Albert Eide Parr (15 August 1900 – 16 July 1991) was a Norwegian-born, American marine biologist,
zoologist
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...
and
oceanographer
Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamics ...
. He was the director of the
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. In Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 26 inter ...
from 1942 to 1959. ''
Parrosaurus missouriensis'', a species of plant-eating dinosaur, is named after him.
Biography
Albert Eide Parr was born and grew up in
Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
, Norway. His father,
Thomas Johannes Lauritz Parr
Thomas Johannes Lauritz Parr (13 May 1862 – 12 August 1935) was a Norwegian educator and psychologist.
He was born in Drøbak as a son of ship-owner Hans Henry Parr and Laura Jørgensen. In March 1897 in Bergen he married Helga Johanne Eide, ...
, was a professor at
Bergen Cathedral School
Bergen Cathedral School (Norwegian: ''Bergen Katedralskole'', Latin: ''Schola Cathedralis Bergensis'', formerly known as Bergens lærdeskole and Bergen latinskole and colloquially known as Katten) is an upper secondary school in Bergen, Norway. Loc ...
. He became well acquainted with
Jørgen Brunchorst
Jørgen Brunchorst (10 August 1862 – 19 May 1917) was a Norwegian natural scientist, politician and diplomat.
Biography
Brunchorst was born in Bergen, the son of ship builder and – captain Christian Ege Brunchorst (1835–64) and his wife Em ...
, director at the Bergen Museum and developed an early interest in marine biology. He studied at the
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...
(1921–24) and became
cand.mag.
Candidatus magisterii (male), or candidata magisterii (female), abbreviated as cand.mag., is an academic degree currently awarded in Denmark. The degree is officially translated into English as Master of Arts and currently requires 5 years of studi ...
in 1925. He worked was an assistant in
zoology
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...
at the
Bergen Museum
The University Museum of Bergen ( no, Universitetsmuseet i Bergen) is a university museum in Bergen, Norway. The museum features material related to anthropology, archaeology, botany, geology, zoology, art, and cultural history.
History
The Univ ...
from 1924–26.
He and his wife traveled to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in 1926 where Parr is said to have first found work "sweeping floors" at the
New York Aquarium
The New York Aquarium is the oldest continually operating aquarium in the United States, located on the Riegelmann Boardwalk in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. It was founded at Castle Garden in Battery Park, Manhattan in 1896, and moved ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
In 1927, he met American financier and philanthropist
Harry Payne Bingham
Henry Payne Bingham (December 9, 1887 – March 25, 1955) was an American financier, sportsman, art patron and philanthropist. He funded a series of expeditions to study marine life.
Early life
He was born in 1887 to Charles William Bingham (184 ...
. They launched a series of marine biology expeditions. These expeditions continued for several years in collaboration with the Oceanographic Laboratory of
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
, the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI, acronym pronounced ) is a private, nonprofit research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of marine science and engineering.
Established in 1930 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, it i ...
and the
United States Bureau of Fisheries
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
. In 1930 Bingham gave his collection to Yale University and established the Bingham Oceanographic Foundation for its support. This segued into the founding of the Bingham Oceanographic Laboratory at
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
's
Peabody Museum of Natural History
The Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University is among the oldest, largest, and most prolific university natural history museums in the world. It was founded by the philanthropist George Peabody in 1866 at the behest of his nephew Othn ...
.
[
]
Parr became Professor of Oceanography at Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
in 1938. From 1938 to 1942, Parr was director of the Peabody Museum of Natural History
The Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University is among the oldest, largest, and most prolific university natural history museums in the world. It was founded by the philanthropist George Peabody in 1866 at the behest of his nephew Othn ...
and was associated with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI, acronym pronounced ) is a private, nonprofit research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of marine science and engineering.
Established in 1930 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, it i ...
as a researcher and board member. From 1942 to 1959, he was Director of the American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. In Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 26 inter ...
. In 1959, he left to become senior researcher at the museum. In 1968 he received the title '' director emeritus''. Among his later research areas was the classification of Alepocephalidae
Slickheads, also known as nakedheads or smoothheads, are deep water fishes that belong to the family Alepocephalidae. They are most commonly found in the bathypelagic layer, which is approximately 3000m below the surface. They get their name from ...
fish.
Personal life
In 1925, he was married to Ella Hage Hanssen (1900–1991), daughter of Peder Hansen, who was a member of the Parliament of Norway
The Storting ( no, Stortinget ) (lit. the Great Thing) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years bas ...
. He died in Wilder, Vermont
Wilder is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) within the town of Hartford in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. It is the location of the Wilder Dam on the Connecticut River. The population of the CDP was 1,690 at the ...
during 1991 at 90 years old of age.
Selected works
*''A practical revision of the western Atlantic species of the genus Citharichthys'' – 1931
*''The stomiatoid fishes of the suborder Gymnophotoderm'' – 1927
*''A Contribution To The Osteology And Classification Of The Orders Iniomi And Xenoberyces'' – 1929
*''Revision of the species currently referred to Alepocephalus, Halisauriceps, Bathytroctes and Bajacalifornia'' – 1952
*''A new genus of Searsidae from Japan'' – 1953
*''Mostly About Museums'' - 1959
*''The fishes of the family Searsidae'' – 1960
*''The Dreadful Lemon Sky" - 1974. John D. MacDonald. Meyer quotes him "Whether you get an idea from looking into a sunset or into a beehive has nothing to do with its merits and possibilities."
References
External links
Albert Eide Parr papers, 1935-1980 (American Museum of Natural History)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parr, Albert Eide
1900 births
1991 deaths
Scientists from Bergen
University of Oslo alumni
Yale University faculty
American marine biologists
American oceanographers
20th-century American zoologists
People associated with the American Museum of Natural History
Norwegian emigrants to the United States