Smithsonian Institution Archives

George Vasey Papers, 1889-1893

Summary

Collection ID:
SIA.FARU7087
Creators:
Vasey, George
Dates:
1889-1893
Languages:
English
Physical Description:
0.25 cu. ft. (1 half document box)
Repository:
Smithsonian Institution Archives

Descriptive Entry

Descriptive Entry
These papers consist of appointment letters to special posts and functions, and honors and awards. Official files of Vasey may be found in Record Unit 220.

Historical Note

Historical Note
George Vasey (1822-1893), a physician and botanist, was born near Scarborough, England. In 1828 his parents emigrated to the United States, settling in Oneida County, New York. Vasey became interested in botany as a youth, reading Almira Hart Lincoln's Elements of Botany, and meeting the German botanist, P. H. Kneiskern, who subsequently introduced him to John Torrey and Asa Gray.
Vasey graduated from Oneida Institute in 1841 and the Berkshire Medical Institute at Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in 1846. After spending a few weeks of training at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, Vasey left to practice medicine in New York and Illinois. Vasey collected botanical specimens while practicing medicine and helped form the Illinois Natural History Society. In 1864 he received an M.A. from Illinois Wesleyan University.
In 1872, Vasey was appointed Botanist of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Curator of the National Herbarium; and in 1889 he became Honorary Curator of the Department of Botany, United States National Museum. Vasey held these positions until his death. At the USDA, Vasey built up its collections of North American grasses, and was instrumental in establishing the Grass Experimental Station at Garden City, Kansas. Vasey's most important botanical study was on the agricultural grasses of the United States, published in 1884. In 1891 he began preparation of his work on North American grasses for publication. The first part of his work was issued in 1892, but he died before the second part could be published.
Vasey was a member of the Geographical Society of Washington; the Biological Society of Washington; a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; and an associate fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1892 he was one of the vice-presidents at the Botanical Congress at Genoa, representing the USDA and the Smithsonian.

Administration

Author
Finding aid prepared by Smithsonian Institution Archives

Using the Collection

Prefered Citation
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7087, George Vasey Papers

More Information

Notes

Personal Papers


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Vasey, George Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kneiskern, P. H. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Torrey, John, 1796-1873 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gray, Asa, 1810-1888 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Oneida Baptist Institute Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Berkshire Medical Institution (Pittsfield, Mass.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
College of Physicians and Surgeons in the City of New York Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Illinois Natural History Society Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Illinois Wesleyan University Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. Department of Agriculture Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States National Herbarium Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States National Museum. Department of Botany Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Grass Experimental Station Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Geographical Society of Washington Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Biological Society of Washington Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
American Association for the Advancement of Science Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
American Academy of Arts and Sciences Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
International Botanical Congress Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Botany Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Physicians Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Botanists Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Grasses Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Manuscripts Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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