Sidney Dillon Ripley
Encyclopedia
Sidney Dillon Ripley was an American
ornithologist
and wildlife conservation
ist. He served as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
from 1964-1984.
. In 1936 he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
(B.A.) from Yale University
. His great-grandfather, Sidney Dillon
, was President of the Union Pacific Railroad
.
A visit to India
at age 13, along with his sister, included a walking tour into Ladakh
and western Tibet
. This led to his lifelong interest in the ornithology
of India. He decided that birds were more interesting than law
, and he began studying zoology
at Columbia University
. He later obtained a Ph.D.
in zoology from Harvard in 1943.
During World War II
, he joined service in the Office of Strategic Services
, the predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency
, and was in charge of American intelligence services in Southeast Asia
. He trained many Indonesian spies, all of whom were killed during the Second World War. An article in the August 26, 1950 New Yorker
said that Ripley reversed the usual pattern, where spies posed as ornithologists in order to gain access to sensitive areas, and instead used his position as an intelligence officer to go birding in restricted areas. The government of Thailand
gave him a national award for his support of the Thai underground
during the war. While serving in the OSS he met his future wife Mary Livingston and her roommate Julia Child
.
Ripley entered Nepal
in 1947. He pretended to be a close confidante of Jawaharlal Nehru
and the Nepal government which was eager to maintain diplomatic ties with its newly independent neighbour had allowed him to collect bird specimens. Nehru came to hear of the New Yorker article and the work of Salim Ali
was impeded as Ripley, the coauthor of his planned book, had become "public enemy number one" of India. Salim Ali came to hear of Nehru's displeasure through Horace Alexander
and the matter was forgotten. The OSS past however ensured that scientists working in India were suspected to be CIA agents. David Challinor, a former Smithsonian administrator, noted that there were many CIA agents in India, with some posing as scientists. He noted that the Smithsonian sent a scholar to India for anthropological research who unknown to them was interviewing Tibetan refugees from Chinese controlled Tibet
but went on to say that there was no evidence that Ripley worked for the CIA after he left the OSS in 1945.
He joined the AOU
in 1938, became an Elective Member in 1942, and a fellow in 1951. After the war he taught at Yale
and was a Fulbright fellow in 1950 and a Guggenheim fellow
in 1954. He became a full professor and director of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. Ripley served for many years on the board of the World Wildlife Fund in the U.S., and was the third president of the International Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP, now BirdLife International).
He served as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
from 1964-1984. The S. Dillon Ripley Center
was named in his honor. In 1967, he helped found the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
, and in 1970, he helped found Smithsonian
magazine. In 1985 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
, the highest civilian award. He was awarded honorary degrees from 15 colleges and universities, including Brown
, Yale, Johns Hopkins
, Harvard, and Cambridge in the U.K.
.
, but became too ill to play an active part in its realisation. However, the eventual authors, his assistant, Pamela C. Rasmussen
, and artist John C. Anderton
, named the final two-volume guide as Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide
in his honour.
A garden between the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
and the Arts and Industries Building
was dedicated in 1988 to his wife, Mary Livingston Ripley.
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...
and wildlife conservation
Wildlife conservation
Wildlife conservation is the preservation, protection, or restoration of wildlife and their environment, especially in relation to endangered and vulnerable species. All living non-domesticated animals, even if bred, hatched or born in captivity, are considered wild animals. Wildlife represents all...
ist. He served as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
from 1964-1984.
Biography
Ripley was born in New York City and studied at St. Paul's School in New HampshireSt. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire)
St. Paul's School is a highly selective college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school in Concord, New Hampshire affiliated with the Episcopal Church. The school is one of only six remaining 100% residential boarding schools in the U.S. The New Hampshire campus currently serves 533 students,...
. In 1936 he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
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...
(B.A.) from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. His great-grandfather, Sidney Dillon
Sidney Dillon
Sidney Dillon , an America railroad executive and one the nations premier railroad builders.-Biography:Dillon was born in Northampton, Fulton County, New York...
, was President of the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
.
A visit to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
at age 13, along with his sister, included a walking tour into Ladakh
Ladakh
Ladakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent...
and western Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. This led to his lifelong interest in the ornithology
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...
of India. He decided that birds were more interesting than law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, and he began studying zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. He later obtained a 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...
in zoology from Harvard in 1943.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he joined service in the Office of Strategic Services
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
, the predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, and was in charge of American intelligence services in Southeast Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. He trained many Indonesian spies, all of whom were killed during the Second World War. An article in the August 26, 1950 New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
said that Ripley reversed the usual pattern, where spies posed as ornithologists in order to gain access to sensitive areas, and instead used his position as an intelligence officer to go birding in restricted areas. The government of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
gave him a national award for his support of the Thai underground
Free Thai Movement
The Free Thai Movement was a Thai underground resistance movement against Imperial Japan during World War II. Seri Thai were an important source of military intelligence for the Allies in the region, and were notable for being the only World War II resistance movement to use fighter aircraft of its...
during the war. While serving in the OSS he met his future wife Mary Livingston and her roommate Julia Child
Julia Child
Julia Child was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for introducing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which...
.
Ripley entered Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
in 1947. He pretended to be a close confidante of Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
and the Nepal government which was eager to maintain diplomatic ties with its newly independent neighbour had allowed him to collect bird specimens. Nehru came to hear of the New Yorker article and the work of Salim Ali
Salim Ali (ornithologist)
Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali was an Indian ornithologist and naturalist. Known as the "birdman of India", Salim Ali was among the first Indians to conduct systematic bird surveys across India and his bird books helped develop ornithology...
was impeded as Ripley, the coauthor of his planned book, had become "public enemy number one" of India. Salim Ali came to hear of Nehru's displeasure through Horace Alexander
Horace Alexander
Horace Gundry Alexander was an English Quaker teacher and writer, pacifist and ornithologist. He was the youngest of four sons of Joseph Gundry Alexander...
and the matter was forgotten. The OSS past however ensured that scientists working in India were suspected to be CIA agents. David Challinor, a former Smithsonian administrator, noted that there were many CIA agents in India, with some posing as scientists. He noted that the Smithsonian sent a scholar to India for anthropological research who unknown to them was interviewing Tibetan refugees from Chinese controlled Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
but went on to say that there was no evidence that Ripley worked for the CIA after he left the OSS in 1945.
He joined the AOU
American Ornithologists' Union
The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders...
in 1938, became an Elective Member in 1942, and a fellow in 1951. After the war he taught at Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
and was a Fulbright fellow in 1950 and a Guggenheim fellow
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
in 1954. He became a full professor and director of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. Ripley served for many years on the board of the World Wildlife Fund in the U.S., and was the third president of the International Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP, now BirdLife International).
He served as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
from 1964-1984. The S. Dillon Ripley Center
S. Dillon Ripley Center
The S. Dillon Ripley Center, better known simply as the Ripley Center, is one of the buildings of the Smithsonian Institution series of museums located in the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The above-ground portion is only a small pagoda, and it descends into a larger underground portion...
was named in his honor. In 1967, he helped found the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, launched in 1967, is an international exhibition of living cultural heritage presented annually in the summer in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is held for two weeks around the Fourth of July holiday...
, and in 1970, he helped found Smithsonian
Smithsonian (magazine)
Smithsonian is the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The first issue was published in 1970.-History:...
magazine. In 1985 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States and is—along with thecomparable Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress—the highest civilian award in the United States...
, the highest civilian award. He was awarded honorary degrees from 15 colleges and universities, including Brown
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, Yale, Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, Harvard, and Cambridge in the U.K.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Legacy
He had intended to produce a definitive guide to the birds of South AsiaSouth Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, but became too ill to play an active part in its realisation. However, the eventual authors, his assistant, Pamela C. Rasmussen
Pamela C. Rasmussen
Professor Pamela Cecile Rasmussen is a prominent American ornithologist and expert on Asian birds. She was formerly a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., and is based at the Michigan State University...
, and artist John C. Anderton
John C. Anderton
John C. Anderton is an American ornithologist and bird illustrator.His work includes painting 69 of the 180 plates in Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide, written with professor Pamela C. Rasmussen.The book's covers are also illustrated by Anderton...
, named the final two-volume guide as Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide
Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide
Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide by Pamela C. Rasmussen and John C. Anderton is a two-volume ornithological handbook, covering the birds of South Asia, published in 2005 by the Smithsonian Institution and Lynx Edicions...
in his honour.
A garden between the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is an art museum beside the National Mall, in Washington, D.C., the United States. The museum was initially endowed during the 1960s with the permanent art collection of Joseph H. Hirshhorn. It was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft and is part of the...
and the Arts and Industries Building
Arts and Industries Building
The Arts and Industries Building is the second oldest of the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Initially named the National Museum, it was built to provide the Smithsonian with its first proper facility for public display of its growing collections.The building, designed...
was dedicated in 1988 to his wife, Mary Livingston Ripley.
Selected writings
- The Land and Wildlife of Tropical Asia (1964; Series: LIFE Nature LibraryLife Nature LibraryThe Life Nature Library was a popular series of hardbound books published by Time-Life between 1961 and 1965. Each of the 25 volumes explored a major topic of the natural world. They were intended for, and written at a level appropriate to, an educated lay readership.Each volume was written by a...
) - Rails of the World - A Monograph of the Family Rallidae (1977)
- Birds of Bhutan, with Salim AliSalim Ali (ornithologist)Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali was an Indian ornithologist and naturalist. Known as the "birdman of India", Salim Ali was among the first Indians to conduct systematic bird surveys across India and his bird books helped develop ornithology...
and Biswamoy BiswasBiswamoy BiswasBiswamoy Biswas was an Indian ornithologist who was born in Calcutta, the son of a professor of Geology. In 1947, he was awarded a three year fellowship by Sunderlal Hora, then director of the Zoological Survey of India... - Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan, with Salim Ali (10 volumes)