Anna Allen Wright

Anna Allen Wright
Born
Anna Maria Allen

(1882-03-04)March 4, 1882
Buffalo, New York
DiedDecember 5, 1964(1964-12-05) (aged 82)
Ithaca, New York
Alma materCornell University
OccupationHerpetologist
Notable workHandbook of Frogs and Toads: The Frogs and Toads of the United States and Canada (1933); The Handbook of Snakes (1957)
SpouseAlbert Hazen Wright
RelativesArthur A. Allen (brother)

Anna Allen Wright (née Anna Maria Allen; 4 March 1882 – 5 December 1964)[1] was an American herpetologist, and a recognized authority on the ecology and natural history of amphibians and reptiles.[2]

Life

Anna Maria Allen was born in Buffalo, New York on 4 March 1882.[1] She graduated from Cornell University in 1909, where she was elected to Sigma Xi.[1] Her brother, Arthur A. Allen was an ornithologist.[1]

In 1910, she married Albert Hazen Wright.[3] They collaborated on natural history projects, writing and illustrating several books in the Handbooks of American Natural History series, published by Cornell University's Comstock Press.[3] Their Handbook of Frogs and Toads: The Frogs and Toads of the United States and Canada was published in 1933, the first in Comstock's Handbook series.[4][3][5] It was dedicated to "four American women who, in addition to serving the public and science generously, have in the last half-century contributed most notably to the study of this group".[5] They were Mary Hewes Hinckley (1845–1944), Mary Cynthia Dickerson (1866–1923), Helen Dean King (1869–1955), and Helen Thompson Gaige (1890–1976).[5] This unusual dedication in a scientific work of the period has been speculated to have been largely thanks to Anna.[5]

The Handbook of Snakes (in three volumes) followed in 1957.[6]

The Wrights traveled extensively in order to compile their handbooks, working to observe every species of snake in North America, gathering data and live specimens.[2] The Handbook of Snakes contained more than 300 species and subspecies, with photographs, drawings, and distribution maps.[2] These were accompanied by excerpts from the Wrights' field journals.[2] Anna Allen Wright provided illustrations.[5] The couple have been described as "constant companions in and out of science."[5]

Wright also contributed 500 of her pictures to the Handbook of Turtles and Handbook of Lizards.[1] She was known as a capable botanist and floriculturist, as well as a versatile naturalist.[1]

Anna Allen Wright died at home in Ithaca, New York on 5 December 1964.[1]

Legacy

Following her death, a memorial fund for the Cornell University Library was established in Wright's name.[1]

In his foreword to the 1995 edition of The Handbook of Frogs and Toads, Roy McDiarmid wrote:

I would guess that no North American scientist in the first half of this century had a more profound effect on students interested in the ecological aspects of the natural history of frogs than Anna Allen and Albert Hazen Wright.[5]

He also noted that although "Albert Hazen Wright received numerous accolades during his distinguished career", he was "unaware of any bestowed on Anna, even though she likely deserved many".[5]

In 2019, the Handbook of Frogs and Toads was selected as one of Cornell University Press' 150 most notable books.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Hamilton, W. J. (1965). "Mrs. Anna A. Wright". Copeia. 1965 (1): 124–124. ISSN 0045-8511.
  2. ^ a b c d "Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada by Albert Hazen Wright | Paperback". Cornell University Press. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  3. ^ a b c Davis, Frederick Rowe (2007). The man who saved sea turtles : Archie Carr and the origins of conservation biology. Internet Archive. Oxford; New York : Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-531077-1.
  4. ^ a b Cornell University Press, Est. 1869 - Our First 150 Years. 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Wright, Albert Hazen; Wright, Anna Allen (1995). Handbook of frogs and toads of the United States and Canada. Internet Archive. Ithaca, NY : Comstock Pub. Associates. ISBN 978-0-8014-8232-8.
  6. ^ Wright, Albert Hazen (1994). Handbook of snakes of the United States and Canada. Internet Archive. Ithaca : Comstock Pub. Associates. ISBN 978-0-8014-8214-4.