Alexander Wetmore
An American scientist who meticulously mapped the family tree of birds, bridging the gap between ancient fossils and modern wings.
1886–1978 (age 92)·American ornithologist and avian paleontologist·Birthday: June 18·The Lost Generation
Biography
Frank Alexander Wetmore’s life was dedicated to birds, in all their forms—from the living species he observed in the field to the fragile bones he extracted from ancient rock. His career was a seamless blend of administration and intense, hands-on science. After earning his doctorate, he worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Biological Survey, studying bird migration and disease. His true legacy was cemented at the Smithsonian Institution, where he served as Secretary, guiding the entire organization, yet always remained a working scientist in the museum's halls. Wetmore was a systematic, producing a definitive classification of birds that integrated paleontological finds with anatomical studies of modern species. He traveled extensively through Panama and South America, collecting specimens that filled museum cabinets and fleshed out his understanding of avian evolution.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Alexander was born in 1886, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alexander Was Born
The biggest hits of 1886
Alexander's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1886Born
Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor
President: Grover Cleveland
1891Started school
President: Benjamin Harrison
1899Became a teenager
President: William McKinley
1902Could drive
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1904Could vote
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1907Turned 21
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1916Turned 30
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Turned 40
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1936Turned 50
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1946Turned 60
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1956Turned 70
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 80
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1978Died at 92
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
Key Achievements
- Served as the sixth Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution from 1945 to 1952.
- Published 'A Systematic Classification for the Birds of the World', a major reference work that organized avian taxonomy.
- Led extensive ornithological expeditions across Latin America, significantly expanding scientific collections.
- Was elected to both the United States National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society.
Did You Know?
The Wetmore Glacier in Antarctica is named in his honor.
He authored the multi-volume series 'The Birds of the Republic of Panama'.
He began his career studying the relation of birds to agriculture, including their role in controlling insect pests.
“A fossil bone is a letter from a world we have lost.”
