Jared Potter Kirtland | |
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 Jared Potter Kirtland | |
| Born | (1793-11-10)November 10, 1793 |
| Died | December 10, 1877(1877-12-10) (aged 84) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | natural history malacology |
| Institutions | Cleveland Museum of Natural History |
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Jared Potter Kirtland (November 10, 1793 – December 10, 1877) was anaturalist,malacologist, andpolitician most active in theU.S. state ofOhio, where he served as aprobate judge, and in theOhio House of Representatives. He was also aphysician and co-founder ofWestern Reserve University's Medical School, as well as what would become theCleveland Museum of Natural History. The Kirtland Bird Club of Northeast Ohio, founded on September 28, 1940, is named after him.[1]
Kirtland was born inWallingford, Connecticut. His mother was Mary, daughter of Dr. Jared Potter, a famous physician of Wallingford. His father, Turhand Kirtland, was largely interested in the purchases made by theConnecticut Land Company in Ohio, and moved to theWestern Reserve in 1803. In the meantime the son remained in Wallingford. When Potter died in 1810, he left a legacy to provide for Jared's medical education atEdinburgh. But theWar of 1812 with Great Britain prevented the voyage, and when theYale School of Medicine went into operation in 1813, Kirtland was the first matriculated student in a class of 38 members. He was married in May, 1814, to Caroline, second daughter of Joshua Atwater, of Wallingford, and after graduation in 1815 he practiced in Wallingford until 1818, when he made a journey to Ohio to perfect arrangements for a removal thither. But on returning for his family he found a peculiarly attractive opportunity for establishing himself inDurham, Conn., and there remained until the death of his wife in 1823, when he carried out his intention of settling inPoland, Ohio.
He had acquired a large country practice, and had also been for three terms a member of the legislature, when in 1837 he was elected to the professorship of the theory and practice of medicine in theOhio Medical College atCincinnati. He resigned this position in 1842, having in the meantime purchased a fine fruit farm inEast Rockport, five miles from the city ofCleveland, where he spent the rest of his life. In 1843 the medical department of the Western Reserve College was established, at Cleveland, and he filled the chair of theory and practice in that institution until 1864. He was elected an Associate Fellow of theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1855.[2] Twenty years later, in 1875, he was elected as a member to theAmerican Philosophical Society.[3]
Besides his professional attainments, Dr. Kirtland was interested in all departments of natural history. He was an efficient assistant in the first geological survey of Ohio, and was untiring in his efforts to improve the horticulture and agriculture of his adopted state. He died at his residence in East Rockport, December 10, 1877, aged 84 years.[4]
Shortly after the death of his first wife he was married to Hannah F. Toucey, ofNewtown, Conn. Of three children by his first marriage, one daughter survived him. His great-grandsonKirtland Cutter became an architect, designing YaleSheffield Scientific School and various personal residences such as thePatsy Clark Mansion.[5]
Kirtland's warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii),Kirtland's snake (Clonophis kirtlandii),[6] and theforest vine snake (Thelotornis kirtlandii)[6] are named after him.
This article incorporates public domain material from theYale Obituary Record.
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