Kennicott, Robert, 1835-1866

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Biographical History

Robert Kennicott (1835-1866) was a nineteenth-century naturalist. His remarkable collecting activities significantly increased the foundational collections of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. He was born in northern Illinois. He started collecting at age 18 and at age 21 he became one of the founders of the Chicago Academy of Sciences. He came to the Smithsonian in 1958. He enjoyed being out in the field to observe and record everything he saw. In 1959, he embarked on a three-year expedition to northern Canada and Alaska. In 1865, he returned to Alaska to survey a telegraph route and died suddenly on May 31, 1866.

Source

  • Library of Congress. NACO. Control Number: no 98122786
  • Robert Kennicott (1835-1866): Early Smithsonian Scientific Explorer and Collector. Read more at http://www.mnh.si.edu/onehundredyears/profiles/Robert_Kennicott.html

Related entities

  • Chicago Academy of Sciences: He was of one of the founders of the Chicago Academy of Sciences.
  • Smithsonian Institution: He was a major contributor to the foundational collections of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

Birth Date

1835

Death Date

1866

Topic

Naturalists

Form/Genre

Personal name

Occupation

Naturalists