Lucas, Frederic A. (Frederic Augustus), 1852-1929

Exist Dates

March 25, 1852 - February 19, 1929

Biographical or Historical Note

Frederic A. Lucas, a naturalist specializing in vertebrate anatomy, was director of the American Museum of Natural History from 1911-1924, then honorary director until his death in 1929. Lucas began his career mounting skeletons of game animals at Ward's Natural Science Establishment in Rochester, N.Y. In 1882 he went to the U.S. National Museum, where he was curator of the Dept. of Comparative Anatomy, of Vertebrate Fossils, and in charge of exhibits for the Dept. of Biology and the Children's Room. In 1904 Lucas became head of the Museum of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. At the AMNH, Lucas oversaw the preparation of exhibits for many important new collections, including those of the Roosevelt South American expeditions, the Lang-Chapin Congo Expedition, Carl Akeley's African expeditions, the Vernay-Faunthorpe Indian expeditions, and the Roy Chapman Andrews Central Asiatic Expeditions.

Trustee, American Museum of Natural History.

Sources

Library of Congress Name Authority File

From biographical note for Lucas's archive collection at the AMNH Library, Mss .L83, written by Ann Herendeen.

---

Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

American Museum of Natural History
associated dates: 1911-1929

Related Resources

Frederic A. Lucas correspondence, 1916 Aug. 28, 1922 July 18
Repository: AMNH Special Collections, Mss .L83

---