-Biography is adapted from the writings of David Starr Jordan, who was H.E. Copeland's friend, college classmate, and colleague from 1870-1876:
HERBERT EDSON COPELAND was born at Stoney Creek, Michigan, May 7, 1849, and died in Indianapolis, December 12, 1876. The cause of death was exposure, caused by falling into the White River during a wintertime fish-collecting expedition there, not far from his residence in Irvington.
Copeland as prepared for college in the high school at Ypsilanti, Mich., and in 1868 entered the State University of Wisconsin as a classical student. His course of studies was varied, including studies of botany under Paul Chadbourne, later a president of Williams College. Copeland came to regard work in natural history studies as his true vocation. In 1870, he entered Cornell University, attracted by the facilities for scientific study offered by this institution. Here, he ranked among the very first in his favorite work, botany, but also became proficient in the studies of birds, fishes, and insects. He was considered the best Latin scholar then in the institution. In college, he was a natural leader and often brilliant in the classroom.
Like many others, he worked his way through college. At first, he earned small sums at farm work. He also earned his spending money by work in a wagon shop, skill in the use of carpenter's tools being one of his accomplishments. During his senior year, he taught Latin in a young ladies' collegiate institute, and afterwards he was made instructor in Latin in the University. He graduated with high honors in 1872, as a Bachelor of Philosophy, and was a commencement speaker that year.
In 1874, Copeland was one of the students in Professor Louis Agassiz's summer School of Natural History, at Peniskese Island, Mass. In recognition of his work in zoology and botany, he was awarded an additional Cornell degree of Master of Science. Agassiz's rigorous summer school programs at Peniskese were the institutional model & foundation for the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Mass.
After graduation, H.E. Copeland married Miss Alice M. Bingham, of Monroe, Wisconsin, and took charge of the Ravenswood Academy, near Chicago. Afterwards he became Professor of Natural History, in the State Normal School at Whitewater, Wisconsin, which position he held for two years, resigning in 1875 to take charge of the natural history and sciences work for the city High School of Indianapolis, IN. He filled this position to take the place vacated by his friend D.S. Jordan, who had been promoted from the High School to become Dean of Science at Butler University.
During his two years in Indianapolis, H.E. Copeland and D.S. Jordan renewed their friendship and collaboration in natural history studies, with a focus of the study of fishes (Ichthyology). They explored the White River and other waterways which run through Indianapolis, and collected and identified 10 or more species of Darters, a group of small and brightly colored river fishes, keeping them in aquariums in their rooming house during the study and also publishing articles about Darters. They also worked on cataloging the fresh-water fishes of the United States, a larger work that was unfinished at the time of Copeland's death.
David Starr Jordan concluded his memorial to Copeland as follows: "As to his ability as a teacher, there are hundreds of boys and girls in Indianapolis that can speak as well as I as to his enthusiasm as a student of nature; his work unfinished as it is, will speak for itself. Everything about him was positive. Whatever he thought worth touching at all, he threw his whole soul into...Had he lived, he would have attained a high position in science."
(Source: 1922, David Starr Jordan "The Days of a Man" Vol. I, pgs. 140-145)
HERBERT EDSON COPELAND was born at Stoney Creek, Michigan, May 7, 1849, and died in Indianapolis, December 12, 1876. The cause of death was exposure, caused by falling into the White River during a wintertime fish-collecting expedition there, not far from his residence in Irvington.
Copeland as prepared for college in the high school at Ypsilanti, Mich., and in 1868 entered the State University of Wisconsin as a classical student. His course of studies was varied, including studies of botany under Paul Chadbourne, later a president of Williams College. Copeland came to regard work in natural history studies as his true vocation. In 1870, he entered Cornell University, attracted by the facilities for scientific study offered by this institution. Here, he ranked among the very first in his favorite work, botany, but also became proficient in the studies of birds, fishes, and insects. He was considered the best Latin scholar then in the institution. In college, he was a natural leader and often brilliant in the classroom.
Like many others, he worked his way through college. At first, he earned small sums at farm work. He also earned his spending money by work in a wagon shop, skill in the use of carpenter's tools being one of his accomplishments. During his senior year, he taught Latin in a young ladies' collegiate institute, and afterwards he was made instructor in Latin in the University. He graduated with high honors in 1872, as a Bachelor of Philosophy, and was a commencement speaker that year.
In 1874, Copeland was one of the students in Professor Louis Agassiz's summer School of Natural History, at Peniskese Island, Mass. In recognition of his work in zoology and botany, he was awarded an additional Cornell degree of Master of Science. Agassiz's rigorous summer school programs at Peniskese were the institutional model & foundation for the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Mass.
After graduation, H.E. Copeland married Miss Alice M. Bingham, of Monroe, Wisconsin, and took charge of the Ravenswood Academy, near Chicago. Afterwards he became Professor of Natural History, in the State Normal School at Whitewater, Wisconsin, which position he held for two years, resigning in 1875 to take charge of the natural history and sciences work for the city High School of Indianapolis, IN. He filled this position to take the place vacated by his friend D.S. Jordan, who had been promoted from the High School to become Dean of Science at Butler University.
During his two years in Indianapolis, H.E. Copeland and D.S. Jordan renewed their friendship and collaboration in natural history studies, with a focus of the study of fishes (Ichthyology). They explored the White River and other waterways which run through Indianapolis, and collected and identified 10 or more species of Darters, a group of small and brightly colored river fishes, keeping them in aquariums in their rooming house during the study and also publishing articles about Darters. They also worked on cataloging the fresh-water fishes of the United States, a larger work that was unfinished at the time of Copeland's death.
David Starr Jordan concluded his memorial to Copeland as follows: "As to his ability as a teacher, there are hundreds of boys and girls in Indianapolis that can speak as well as I as to his enthusiasm as a student of nature; his work unfinished as it is, will speak for itself. Everything about him was positive. Whatever he thought worth touching at all, he threw his whole soul into...Had he lived, he would have attained a high position in science."
(Source: 1922, David Starr Jordan "The Days of a Man" Vol. I, pgs. 140-145)
-Biography is adapted from the writings of David Starr Jordan, who was H.E. Copeland's friend, college classmate, and colleague from 1870-1876:
HERBERT EDSON COPELAND was born at Stoney Creek, Michigan, May 7, 1849, and died in Indianapolis, December 12, 1876. The cause of death was exposure, caused by falling into the White River during a wintertime fish-collecting expedition there, not far from his residence in Irvington.
Copeland as prepared for college in the high school at Ypsilanti, Mich., and in 1868 entered the State University of Wisconsin as a classical student. His course of studies was varied, including studies of botany under Paul Chadbourne, later a president of Williams College. Copeland came to regard work in natural history studies as his true vocation. In 1870, he entered Cornell University, attracted by the facilities for scientific study offered by this institution. Here, he ranked among the very first in his favorite work, botany, but also became proficient in the studies of birds, fishes, and insects. He was considered the best Latin scholar then in the institution. In college, he was a natural leader and often brilliant in the classroom.
Like many others, he worked his way through college. At first, he earned small sums at farm work. He also earned his spending money by work in a wagon shop, skill in the use of carpenter's tools being one of his accomplishments. During his senior year, he taught Latin in a young ladies' collegiate institute, and afterwards he was made instructor in Latin in the University. He graduated with high honors in 1872, as a Bachelor of Philosophy, and was a commencement speaker that year.
In 1874, Copeland was one of the students in Professor Louis Agassiz's summer School of Natural History, at Peniskese Island, Mass. In recognition of his work in zoology and botany, he was awarded an additional Cornell degree of Master of Science. Agassiz's rigorous summer school programs at Peniskese were the institutional model & foundation for the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Mass.
After graduation, H.E. Copeland married Miss Alice M. Bingham, of Monroe, Wisconsin, and took charge of the Ravenswood Academy, near Chicago. Afterwards he became Professor of Natural History, in the State Normal School at Whitewater, Wisconsin, which position he held for two years, resigning in 1875 to take charge of the natural history and sciences work for the city High School of Indianapolis, IN. He filled this position to take the place vacated by his friend D.S. Jordan, who had been promoted from the High School to become Dean of Science at Butler University.
During his two years in Indianapolis, H.E. Copeland and D.S. Jordan renewed their friendship and collaboration in natural history studies, with a focus of the study of fishes (Ichthyology). They explored the White River and other waterways which run through Indianapolis, and collected and identified 10 or more species of Darters, a group of small and brightly colored river fishes, keeping them in aquariums in their rooming house during the study and also publishing articles about Darters. They also worked on cataloging the fresh-water fishes of the United States, a larger work that was unfinished at the time of Copeland's death.
David Starr Jordan concluded his memorial to Copeland as follows: "As to his ability as a teacher, there are hundreds of boys and girls in Indianapolis that can speak as well as I as to his enthusiasm as a student of nature; his work unfinished as it is, will speak for itself. Everything about him was positive. Whatever he thought worth touching at all, he threw his whole soul into...Had he lived, he would have attained a high position in science."
(Source: 1922, David Starr Jordan "The Days of a Man" Vol. I, pgs. 140-145)
HERBERT EDSON COPELAND was born at Stoney Creek, Michigan, May 7, 1849, and died in Indianapolis, December 12, 1876. The cause of death was exposure, caused by falling into the White River during a wintertime fish-collecting expedition there, not far from his residence in Irvington.
Copeland as prepared for college in the high school at Ypsilanti, Mich., and in 1868 entered the State University of Wisconsin as a classical student. His course of studies was varied, including studies of botany under Paul Chadbourne, later a president of Williams College. Copeland came to regard work in natural history studies as his true vocation. In 1870, he entered Cornell University, attracted by the facilities for scientific study offered by this institution. Here, he ranked among the very first in his favorite work, botany, but also became proficient in the studies of birds, fishes, and insects. He was considered the best Latin scholar then in the institution. In college, he was a natural leader and often brilliant in the classroom.
Like many others, he worked his way through college. At first, he earned small sums at farm work. He also earned his spending money by work in a wagon shop, skill in the use of carpenter's tools being one of his accomplishments. During his senior year, he taught Latin in a young ladies' collegiate institute, and afterwards he was made instructor in Latin in the University. He graduated with high honors in 1872, as a Bachelor of Philosophy, and was a commencement speaker that year.
In 1874, Copeland was one of the students in Professor Louis Agassiz's summer School of Natural History, at Peniskese Island, Mass. In recognition of his work in zoology and botany, he was awarded an additional Cornell degree of Master of Science. Agassiz's rigorous summer school programs at Peniskese were the institutional model & foundation for the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Mass.
After graduation, H.E. Copeland married Miss Alice M. Bingham, of Monroe, Wisconsin, and took charge of the Ravenswood Academy, near Chicago. Afterwards he became Professor of Natural History, in the State Normal School at Whitewater, Wisconsin, which position he held for two years, resigning in 1875 to take charge of the natural history and sciences work for the city High School of Indianapolis, IN. He filled this position to take the place vacated by his friend D.S. Jordan, who had been promoted from the High School to become Dean of Science at Butler University.
During his two years in Indianapolis, H.E. Copeland and D.S. Jordan renewed their friendship and collaboration in natural history studies, with a focus of the study of fishes (Ichthyology). They explored the White River and other waterways which run through Indianapolis, and collected and identified 10 or more species of Darters, a group of small and brightly colored river fishes, keeping them in aquariums in their rooming house during the study and also publishing articles about Darters. They also worked on cataloging the fresh-water fishes of the United States, a larger work that was unfinished at the time of Copeland's death.
David Starr Jordan concluded his memorial to Copeland as follows: "As to his ability as a teacher, there are hundreds of boys and girls in Indianapolis that can speak as well as I as to his enthusiasm as a student of nature; his work unfinished as it is, will speak for itself. Everything about him was positive. Whatever he thought worth touching at all, he threw his whole soul into...Had he lived, he would have attained a high position in science."
(Source: 1922, David Starr Jordan "The Days of a Man" Vol. I, pgs. 140-145)
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