Murie, Olaus Johan, 1889-1963

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Biographical History

Olaus Johan Murie was born March 1, 1889, in Moorhead, Minnesota. He attended Fargo College, North Dakota, later attending earning his A.B. at Pacific University in 1912. In 1927 he earned his M.S. from the University of Michigan. He joined the staff of the U. S. Biological Survey as a field biologist in 1920, studying wildlife (caribou, elk, fox, and sea-otters among others) across Alaska and the American Northwest. In August 1924, he married Margaret Elizabeth Thomas. He eventually left the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1945 and became Director of the Wilderness Society, later becoming President (1950-1957). Among his travels in the field, he led an expedition of fiord country of New Zealand in 1948-49. He spent much of his career writing not only scientific literature but for a variety of publications. He passed away October 21, 1963.

Source

  • Library of Congress. NACO. Control Number: n 79103883
  • Casebeer, Robert L. (1964). “Obituary: Olaus Johan Murie, 1889-1963.” The Journal of Wildlife Management. 28 (1) 191-192. Retrieved October 8, 2013 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3797960

Birth Date

1889

Death Date

1963

Topic

Form/Genre

Personal name