Witmer Stone (1866-1939) was a giant among naturalists. A native Philadelphian, he was both the last of the Victorian gentlemen scientists and the first of the professional natural scientists. After earning his Sc.D. at Penn, he spent his entire career at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, starting as Jessup Fund Student and ending as emeritus director and vice president 51 years later.
Stone’s many accomplishments flowed from his profound and passionate interest in nature. He wrote three books that are still referenced by naturalists today, Bird Studies at Old Cape May, The Mammals of New Jersey, and The Plants of Southern New Jersey, along with numerous scientific papers and monographs.
