Lutz, Frank Eugene, 1879-1943

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Exist Dates

September 15, 1879 - November 27, 1943

Biographical or Historical Note

Associate curator (Invertebrate Zoology-1917-1921) and Curator and Chairman

Frank E. Lutz, a biologist and entomologist, was associate curator of the Dept. of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, 1917-1921, and chairman of Insects and Spiders, Dept. of Entomology, 1921-1943. For his postgraduate work, Lutz concentrated in the new field of biometry, the combination of biology and mathematics, studying species of Gryllus (crickets) and Drosophila (fruit-flies), and developing a life-long interest in experimental biology. After joining the AMNH, Lutz went on 24 collecting field trips to locations in Europe, the United States, and Central and South America. During his tenure in the Dept. of Entomology, Lutz built it into one of the four largest repositories in the U.S., with 2 million specimens, and gained an international reputation for his research on the genetics, physiology, and ecology of insects. Lutz's particular interests involved insect sounds, diurnal rhythms, and insects' responses to environmental factors, especially ultraviolet light. He was an enthusiastic publicizer and popularizer of the study of insects, and of natural history in general. From 1925 to 1928, Lutz was the director of the Station for the Study of Insects (SSI) at Harriman State Park (N.Y.), and gave talks on the "nature trails" program at Bear Mountain State Park. He was the editor of the AMNH's scientific publications for many years

Sources

    Library of Congress Name Authority File
    From biographical note for Lutz's archive collection at the AMNH Library, Mss .L88, written by Ann Herendeen.

Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

American Museum of Natural History
associated dates: 1917-1943
American Museum of Natural History. Department of Invertebrates
associated dates: 1917-1943

Related Resources

Frank E. Lutz collection, 1915-1938 (bulk 1933-1938)
Repository: AMNH Special Collections, Mss .L88

Written by: Iris Lee
Last modified: 2018 October 1


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