William Wagner (1796–1885) was a

gentleman scientist An independent scientist (historically also known as gentleman scientist) is a financially independent scientist who pursues scientific study without direct affiliation to a public institution such as a university or government-run research and ...

, philanthropist, and merchant from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

who founded the

Wagner Free Institute of Science The Wagner Free Institute of Science is a natural history museum at 1700 West Montgomery Avenue in north Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, it is a rare surviving example of a Victorian era scientific society, with a museu ...

Early life

Wagner was born in Philadelphia on January 15, 1796.(William Wagner (1796-1885) From a young age, he aspired to be a scientist.

Career

In 1814, Wagner became a counting house clerk and in 1817-18 served as a supercargo for

Stephen Girard Stephen Girard (May 20, 1750 – December 26, 1831; born Étienne Girard) was a naturalized American citizen, philanthropist, and banker of French origin. He singularly saved the U.S. government from financial collapse during the War of 1812 b ...

. In 1815, he became a member of the

Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, formerly the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, is the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the Americas. It was founded in 1812, by many of the leading natura ...

. William Wagner was influenced by Stephen Girard's philanthropic efforts, particularly his posthumous founding of

Girard College Girard College is an independent college preparatory five-day boarding school located on a 43-acre campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school was founded and permanently endowed from the shipping and banking fortune of Stephen Girard upon h ...

, and dedicated the second half of his life to creating an institution that opened science education to the public. In 1855, Wagner founded the

, where he provided access to his collections of natural history specimens, scientific instruments, and books. He also hired a faculty and offered free courses on a wide range of science subjects, including botany, chemistry, mineralogy, architecture and anatomy. The museum, library and education programs were free of charge and open to all people. During his and his wife Louisa's honeymoon across Europe from 1841-42, they visited natural history collections, educational institutions and museums across the continent, among them the British Museum in London, Jardins des Plantes in Paris, and

Museum für Naturkunde The Natural History Museum (german: Museum für Naturkunde) is a natural history museum located in Berlin, Germany. It exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history and in such domain it is one of three major muse ...

in Berlin. Wagner found that he often had to provide letters of introduction to gain access to many collections. Though he was able to provide references, he considered the practice unfair and became determined to create a science education institution that would be open to everyone regardless of gender, background or financial means. Wagner first taught free science courses at his home in the early 1850s. He incorporated the institution in 1855 and erected a building to house it in 1865. He remained active as President until his death in 1885. Leadership of the institution was taken over by a Board of Trustees, who elected the noted Philadelphia scientist and Academy member

Joseph Leidy Joseph Mellick Leidy (September 9, 1823 – April 30, 1891) was an American paleontologist, parasitologist and anatomist. Leidy was professor of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania, later was a professor of natural history at Swarthmore ...

. to serve as President of the Faculty.

Personal life

Wagner's second wife was Louisa Binney. He died at his home in Philadelphia on January 17, 1885, at the age of 89. William and Louisa Binney Wagner are interred at the

West Laurel Hill Cemetery West Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1869, is 200 acres in size and contains the burials of many notable people. It is affiliated with Laurel Hill Cemetery in neighboring Ph ...

Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania Bala Cynwyd ( ) is a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania. It is located on the Philadelphia Main Line in Southeastern Pennsylvania, bordering the western edge of Philadelphia at U.S. Route 1 (City Avenue). It was originally two separa ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wagner, William 1796 births 1885 deaths 19th-century American politicians Burials at West Laurel Hill Cemetery Independent scientists 19th-century American philanthropists