Henry Weed Fowler

Henry Weed Fowler, born on March twenty-third, nineteen seventy-eight, in Holmesburg, Pennsylvania, was a distinguished American zoologist renowned for his contributions to herpetology and ichthyology. His academic journey began at Stanford University, where he studied under the esteemed David Starr Jordan, laying the foundation for a prolific career in natural sciences.

Fowler's professional tenure at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia spanned over six decades. He served as an assistant from nineteen hundred three to nineteen twenty-two, then advanced to associate curator of vertebrates until nineteen thirty-four. His expertise in fish and reptiles led him to become curator of fish and reptiles from nineteen thirty-four to nineteen forty, and subsequently, curator of fish until nineteen sixty-five.

Throughout his career, Fowler published extensively on a variety of subjects, including crustaceans, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. However, his most significant contributions were in the field of ichthyology. In nineteen twenty-seven, he co-founded the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, serving as treasurer during its inaugural year.

In nineteen thirty-four, Fowler embarked on a notable expedition to Cuba, invited by the renowned author Ernest Hemingway, alongside Charles Cadwalader, the Academy's president. This six-week journey focused on studying billfishes and fostered a lasting friendship among the trio. Fowler honored Hemingway by naming the spinycheek scorpionfish (Neomerithe hemingwayi) after him, reflecting the deep bond formed during their time together. Hemingway later drew upon the knowledge gained from Fowler and Cadwalader in his celebrated work, The Old Man and the Sea.