Charles W. Johnson (naturalist)
Encyclopedia
Charles Willison Johnson (26 October 1863 Morris Plains, New Jersey
- 19 July 1932 in Brookline, Massachusetts
) was an American naturalist who specialized in Entomology
(especially Diptera
) and Malacology
, making significant contributions in both fields.
He was a mentor and inspiration to many students and young scientists such as William J. Clench
(who founded a publication named Johnsonia
in his honor).
Curator, Wagner Free Institute of Science
, 1888–1903
Principal Curator, Boston Society of Natural History
, 1903–1932
Assisted Henry Augustus Pilsbry
with The Nautilus, an important American malacological publication (Although both were credited on the title page as "Editors and Publishers", Johnson was the business manager and Pilsbry was the editor, with Johnson acting as editor in Pilsbry's absence)
Morris Plains, New Jersey
Morris Plains, billing itself "the Community of Caring," is a Borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 5,236....
- 19 July 1932 in Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
) was an American naturalist who specialized in Entomology
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
(especially Diptera
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
) and Malacology
Malacology
Malacology is the branch of invertebrate zoology which deals with the study of the Mollusca , the second-largest phylum of animals in terms of described species after the arthropods. Mollusks include snails and slugs, clams, octopus and squid, and numerous other kinds, many of which have shells...
, making significant contributions in both fields.
He was a mentor and inspiration to many students and young scientists such as William J. Clench
William J. Clench
William James Clench was an American malacologist, professor at Harvard University and curator of the mollusk collection in the malacology department of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard.Clench was born in Brooklyn, but was largely raised in Massachusetts. In 1913 he entered the...
(who founded a publication named Johnsonia
Johnsonia
Johnsonia was a publication of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University from 1941-1975. It was founded by William J. Clench who named it after Charles W. Johnson who had been one of the men who convinced Clench to pursue the study of molluscs...
in his honor).
Curator, Wagner Free Institute of Science
Wagner Free Institute of Science
The Wagner Free Institute of Science is a natural history museum located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1855 by William Wagner, a notable merchant, philanthropist, and gentleman scientist of the time, who sought to offer free educational courses to all who would seek to learn...
, 1888–1903
Principal Curator, Boston Society of Natural History
Boston Society of Natural History
The 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...
, 1903–1932
Assisted Henry Augustus Pilsbry
Henry Augustus Pilsbry
Henry Augustus Pilsbry was an American biologist, malacologist and carcinologist, among other areas of study. He was a dominant presence in many fields of invertebrate taxonomy for the better part of a century...
with The Nautilus, an important American malacological publication (Although both were credited on the title page as "Editors and Publishers", Johnson was the business manager and Pilsbry was the editor, with Johnson acting as editor in Pilsbry's absence)
Sources
- The Nautilus, 1963 Johnson's entry in the Author Index.
- Psyche 39 (1932) The Entomological Publications of C. W. Johnson
- The Nautilus, 1933 Obituary
- The Boston Society of Natural History 1830-1930 Centennial history of the Society (Johnson's portrait is on p. 91)