William Leon Dawson
Encyclopedia
William Leon Dawson was a noted American ornithologist, author and lecturer.
, a small county seat
in southern Iowa
just north of the Missouri
State line. He was the only child of William E. and Ada Eliza Sarah (née Adams) Dawson and would spend his early years living in Iowa, Kansas
, Ohio
and Washington State. Dawson received his Bachelor of Arts
degree at Oberlin College
and his Bachelor of Divinity
degree from Oberlin Theological Seminary. Like his father, Dawson became a Seventh-day Adventist
minister, but by the early 1900s had chosen instead the field of ornithology
as his full time profession.
In California, Dawson, a proponent of using bird motifs in art, maintained a studio at Los Colibris in Mission Canyon
near Santa Barbara
were he displayed his extensive Oology
and photographic collection. In 1915 he founded the Museum of Comparative Oology on his his Mission Canyon property that soon became the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
. Dawson served as the museum's first director until 1925 when Ralph Hoffmann
, a natural history
teacher and amateur ornithologist, was named to replace him. Dawson also founded The Birds of California Publishing Company and was involved with several ornithology and nature conservation clubs. Throughout his career Dawson was active on the national lecture circuit giving talks on the different species of birds, their habitats and the importance of conservation.
on 1 May, 1895. The couple went on to be the parents of two sons, William Oberlin and Giles Edwin. William studied to be an ornithologist while Giles Dawson went on be curator of books and manuscripts of the Folger Shakespeare Library
.
on 30 April, 1928 after a short bout with influenza that had worsened into pneumonia. At the time of his death he was working on an updated edition of his book Birds of Ohio’’.
Early Years
William Dawson was born on 20 February, 1873 at LeonLeon, Iowa
Leon is a city in Decatur County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,983 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Decatur County.The city is located near the Little River Lake Recreation Area...
, a small county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
in southern Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
just north of the Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
State line. He was the only child of William E. and Ada Eliza Sarah (née Adams) Dawson and would spend his early years living in Iowa, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and Washington State. Dawson received his 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...
degree at Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
and his Bachelor of Divinity
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
degree from Oberlin Theological Seminary. Like his father, Dawson became a Seventh-day Adventist
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
minister, but by the early 1900s had chosen instead the field of 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...
as his full time profession.
Career
Dawson was a lifelong photographer of birds and had over his career authored numerous articles and books on the subject. His major works were Birds of Ohio: A Complete Scientific and Popular Description of the 320 Species of Birds Found in the State (1903), Birds of Washington: A Complete Scientific and Popular Description of the 372 Species of Birds Found in the State (1909) and Birds of California: A Complete Scientific and Popular Description of the 580 Species of Birds Found in the State (1923).In California, Dawson, a proponent of using bird motifs in art, maintained a studio at Los Colibris in Mission Canyon
Mission Canyon, California
Mission Canyon is a census-designated place and an unincorporated suburb of Santa Barbara, California, in Santa Barbara County, United States. The population was 2,381 at the 2010 census, down from 2,610 at the 2000 census....
near Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
were he displayed his extensive Oology
Oology
Oology is a branch of ornithology studying bird eggs, nests and breeding behavior. Oology can also refer to the hobby of collecting wild birds' eggs, sometimes called birdnesting or egging, which is now illegal in many jurisdictions.-As a science:Oology became increasingly popular in Britain and...
and photographic collection. In 1915 he founded the Museum of Comparative Oology on his his Mission Canyon property that soon became the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is the oldest museum in Santa Barbara, California, founded in 1916. The museum is located in Mission Canyon, immediately behind the Santa Barbara Mission. Set in a traditional southern California environment, the museum campus occupies of oak woodland...
. Dawson served as the museum's first director until 1925 when Ralph Hoffmann
Ralph Hoffmann
Ralph Hoffmann was an American natural history teacher and amateur ornithologist and botanist. He was the author of the first true bird field guide.-Early life:...
, a natural history
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...
teacher and amateur ornithologist, was named to replace him. Dawson also founded The Birds of California Publishing Company and was involved with several ornithology and nature conservation clubs. Throughout his career Dawson was active on the national lecture circuit giving talks on the different species of birds, their habitats and the importance of conservation.
Marriage
William Dawson married New York native Frances Etta Akerman at Shabbona, IllinoisShabbona, Illinois
Shabbona is a village in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 925 at the 2010 census, down from 929 at the 2000 census.The village takes its name from the Potawatomi chief and peacemaker Shabbona. Chief Shabbona traveled through the Fox Valley warning the white people about...
on 1 May, 1895. The couple went on to be the parents of two sons, William Oberlin and Giles Edwin. William studied to be an ornithologist while Giles Dawson went on be curator of books and manuscripts of the Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library
The Folger Shakespeare Library is an independent research library on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., in the United States. It has the world's largest collection of the printed works of William Shakespeare, and is a primary repository for rare materials from the early modern period...
.
Death
William Leon Dawson passed away at White Cross Hospital in Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
on 30 April, 1928 after a short bout with influenza that had worsened into pneumonia. At the time of his death he was working on an updated edition of his book Birds of Ohio’’.