Schwarz, Eugene Amandus, 1844-1928

Biographical History

Eugene Amandus Schwarz (1844-1928) was an important figure in American entomology, especially in the work of the United States National Museum and the United States Department of Agriculture. He was born in Silesia in 1844, studied entomology in Europe, and first appeared in the United States during 1872 as a student of Hermann Hagen at Harvard University. Later in the 1870s he made a collecting trip to the West with John Lawrence LeConte, and became a colleague of Charles Valentine Riley and other noted entomologists. In 1878 Schwarz accepted a position in the Department of Agriculture, where he remained, with a brief interruption, until his death in 1928. He became the senior scholar of entomology in the Agriculture Department and the National Museum, thus influencing several generations of entomologists. He was a prominent member of the Washington professional scene, including the Washington Entomological Society and the Washington Biologists Field Club; and the Entomological Society of America. Schwarz had enormous impact on the national collection of insects, dating from his appointment as custodian of Coleoptera in 1898. He introduced better standards of care and arrangement and personally secured numerous collections for the National Museum, in addition to the one made by Henry Guernsey Hubbard and himself. He initiated the important collection of Coleoptera larvae. His field observations extended throughout all sections of the United States, into Cuba, Guatemala, and Panama.

Related entities

National Museum of Natural History (U.S.): National Museum of Natural History (U. S.)

Birth Date

1844

Death Date

1928

Topic

Entomologists

Form/Genre

Personal name

Occupation