Breder, Charles M. (Charles Marcus), 1897-1983

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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 CityExternal link.
  • 1918: Grows up in Newark, New Jersey, and graduates from Central High School. (6), NewarkExternal link.
  • November 18, 1918: Marries Ruth B. Demarest.
  • 1919 - 1921: Joins United States Bureau of Fisheries as scientific assistant in 1919., WashingtonExternal link.
  • 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 YorkExternal link.
  • 1924: PanamaExternal link (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., PanamaExternal link.
  • 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 YorkExternal link.
  • 1929: Dry Tortugas External link (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 HavenExternal link.
  • April 17, 1933: Marries Ethel Lear Snyder.
  • 1934: Caribbean SeaExternal link (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 YorkExternal link.
  • June 09, 1938: Receives honorary doctorate in science from University of Newark., New JerseyExternal link.
  • 1940 - 1949: MexicoExternal link (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 YorkExternal link.
  • January 1944: Heads Museum’s Department of Fishes and Aquatic Biology (previously Department of Fishes) as curator and chairman., New YorkExternal link.
  • 1947 - 1957: North BiminiExternal link (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 BiminiExternal link.
  • 1957 - 1976: FloridaExternal link (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 YorkExternal link.
  • 1965 - 1983: Moves to Florida. He lives here the rest of his life. , Manasota KeyExternal link.
  • 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., SarasotaExternal link.
  • January 03, 1967: Marries Priscilla Rasquin.
  • October 28, 1983: Breder dies at age eighty-six in Florida. , EnglewoodExternal link.

Terms

localDescription
male
localDescription
enhanced
localDescription
affiliated person
place
PanamaExternal link
(Expedition Site)

dates: 1924

Breder represents Museum in Marsh-Darien Expedition and greatly expands its collections.
place
Dry Tortugas External link
(Fieldwork)

dates: 1929

He studies flying fishes at Carnegie Institution Tortugas Laboratory.
place
BahamasExternal link
(Expedition Site)

dates: 1930

Research on flying fishes with Bacon Expeditions. (8)
place
Caribbean SeaExternal link
(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
MexicoExternal link
(Expedition Site)

dates: 1940-1949

As departmental head at Museum, Breder directs research on Mexican cave characins.
place
North BiminiExternal link
(Fieldwork)

dates: 1947-1957

Breder is administrative director of Museum's Lerner Marine Laboratory in Bahamas.
place
FloridaExternal link
(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)

Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

American Museum of Natural History
participantIn
Atlantis Expedition
Breder participated as collector on Atlantis research vessel. Expedition team explored Gulf of Mexico, Sargasso Sea, and Caribbean Sea.
descendantOf
Breder, Charles M.
Breder's father, Charles Breder Senior, graduated from Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, and worked in transportation.
spouseOf
Demarest, Ruth B.
Breder and his first wife, Ruth, had two children. She traveled to Panama when he became seriously ill during the Marsh-Darien Expedition.
participantIn
Lerner Marine Laboratory
associated dates: 1947-1957

Museum research station situated in North Bimini, Bahamas. In 1946, Breder served on the Advisory Committee, Michael Lerner Foundation for Marine Research. In 1947, he became Lerner Marine Laboratory's administrative director. Lerner Laboratory closed in 1975.
worksWith
Marsh, Richard Oglesby
associated dates: 1924 January-1924 July

Marsh worked for oil companies and explored the Americas. He was deeply interested in the Kuna of Panama. In 1924 he led the Marsh-Darien Expedition.
participantIn
Marsh-Darien Expedition
associated dates: 1924 January-1924 July

Breder's role as representative included collecting materials and creating life histories for the Museum’s Reptiles and Amphibians Department. Afterward he published articles on his work in Panama.
colleagueOf
Nichols, John T. (John Treadwell)
Nichols and Breder were Museum colleagues and collaborated on articles and papers.
colleagueOf
Noble, Gladwyn Kingsley
associated dates: 1923-1940

Noble, Curator of Herpetology at the Museum, asked Breder to represent the Museum in an expedition to Central America (Marsh-Darien Expedition, 1924).
colleagueOf
Parr, Alfred Eide
Parr and Breder shared professional ties with New York Aquarium, Bingham Oceanographic Laboratory, and the Museum. As Museum Director, Parr offered Breder position of chairman in Department of Fishes and Aquatic Biology.
spouseOf
Rasquin, Priscilla
Breder's third wife, Priscilla, was a former colleague at the Museum (assistant curator, Department of Fishes and Aquatic Biology).
spouseOf
Snyder, Ethel Lear
Ethel, Breder's second wife, died from cancer.

Related Resources

subjectOf
Ichthyology Departmental Records, 1944-1979
associated dates: 1944-1979

Creator: American Museum of Natural History, Department of Ichthyology. Extent: 28 boxes (7 linear feet). Repository: AMNH Special Collections, local call number DR 079.
creatorOf
Journal of the representative from the American Museum of Natural History : holograph / C. M. Breder, Jr. [1924]
Creator: Charles M. Breder. Extent: 2 volumes. 1 box (0.25 linear feet). Repository: AMNH Special Collections, local call number Mss .B74 1924. (A preservation photocopy is in archives of AMNH Department of Herpetology.)
subjectOf
Noble Collection and Expeditions Folder IIG, Department of Herpetology Archive
Creator: American Museum of Natural History. Repository: AMNH Department of Herpetology. Includes undated material.
other
Lerner Marine Laboratory papers, 1947-1977.
associated dates: 1947-1977

Creator: American Museum of Natural History. Extent: 34 boxes (15.5 linear feet). Repository: AMNH Special Collections, local call number DR 088-089.
creatorOf
Charles M. Breder Jr. collection, 1914-2004.
associated dates: 1914-2000

Creator: Charles M. Breder Jr. Extent: 16 linear feet. Repository: Mote Marine Laboratory. Predominate dates are 1930-1980.

Written by: Luise Trabucchi
Last modified: 2019 August 6


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