George Francis Atkinson (January 26, 1854 – November 14, 1918) was an American

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

and

mycologist Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungus, fungi, including their genetics, genetic and biochemistry, biochemical properties, their Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy and ethnomycology, their use to humans, including as a so ...

.Makers of American Botany,

Harry Baker Humphrey Harry Baker Humphrey (1873–1955) was an American botanist.Makers of American Botany, Harry Baker Humphrey, Ronald Press Company, Library of Congress Card Number 61-18435 He was a pathologist with the USDA, specializing on research on breeding res ...

, Ronald Press Company, Library of Congress Card Number 61-18435 He was born on January 26, 1854, in Raisinville,

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, and died on November 14, 1918. He was the son of Joseph and Josephine Atkinson (née Fish). He studied at

Olivet College Olivet College is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Olivet, Michigan. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It was founded in 1844 by missionaries from Oberlin College, and it followed Oberlin in becom ...

from 1878 to 1883 and obtained his bachelor's degree from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

in 1885. He is best known for his contributions to the fields of

mycology Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy and their use to humans, including as a source for tinder, traditional medicine, food, and entheogens, as ...

and

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

Career

He was an assistant professor of entomology and zoology from 1885 to 1886, and associate professor in 1886 to 1888 at the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

. He was a professor of botany and zoology at the University of South Carolina from 1888 to 1889 and a botanist at the Experiment Station of the University. From 1889 to 1892 he taught biology at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama; from 1892 to 1893 he was an assistant professor of cryptogamic botany at

, then associate professor (1893–1896), and from 1896, Chairman of the Botany Department. He was President of the

Botanical Society of America The Botanical Society of America (BSA) represents professional and amateur botanists, researchers, educators and students in over 80 countries of the world. It functions as a United States nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership society. History The soci ...

in 1907 and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in the Spring of 1918. His herbarium of fungus specimens is at th
Cornell Plant Pathology Herbarium
(CUP). Atkinson died from

influenza Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptoms ...

and

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

on November 14, 1918.

Eponymous taxa

*'' Atkinsonella'' Diehl *''

Amanita atkinsoniana ''Amanita atkinsoniana'', also known as the Atkinson's amanita, is a species of fungus in the family Amanitaceae. It is found in the northeastern, southeastern, and southern United States as well as southern Canada, where it grows solitarily or ...

'' Coker *'' Armillaria atkinsoniana'' (Coker) Locq. *'' Boletus atkinsonianus'' *'' Calonectria atkinsonii'' *'' Cercospora atkinsonii'' *'' Ceriomyces atkinsonianus'' *'' Conocybe atkinsonii'' *'' Corticium atkinsonii'' *'' Cortinarius atkinsonianus'' *'' Galerina atkinsoniana'' *'' Ganoderma atkinsonii'' *''

Kirschsteiniothelia atkinsonii ''Kirschsteiniothelia'' is a genus of fungus, fungi in the class Dothideomycetes. The relationship of this taxon to other taxa within the class is unknown (''incertae sedis''). The genus name of ''Kirschsteiniothelia'' is in honour of Wilhelm Ki ...

'' *'' Kneiffia atkinsonii'' *'' Lachnocladium atkinsonii'' *'' Mycena atkinsoniana'' *'' Mycena atkinsonii'' *'' Peniophora atkinsonii'' *'' Phaeophleospora atkinsonii'' *'' Phlebia atkinsoniana'' *'' Puccinia atkinsoniana'' *'' Puccinia atkinsonii'' *'' Pulveroboletus atkinsonianus'' *'' Ramaria atkinsonii'' *'' Scoleciasis atkinsonii'' *'' Scoleconectria atkinsonii''

References

External links

National Academy of Sciences Biographical Memoir
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Atkinson, George Francis American mycologists American phytopathologists 1854 births 1918 deaths Deaths from Spanish flu Cornell University alumni Cornell University faculty People from Monroe County, Michigan 19th-century American botanists 20th-century American botanists

Career

Eponymous taxa

See also

References

External links