George James Peirce (March 13, 1868 – October 15, 1954) was an American botanist known for his work on

plant physiology Plant physiology is a subdiscipline of botany concerned with the functioning, or physiology, of plants. Closely related fields include plant morphology (structure of plants), plant ecology (interactions with the environment), phytochemistry (bi ...

. He was an active member of the

Palo Alto, California Palo Alto (; Spanish language, Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree kno ...

community for over 50 years.

Early life

Peirce was born on March 13, 1868, in

Manila, Philippines Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...

, to American parents George Henry and Lydia Ellen Peirce (née Eaton).

Career

After attending

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

he earned a PhD at

Leipzig University Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December ...

. He served as assistant professor of botany at

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

from 1895 to 1897, then joined the faculty of

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

, where he spent the remainder of his career in teaching and administrative roles. He retired from Stanford in 1933, but continued his interest in his community and with Stanford. He published three textbooks on plant physiology, was a

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...

, and served as 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 1932. Dr. Gilbert Morgan Smith, professor of botany at Stanford, said that "Dr. Peirce was an unusual teacher, he often held his classes out under the trees and was held in great affection by all his students." Peirce built a home in

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and ric ...

ca. 1910 on Camino Real and 7th Avenue.

David Starr Jordan David Starr Jordan (January 19, 1851 – September 19, 1931) was the founding president of Stanford University, serving from 1891 to 1913. He was an ichthyologist during his research career. Prior to serving as president of Stanford Univer ...

, the first president of Stanford University, built his home on the same street in 1905.

Death

Peirce died on October 15, 1954, of a heart attack at his home, 281 Embarcadero Road,

, at the age of 86.

References

External links

*
Guide to the George J. Peirce Papers
at Stanford University {{DEFAULTSORT:Peirce, George James 1868 births 1954 deaths American botanists Harvard University alumni Leipzig University alumni Stanford University faculty Indiana University faculty People from Manila Plant physiologists Scientists from the San Francisco Bay Area Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences People from the Spanish East Indies