Mary Moncrieffe Livingston Ripley (May 11, 1914 – April 15, 1996) was a U.S. horticulturist, entomologist, photographer, and scientific collector.

Early life

Mary Livingston was born in New York City in 1914. She was the daughter of Gerald Moncrieffe Livingston, a governor of the New York Stock Exchange, and Eleanor Hoffman (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Rodewald) Livingston. Through her father, she was a member of the long prominent Livingston family. Her sisters were Mrs. Livingston Briggs and Geraldine Livingston. Her paternal grandfather was Crawford Livingston and her maternal grandfather was William MacNeil Rodewald of Tuxedo Park, New York. Her great-grandfather was the Rev. Dr. Charles Frederick Hoffman.

Career

She worked in a clerical position for the

Office of Strategic Services The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the intelligence agency of the United States during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines for all branc ...

during World War II. While traveling with the OSS, she was a roommate of

Julia Child Julia Carolyn Child (née McWilliams; August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004) was an American cooking teacher, author, and television personality. She is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, '' ...

(then Julia McWilliams). After she married, she accompanied her husband on ornithological and entomological expeditions to India, Bhutan, Indonesia and Irian Jaya. Ripley's work of organizing volunteers led to the creation of the Smithsonian Institutions Women's Committee. In 1983, Ripley was made an Honorary life member of the Smithsonian's Women's Committee.

Personal life

Mary, a member of the

Colony Club The Colony Club is a women-only private social club in New York City. Founded in 1903 by Florence Jaffray Harriman, wife of J. Borden Harriman, as the first social club established in New York City by and for women, it was modeled on similar ...

and the Colonial Lords of the Manors and the

Colonial Dames of America The Colonial Dames of America (CDA) is an American organization composed of women who are descended from an ancestor who lived in British America from 1607 to 1775, and was of service to the colonies by either holding public office, being in th ...

, was first married to Spencer F. Eddy Jr., son of diplomat Spencer F. Eddy, before their divorce in 1935. While stationed in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

(then known as Ceylon) and working for the OSS, she met

Sidney Dillon Ripley Sidney Dillon Ripley II (September 20, 1913 – March 12, 2001) was an American ornithologist and wildlife conservationist. He served as secretary of the Smithsonian Institution for 20 years, from 1964 to 1984, leading the institution through ...

. They married in 1949, and were the parents of three daughters:Julie Dillon Miller, Rosemary L. Ripley, and Sylvia McNeill Addison. Ripley died in Litchfield, Connecticut on April 15, 1996. The Mary Livingston Ripley Garden, part of the

Smithsonian Gardens The Smithsonian Gardens, a division of the Smithsonian Institution, is responsible for the "landscapes, interiorscapes, and horticulture-related collections and exhibits", which serve as an outdoor extension of the Smithsonian's museums and learn ...

, is named after her.

References

External links

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Photograph of Secretary Emeritus Ripley and Wife, Mary Livingston Ripley
1994. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ripley, Mary Livingston American horticulturists 1914 births 1996 deaths Livingston family American women botanists Photographers from New York City People of the Office of Strategic Services 20th-century American women scientists 20th-century American botanists Scientists from New York (state)