Gray, ASA,

Gray, ASA, an eminent American botanist, born at Paris, Oneida county, New York, November 18, 1810. He took his degree of M.D. in 1831, but soon relinquished the practice of medicine, and devoted himself to his favourite study of botany. In 1834 he received the appointment of botanist of the United States exploring expedition to the southern seas; but, as a long delay took place before it was ready to sail, he resigned his post in 1837. He was afterwards elected professor of Botany in the university of Michigan, but declined the appointment, and in 1842 became Fisher professor of Natural History at Harvard. In 1873 he retired from the chair, but still retained charge of the great herbarium he had presented to the university in 1864; and in 1874 he succeeded Agassiz as a regent of the Smithsonian Institution. He ranks among the leading botanists of the age. His numerous writings evince equal ability in communicating elementary knowledge and in elucidating recondite theories. He came forward at a time when the old artificial systems of botany were giving way to the natural system which has taken their place, and he was the first in America, in conjunction with Dr John Torrey, to arrange the heterogeneous assemblage of species upon the natural basis of affinity; and he became an influential supporter of the Darwinian theories of evolution. In 1838 he commenced, with Dr Torrey, the Flora of North America; and in 1848-50 appeared the Genera Floræ Americæ Boreali-Orientalis Illustrata. Among his remaining works may be mentioned, besides memoirs on the botanical results of several government exploring expeditions, and a number of text-books that have long been in general use in the United States, A Free Examination of Darwin's Treatise (1861), Darwinia (1876), and Natural Science and Religion (1880). He died 30th January 1888. A selection from his scientific papers was published in 2 vols. in 1889. He was a member of the principal learned societies of both America and Europe, to whose transactions and to periodicals he contributed much. His Letters, edited by Jane L. Gray, appeared in 1893.