Exist Dates
1897 June 25 - 1983 October 28
Biographical or Historical Note
- abstract
- Charles Marcus Breder (1897-1983) was an ichthyologist who held curatorial and directorial positions at the New York Aquarium
and the American Museum of Natural History, including the Museum’s Lerner Marine Laboratory. His repute rests in part on work
in fish behavior, including locomotion, and prodigious writing. Throughout his career he undertook fieldwork within the Americas.
Breder died at age eighty-six on October 28, 1983, in Englewood Hospital, Florida.
Charles Marcus Breder (1897-1983) was an ichthyologist who held curatorial and directorial positions at the New York Aquarium
and the American Museum of Natural History, including the Museum’s Lerner Marine Laboratory. His repute rests in part on work
in fish behavior, including locomotion, and prodigious writing. Throughout his career he undertook fieldwork within the Americas
(including Panama, 1924; Florida, 1929, 1938-1942, 1957; Bahamas, 1930, 1932, 1933; Sargasso Sea and Caribbean Sea, 1934;
Mexico, 1940; South America, Golfo de Guayaquil, 1942). (1) He produced about thirty volumes of journals. (2) Breder was born
and grew up in New Jersey, and as an adult lived in Mahwah, New Jersey; North Bimini; Manasota Key, Florida; and other areas.
Married three times (to Ruth B. Demarest, Ethel Lear Snyder, and Priscilla Rasquin, former assistant curator, Department of
Fishes and Aquatic Biology at the Museum), he was the father of two sons, Charles Marcus III and Richard Frederick, and a
grandfather and great-grandfather of numerous children. (3) Late in life he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. (4) Breder
died at age eighty-six on October 28, 1983, in Englewood Hospital, Florida. (5)
Sources
(1) Atz, James W. “C. M. Breder, Jr., 1897-1983,” Copeia 3 (August 1986): 853-6.
(2) Clark, Eugenie. “Introduction,” Mote Technical Report, no. 802 (December 2001): 1-3. http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/Regional/cedar65.pdf.
(3) American Museum of Natural History, Special Collections Biographical Files: Priscilla R. Breder (undated reply) to Kay
Brief, Public Affairs, American Museum of Natural History, April 29, 1983; American Museum of Natural History Archives.
(4) Clark, Eugenie. Introduction,” Mote Technical Report, no. 802 (December 2001): 1-3. http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/Regional/cedar65.pdf.
(5) New York Times. “Charles Breder, 86; Curator of Museum Held Aquarium Post.” November 1, 1983. http://www.nytimes.com/export_html/common/new_article_post.html?_r=0.
(6) American Museum of Natural History, Special Collections Biographical Files: Charles M. Breder. "Breder, Charles Marcus,
Jr.” In Who’s Who (unnumbered proof). Vol. 25. 1946.
(7) Atz, James W. “C. M. Breder, Jr., 1897-1983,” Copeia 3 (August 1986): 853-6.
(8) American Museum of Natural History, Special Collections Biographical Files: Charles M. Breder. "Breder, Charles Marcus,
Jr.” In Who’s Who (unnumbered proof). Vol. 25. 1946.
(9) Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. "History of the Bingham Oceanographic Collection." http://peabody.yale.edu/collections/vertebrate-zoology/history-bingham-oceanographic-collection.
(10) Moore, Jon, and Richard Boardman. "List of Type Specimens in the
Fish Collection at the Yale Peabody Museum, with a Brief
History of Ichthyology at Yale University." Postilla, no. 206 ( August 1991): 3. http://peabody.yale.edu/sites/default/files/documents/scientific-publications/ypmP206_1991.pdf.
(11) Clark, Eugenie. " Introduction,” Mote Technical Report, no. 802 (December 2001): 1-3. http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/Regional/cedar65.pdf.
(12) American Museum of Natural History, Special Collections Biographical Files: Charles M. Breder, Jr. Biographical Background,
1964; American Museum of Natural History Archives.
(13) American Museum of Natural History, Special Collections Biographical Files: Priscilla R. Breder (undated reply) to Kay
Brief, Public Affairs, American Museum of Natural History, April 29, 1983; American Museum of Natural History Archives.
Library of Congress Name Authority File n85814784.
Chronology
- June 25, 1897: Born to Albertine Louise (Agathe) and Charles Marcus Senior., Jersey City.
- 1918: Grows up in Newark, New Jersey, and graduates from Central High School. (6), Newark.
- November 18, 1918: Marries Ruth B. Demarest.
- 1919 - 1921: Joins United States Bureau of Fisheries as scientific assistant in 1919., Washington.
- 1921 - 1943: Begins work at New York Aquarium as aquarist (1921-1925). Later Breder becomes research associate (1925-1933), assistant
director (1933-1937), acting director (1937-1940), and director (1940-1943). , New York.
- 1924: Panama (Expedition Site) Breder represents Museum in Marsh-Darien Expedition and greatly expands its collections.
- 1924: Participates in Marsh-Darien Expedition as representative for American Museum of Natural History., Panama.
- 1925: Publishes research on fish locomotion, winning A. Cressy Morrison Prize (New York Academy of Sciences).
- 1926 - 1943: Becomes research associate at Museum (Ichthyology)., New York.
- 1929: Dry Tortugas (Fieldwork) He studies flying fishes at Carnegie Institution Tortugas Laboratory.
- 1929: Breder's Field Book of Marine Fishes is published (revised in 1948).
- 1930: Bahamas (Expedition Site) Research on flying fishes with Bacon Expeditions. (8)
- 1932 - 1933: Bahamas (Expedition Site) Research on flying fishes with Bacon Expeditions. (8)
- 1933 - 1961: Serves as research associate for Bingham Oceanographic Foundation (Yale University). , New Haven.
- April 17, 1933: Marries Ethel Lear Snyder.
- 1934: Caribbean Sea (Expedition Site) He participates in exploration of Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Sargasso Sea on Atlantis with Bingham
Oceanographic Foundation (Yale University). (9) Areas of research include flying fish. (10)
- April 28, 1937: Breder’s father dies. , New York.
- June 09, 1938: Receives honorary doctorate in science from University of Newark., New Jersey.
- 1940 - 1949: Mexico (Expedition Site) As departmental head at Museum, Breder directs research on Mexican cave characins.
- 1941 - 1950: Teaches ichthyology as adjunct professor at Graduate School of Art and Science, New York University., New York.
- January 1944: Heads Museum’s Department of Fishes and Aquatic Biology (previously Department of Fishes) as curator and chairman., New York.
- 1947 - 1957: North Bimini (Fieldwork) Breder is administrative director of Museum's Lerner Marine Laboratory in Bahamas.
- 1947 - 1957: Is administrative director of Museum’s Lerner Marine Laboratory. (7) , North Bimini.
- 1957 - 1976: Florida (Fieldwork) Fieldwork in Florida and publication of research prior to and following his retirement from Museum. (10) Focus
of research includes impact of fish vocalization and schooling in fishes. (11) (12)
- 1965: Retires from the Museum and becomes curator emeritus. , New York.
- 1965 - 1983: Moves to Florida. He lives here the rest of his life. , Manasota Key.
- 1966: His second wife dies.
- 1967: Begins affiliation with Cape Haze Marine Laboratory in Placida, Florida (later renamed Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota),
which Breder heads during 1967., Sarasota.
- January 03, 1967: Marries Priscilla Rasquin.
- October 28, 1983: Breder dies at age eighty-six in Florida. , Englewood.
Terms
- localDescription
- male
- localDescription
- enhanced
- localDescription
- affiliated person
- place
- Panama
(Expedition Site)
dates: 1924
Breder represents Museum in Marsh-Darien Expedition and greatly expands its collections.
- place
- Dry Tortugas
(Fieldwork)
dates: 1929
He studies flying fishes at Carnegie Institution Tortugas Laboratory.
- place
- Bahamas
(Expedition Site)
dates: 1930
Research on flying fishes with Bacon Expeditions. (8)
- place
- Caribbean Sea
(Expedition Site)
dates: 1934
He participates in exploration of Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Sargasso Sea on Atlantis with Bingham Oceanographic Foundation
(Yale University). (9) Areas of research include flying fish. (10)
- place
- Mexico
(Expedition Site)
dates: 1940-1949
As departmental head at Museum, Breder directs research on Mexican cave characins.
- place
- North Bimini
(Fieldwork)
dates: 1947-1957
Breder is administrative director of Museum's Lerner Marine Laboratory in Bahamas.
- place
- Florida
(Fieldwork)
dates: 1957-1976
Fieldwork in Florida and publication of research prior to and following his retirement from Museum. (10) Focus of research
includes impact of fish vocalization and schooling in fishes. (11) (12)