Otto Degener
Encyclopedia
Otto Degener was a botanist and conservationist who specialized in identifying plants of the Hawaiian Islands
.
. Degener graduated from the Massachusetts Agricultural College (now University of Massachusetts Amherst
). Intending to spend a year as a tourist, he arrived in Hawaii
but decided to stay.
He received his MA from the University of Hawaii
in 1922 and his PhD from Columbia University
. He taught Botany at the University of Hawaii from 1925 to 1927, and was the first naturalist for what are now Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
and Haleakala National Park
.
In 1932, Degener started the first book on Hawaiian plants published since that of William Hillebrand
in 1888. It was titled Flora Hawaiiensis, and published in several volumes over his lifetime. Amy B. H. Greenwell assisted in some of the volumes, and left her property as a botanical garden.
He collected over 36,000 different species and preserved some 900 threatened and endangered plants.
His specimens were left to the New York Botanical Garden
.
The tree Degeneria vitiensis, which he discovered in Fiji
in 1942, is named after him. He died January 16, 1988 in Honolulu, Hawaii
.
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
.
Life
Otto Degener was born May 13, 1899 in East Orange, New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Degener graduated from the Massachusetts Agricultural College (now University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
). Intending to spend a year as a tourist, he arrived in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
but decided to stay.
He received his MA from the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
in 1922 and his PhD from 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 taught Botany at the University of Hawaii from 1925 to 1927, and was the first naturalist for what are now Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, established in 1916, is a United States National Park located in the U.S. State of Hawaii on the island of Hawaii. It encompasses two active volcanoes: Kīlauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the world's most massive volcano...
and Haleakala National Park
Haleakala National Park
Haleakalā National Park is a United States national park located on the island of Maui in the state of Hawaii. The park covers an area of , of which is a wilderness area...
.
In 1932, Degener started the first book on Hawaiian plants published since that of William Hillebrand
William Hillebrand
William Hillebrand was a German physician. He traveled the world, including over 20 years in the Hawaiian islands. In 1850, Hillebrand lived at what is now Foster Botanical Garden in Honolulu. He also became known as a botanist.-Life and career:...
in 1888. It was titled Flora Hawaiiensis, and published in several volumes over his lifetime. Amy B. H. Greenwell assisted in some of the volumes, and left her property as a botanical garden.
He collected over 36,000 different species and preserved some 900 threatened and endangered plants.
His specimens were left to the New York Botanical Garden
New York Botanical Garden
- See also :* Education in New York City* List of botanical gardens in the United States* List of museums and cultural institutions in New York City- External links :* official website** blog*...
.
The tree Degeneria vitiensis, which he discovered in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
in 1942, is named after him. He died January 16, 1988 in Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.