Chester Dewey
Encyclopedia
Chester Dewey was an American
botanist, clergyman and educator.
, Mass.
October 25, 1784, and studied for the ministry at Williams College
, graduating in 1806. He officiated at Tryingham, Massachusetts. Even though he gave up preaching as his primary profession after only a few months, he never really retired from the pulpit. For the remainder of his life he accepted frequent invitations to preach, in scores of churches in many places and did nearly as much work of this kind as if preaching were his only occupation. Dewey was professor
of mathematics and natural philosophy at Williams College from 1810 to 1827. From 1850 until 1860 he was professor of chemistry and natural philosophy in the University of Rochester
.
" he was a recognized authority, and his writings on that subject make an elaborate monograph, upon which he labored for more than forty years. His "History of the Herbaceous Plants of Massachusetts" was published by that state. His latest writings were review articles on "The True Place of Man in Zoology" and "An Examination of Some Reasonings Against the Unity of Mankind."
In botany, Dewey is known chiefly as a tireless student of the largest genus of flowering plants, the intricate and highly technical genus Carex. For 43 years (1824–1867) he contributed with almost clock-like regularity to the pages of the American Journal of Science a series of papers entitled "Caricography". Recognized by his contemporaries as one of the few outstanding authorities on a perplexing and not at all showy group, he seems at the same time to have been looked at askance by the more cautious of them. Now, many more of his specific propositions are recognized than during his lifetime. Dewey's important collections contained 97 types of species and varieties proposed by him.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
botanist, clergyman and educator.
Early life
Dewey was born in SheffieldSheffield, Massachusetts
Not to be confused with the city of Sheffield in the UK, or Sheffield, Vermont.Sheffield is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,257 at the 2010 census. Sheffield is home to...
, Mass.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
October 25, 1784, and studied for the ministry at Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, graduating in 1806. He officiated at Tryingham, Massachusetts. Even though he gave up preaching as his primary profession after only a few months, he never really retired from the pulpit. For the remainder of his life he accepted frequent invitations to preach, in scores of churches in many places and did nearly as much work of this kind as if preaching were his only occupation. Dewey was professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of mathematics and natural philosophy at Williams College from 1810 to 1827. From 1850 until 1860 he was professor of chemistry and natural philosophy in the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
.
Personal life
Dr. Dewey married Sarah Dewey of Stockliridge, Mass., in 1810 and had five children. She died in 1823. In 1825 he married Olivia Hart, eldest child of Lemuel Pomeroy, of Pittsfield, Mass.Career
Dewey's entire life was given to scientific pursuits, and he held a high position among American naturalists. He made the study of grasses a specialty, and discovered and described several new species. The degree of M.D. was conferred upon him by Yale in 1825, D.D. by Union in 1838 and LL.D. by Williams in 1850. He was a careful and accurate observer of the weather, and his notes were published in regular monthly reports. His papers on some of the "Families and Natural Orders of Plants", published in the American Journal of Science, attracted the attention of some of the leading European botanists, and led to a correspondence with them. In the class of "caricesCarex
Carex is a genus of plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges. Other members of the Cyperaceae family are also called sedges, however those of genus Carex may be called "true" sedges, and it is the most species-rich genus in the family. The study of Carex is known as...
" he was a recognized authority, and his writings on that subject make an elaborate monograph, upon which he labored for more than forty years. His "History of the Herbaceous Plants of Massachusetts" was published by that state. His latest writings were review articles on "The True Place of Man in Zoology" and "An Examination of Some Reasonings Against the Unity of Mankind."
In botany, Dewey is known chiefly as a tireless student of the largest genus of flowering plants, the intricate and highly technical genus Carex. For 43 years (1824–1867) he contributed with almost clock-like regularity to the pages of the American Journal of Science a series of papers entitled "Caricography". Recognized by his contemporaries as one of the few outstanding authorities on a perplexing and not at all showy group, he seems at the same time to have been looked at askance by the more cautious of them. Now, many more of his specific propositions are recognized than during his lifetime. Dewey's important collections contained 97 types of species and varieties proposed by him.