Herbert Deignan
Herbert Girton Deignan (born December 5, 1906 in East Orange , New Jersey , USA ; † March 15, 1968 presumably in Switzerland ) was an American ornithologist who dealt mainly with the bird life of Thailand .
Early years
Deignan was the son of Harry Francis and Anna Galena, nee Warren. He grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania , went to school at Mercersburg Academy and from 1924 to Princeton University . At this institution he successfully completed his International Abitur in October 1928 . It is there that his interest in birds develops.
He was married to Stella Leche, a medical doctor and anthropologist .
Professional years
From 1928 to 1932 he was employed as an English teacher at Chiangmai College in northern Siam , where he also collected birds from this area.
In 1932 he returned to the United States during the Great Depression , where he got a temporary job at the National Museum of Natural History . Because of his knowledge of Asian languages and Sanskrit , he was employed at the Library of Congress . In 1935 he returned to his previous post in Chiangmai, where he stayed until 1937. During this time he supported and expanded the bird collection of the Smithsonian Institution . In 1938 he returned to the National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institution enabled him to visit museums in Europe on their behalf.
Deignan had already become a member of the American Ornithologists' Union in 1923 , was made a Life Fellow in 1946 and was secretary of this organization from 1959 to 1961.
During World War II, he served in the Office of Strategic Services from 1944 to 1946 , primarily in the South Asian region. He then resumed his work at the National Museum of Natural History . In 1948 he took part in the eight-month American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory . From 1952 to 1953 he stayed in Thailand. In 1959 he was appointed curator for zoology. In 1962 he retired and then lived in Switzerland . He continued to participate as an ornithologist, did field studies in Madagascar for the Smithsonian Institution and was invited to consultations in London and Paris.
Publications
He published revisions of taxonomists , catalogs and described numerous birds from different areas of the world, especially from Southeast Asia .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Friedman, Herbert: In memoriam: Herbert Girton Deignan . In: The Auk . 87, 1970, pp. 14-19.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Deignan, Herbert |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Deignan, Herbert Girton (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American ornithologist with a research focus in Thailand |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 5th December 1906 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | East Orange , New Jersey, USA |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 15, 1968 |
| Place of death | Switzerland |