Gerald Webber Prescott (September 25, 1899 – July 7, 1988) 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 ...

, phycologist, and professor.

Career

After serving in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Prescott studied botany at the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

, earning his B.S. in 1923. He pursued an M.A. from the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

, which he received in 1926. He continued his studies at Iowa and earned his Ph.D. in 1928.Czarnecki, David B.; Hoham, Ronald W.; and Vinyard, William C. (1984). "Gerald W. Prescott: A Tribute." Transactions of the American Microscopical Society. 103 (3) 217-220. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3226181 After receiving his Ph.D., Prescott served as an associate professor at Willamette University from 1928 to 1929, and at Albion College from 1929 to 1946. In 1946, he went on to become a professor of botany at

Michigan State College Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...

. His areas of research included

limnology Limnology ( ; from Greek λίμνη, ''limne'', "lake" and λόγος, ''logos'', "knowledge") is the study of inland aquatic ecosystems. The study of limnology includes aspects of the biological, chemical, physical, and geological characteristi ...

and phycology. He remained there until his retirement in 1968. Much of his retirement was spent as Resident Biologist of the University of Montana Biological Station at Yellow Bay, Flathead Lake. Prescott took part in the

Cinchona Missions The Cinchona Missions (1942-1945) were a series of expeditions led by the United States to find natural sources of quinine in South America during World War II. Background Bark of species from the genus '' Cinchona'' produces the alkaloid quinine, ...

in Ecuador to help gather quinine to treat malaria in the armed forces during

WWII World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Prescott served as president of the

Phycological Society of America The Phycological Society of America (PSA) is a professional society, founded in 1946, that is dedicated to the advancement of phycology, the study of algae. The PSA is responsible for the publication of ''Journal of Phycology'' and organizes an ...

in 1954, the

Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography The Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), formerly known as the Limnological Society of America and the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, is a scientific society established in 1936 with the goal of advan ...

in 1965, and the

American Microscopical Society The American Microscopical Society (AMS) is a society of biologists dedicated to promoting the use of microscopy. A cohort of biologists and science educators, the AMS's members use a wide array of microscopical techniques (light microscopy, elec ...

in 1968.

Legacy

The Phycological Society of America gives out the Gerald W. Prescott Award to recognize a published book or monograph devoted to phycology, as determined by the G.W. Prescott Award Committee.Gerald W. Prescott Award
/ref> The algal genus '' Prescottiella'' is named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prescott, Gerald Webber Botanists with author abbreviations 20th-century American botanists 1899 births 1988 deaths Albion College faculty Michigan State University faculty Presidents of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography