Great Hills Cemetery, which is located in Boston Ma., but his work was continued by his assistant and collaborator, M. Ruth Todd.
Joseph Augustine Cushman is a founding father of Kappa Delta Phi
Kappa Delta Phi
Kappa Delta Phi is a college general men's fraternity that was founded on April 14, 1900 at the Bridgewater Normal School, now known as Bridgewater State University...
National Fraternity.
Awards and honors
- The Joseph A. Cushman award is given for Outstanding Achievement in Foraminiferal Research.
- The wrinkle ridge Dorsum CushmanDorsum CushmanDorsum Cushman is a wrinkle ridge at in Mare Fecunditatis on the Moon. It is 80 km long and was named after Joseph Augustine Cushman in 1976....
on the MoonMoonThe Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
is named after him.