Frederick William True (July 8, 1858 – June 25, 1914) was an American biologist, the first head curator of biology (1897–1911) at the

United States National Museum The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

, now part of the Smithsonian Institution.

Biography

He was born in Middletown, Connecticut in 1858. He received a B.S. from the

University of New York There is no real institution in the United States that bears the exact name University of New York. However, it is possible that such a reference may be used for one of the following: In New York State * New York University, a private research ...

in 1878, when he entered the U.S. government service. He was expert special agent on fisheries for the 10th census, 1879. In 1881, True started working for the U.S. National Museum as a clerk. That year he became librarian and acting curator of mammals, which positions he filled until 1883. True was curator of mammals at the U.S. National Museum (1883-1909), curator of comparative anatomy (1885-1890), executive curator (1894-1897), head curator of biology (1897-1911) and assistant secretary in charge of the library and international exchange service (1911-1914). He was appointed to the board of the American Philosophical Society on March 2, 1900. ''Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society held at Philadelphia for promoting useful knowledge, Volumes 39-40'', American Philosophical Society, The Society, 1900. He started his career studying invertebrates, but his poor eyesight obligated him to give up studies with the microscope, and he turned to studies of

cetacean Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively carnivorous diet. They propel them ...

s and their relatives. True's beaked whale,

True's vole True's vole (''Hyperacrius fertilis'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in India and Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It ...

and True's shrew mole were named by him, and have vernacular names in his honor.

Works

* "Note on the occurrence of an

armadillo Armadillos (meaning "little armored ones" in Spanish) are New World placental mammals in the order Cingulata. The Chlamyphoridae and Dasypodidae are the only surviving families in the order, which is part of the superorder Xenarthra, along wi ...

of the genus Xenurus in Honduras" * ''Review of the Family of Delphinidae'' * ''Whalebone Whales of the Western North Atlantic'' (1904) * ''Observations on Living White Whales'' (1911)

Family

He married Louis Elvina Prentiss in 1887, and at his death two of their children were living. He was the son of Methodist clergyman and writer

Charles Kittredge True Charles Kittredge True (August 14, 1809June 20, 1878) was a United States Methodist Episcopal clergyman, educator, and author. Biography He was born in Portland, Maine. He graduated at Harvard in 1832, and was subsequently pastor of several Meth ...

. His brother

Alfred Charles True Alfred Charles True, Ph.D., Sc.D. (June 5, 1853 - April 23, 1929) was a United States educator and agriculturist. Biography A son of Charles Kittredge True, he was born at Middletown, Connecticut. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1873, f ...

was a noted agricultural educationist.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:True, Frederick William American curators New York University alumni 1858 births 1914 deaths American biologists