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Gregory, William K. (William King), 1876-1970

 Person

Biographical Note

William King Gregory (1876-1970) held many positions at the American Museum of Natural History before retiring on May 19, 1944 and becoming Curator Emeritus in two departments: the Department of Living and Extinct Fishes and the Department of Comparative and Human Anatomy. He officially began at the American Museum of Natural History in 1911 as an Assistant in Paleontology after studying zoology and vertebrate paleontology under Henry Fairfield Osborn while attending Columbia University. He worked as Osborn’s Research Assistant at Columbia University from 1899-1913. In 1912, Gregory became Assistant Curator at the American Museum of Natural History and held this position until 1921, when he became Curator of both the Department of Living and Extinct Fishes and the Department of Comparative and Human Anatomy. While in the position of Curator, he became a Research Associate in Paleontology from 1927 to 1930. During this time, Gregory was also a Professor of Zoology at Columbia University, where he began teaching in 1916.

With specialties in anatomy, phylogeny, vertebrate evolution, and mammalian dentition, Gregory published extensively. During his academic career, he developed the principle of habitus and heritage. This principle theorized that animals evolved with two types of characteristics. There was heritage, which derived from evolutionary histories, and habitus, which were adaptations to the environment. Later, he expanded his habitus and heritage theory to include his palimpsest theory, which proposed that the habitus features often shrouded the heritage features.

Selected Bibliography

Akeley, Mary L. Jobe, and William K Gregory. Congo Eden: A Comprehensive Portrayal of the Historical Background and Scientific Aspects of the Great Game Sanctuaries of the Belgian Congo with the Story of a Six Months Pilgrimage Throughout That Most Primitive Region in the Heart of the African Continent. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1950.

Gregory, William K. Biographical Memoir of Henry Fairfield Osborn, 1857-1935. Washington: National Academy of Sciences, 1938.

Gregory, William K. Evolution Emerging (Natural Sciences in America). New York: Arno Press, 1974.

Gregory, William K, Henry Cushier Raven, and Henry Cushier Raven. In Quest of Gorillas. New Bedford Mass: Darwin Press, 1937.

Gregory, William K. Man's Place among the Anthropoids: Three Lectures on the Evolution of Man from the Lower Vertebrates. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1934.

Gregory, William K. Our Face from Fish to Man: A Portrait Gallery of Our Ancient Ancestors and Kinsfolk Together with a Concise History of Our Best Features. New York: Capricorn Books, 1965.

Sources

William King Gregory, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_King_Gregory

Found in 3 Collections and/or Records:

Bashford Dean papers

 Collection
Identifier: Mss .D433-.D434
Abstract

Bashford Dean (1867-1928) was a teacher, ichthyologist, and armor scholar. As curator, he headed emergent departments at the American Museum of Natural History (Reptiles and Fishes, 1903-1910) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (curator, Arms and Armor, 1904-1912) in New York City. The Bashford Dean Papers primarily consists of correspondence and sketchbooks.

Dates: 1888-1961 and unknown; Majority of material found within 1901-1902

William King Gregory papers, 1889-1948 (bulk 1906-1948)

 Collection
Identifier: Mss .G7441
Scope and Contents The collection consists of administrative, scientific, academic and personal papers, and correspondence. Papers include Gregory's general correspondence with universities, colleges and scientists about his research topics and publications; correspondence with museums about purchasing replicas of fossils; and with students seeking employement. Other papers include lecture notes prepared for zoology classes emphasizing evolution, 1925-1926 and 1939; and manuscripts and notes for his...
Dates: 1889-1948; Majority of material found within 1906-1948

Henry Cushier Raven papers

 Collection
Identifier: Mss .R38
Scope and Contents The items in this collection reflect much of Henry Cushier Raven’s species data research from approximately 1920-1944. The collection consists of handwritten and typed notes and research; hand-drawn illustrations of animals and their dissections; photographs of specimens and expedition sites; and manuscript drafts associated with his various essays, articles, and scholarly publications. Research and illustrations on various whale species, land mammals, and Raven’s data from his Australia/...
Dates: circa 1912-1944; Majority of material found within 1920-1944