Joseph Conrad Chamberlin
Encyclopedia
Joseph Conrad Chamberlin (December 23, 1898 – July 17, 1962) was an American arachnologist who studied mainly pseudoscorpions. A native of Utah
, he studied primarily at Stanford University
while working most of his career in Oregon
for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Chamberlin has had eleven species named in his honor.
to Ole Chamberlin and Mary Ethel (Conrad) Chamberlin. His parents were descended from early Mormon
pioneer families, and he was their first child. Joseph's father died in 1911, leaving the remaining five person family near poverty. After one year of high school, he left school in 1914 to work in order to support the family. In October 1918, Joseph was drafted into the United States Army
, but fell ill with the Spanish flu
pandemic and never served in World War I
.
After recovering, Chamberlin began college at the University of Utah
when Congress allocated funding for veterans. Originally a one year program, Congress expanded it to cover four years of school and Chamberlin transferred to Stanford University
upon the recommendation of his uncle, Ralph Vary Chamberlin
. He was accepted as a special case, and studied entomology
in the Zoology Department. His tutor at Stanford University
was Gordon Floyd Ferris
, an internationally reputed entomologist at the time. Chamberlin graduated in 1923 with a BA degree, and in 1924 with a masters degree.
before earning a PhD from Stanford in 1929. That year, he began working for the United States Department of Agriculture
. His first assignment with the Department was in Idaho
, where he worked until transferring to Modesto, California
in 1935. In 1936, he moved to Oregon
, where he worked at a field station in Corvallis
. In 1939, Chamberlin transferred to the Forest Grove, Oregon
station where he remained until 1961. He died in Hillsboro, Oregon
.
Two genus-group names and eleven species have been named after him. He would describe several species while working with his uncle. Joseph married Clara Hya Gladstone in 1923 and they had 5 children. They divorced and he remarried Charlotte May in 1944, 6 years after his divorce.
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, he studied primarily at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
while working most of his career in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Chamberlin has had eleven species named in his honor.
Early life
Chamberlin was born in Salt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
to Ole Chamberlin and Mary Ethel (Conrad) Chamberlin. His parents were descended from early Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
pioneer families, and he was their first child. Joseph's father died in 1911, leaving the remaining five person family near poverty. After one year of high school, he left school in 1914 to work in order to support the family. In October 1918, Joseph was drafted into the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, but fell ill with the Spanish flu
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
pandemic and never served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
After recovering, Chamberlin began college at the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
when Congress allocated funding for veterans. Originally a one year program, Congress expanded it to cover four years of school and Chamberlin transferred to Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
upon the recommendation of his uncle, Ralph Vary Chamberlin
Ralph Vary Chamberlin
Ralph Vary Chamberlin was an American zoologist from Salt Lake City, Utah. He received his PhD from Cornell University in 1904. He was a professor of zoology at Brigham Young University from 1908-1911, and at the University of Utah from 1925-1938....
. He was accepted as a special case, and studied entomology
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
in the Zoology Department. His tutor at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
was Gordon Floyd Ferris
Gordon Floyd Ferris
Gordon Floyd Ferris was an American entomologist. He was Professor of Biology, Entomology at Stanford University from 1912 to 1958.He founded and edited Microentomology....
, an internationally reputed entomologist at the time. Chamberlin graduated in 1923 with a BA degree, and in 1924 with a masters degree.
Career
Chamberlin began teaching after college at San Jose State UniversitySan José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
before earning a PhD from Stanford in 1929. That year, he began working for the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
. His first assignment with the Department was in Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, where he worked until transferring to Modesto, California
Modesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
in 1935. In 1936, he moved to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, where he worked at a field station in Corvallis
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
. In 1939, Chamberlin transferred to the Forest Grove, Oregon
Forest Grove, Oregon
Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, west of Portland. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a bedroom suburb of Portland. Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in 1850 and then incorporated in 1872 and was the first city in Washington County...
station where he remained until 1961. He died in Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
.
Two genus-group names and eleven species have been named after him. He would describe several species while working with his uncle. Joseph married Clara Hya Gladstone in 1923 and they had 5 children. They divorced and he remarried Charlotte May in 1944, 6 years after his divorce.
Further reading
- A Tribute to Joseph C. Chamberlin The Journal of Arachnology 26(3): 409-459.