William Henry Phelps

Infobox_Scientist
name = William Henry Phelps


image_width =200px
caption = William Henry Phelps at the Isla de Aves in 1954
birth_date = birth date|1875|6|14|df=y
birth_place = New York City
residence = Venezuela
nationality =
death_date = death date and age|1965|12|8|1875|6|14|df=y
death_place = Caracas
field = Ornithology
work_institutions =
alma_mater = Harvard College
doctoral_advisor = Frank M. Chapman
doctoral_students =
known_for = 239 new taxa
prizes = Brewster Medal 1955
religion =


footnotes =

William Henry Phelps (June 14, 1875 - December 8, 1965) was an American ornithologist and businessman.

Early life

Born in New York City to Dudley F. Phelps, and of Louise Lander Prince Phelps, he attended Milton Academy and Harvard College. In the summer of 1896 he decided to go on a journey of ornithological exploration to Venezuela following the advice of Wirt Robinson, who had visited Margarita Island the year before, and from his mentor Frank M. Chapman. He came to the ports of Puerto Cabello and La Guaira to finally explore a region near Cumaná. After a long stay in the states of Sucre and Monagas, he became fascinated with the country and its birds. In San Antonio de Maturín, he met a family of British settlers, the Tuckers, and felt in love with one of the daughters, Alicia Elvira.

He returned to the United States with a small collection of specimens that he brought to Chapman at the American Museum of Natural History. The specimens he collected became the basis for his first publication published with Chapman in 1897.

ettling in Venezuela

Once he finished his studies at Harvard, Phelps returned to Venezuela in 1897, to marry Alicia Elvira Tucker and settle in Maturín. There he began one of many successful business ventures by selling coffee. His first two children, John and William Henry Jr., were born during that time. This second son, William H. Phelps, Jr. became one his foremost collaborators in all matters concerning ornithology.

William H. Phelps also founded Radio Caracas Radio.

Works

*(With John Todd Zimmer and Ernest Thomas Gilliard A new race of the honey-creeper, Diglossa cyanea, from Venezuela (New York : American Museum of Natural History 1952)
*(With John Todd Zimmer) New subspecies of birds from Surinam and Venezuela (New York : American Museum of Natural History 1951)
*(With William H. Phelps, Jr.) Lista de las aves de Venezuela con su distribución (Caracas: Editorial Grafolit 1950)
*(With John Todd Zimmer) A new name for Basileuterus culicivorus roraimae (New York : American Museum of Natural History 1949)

References

*El viajero de las aves : la obra científica de William H. Phelps (Ediciones PPC : Libros de El Nacional 2006) ISBN 9806454251

External links

* [http://www.nocvenezuela.org/en/dyncat.cfm?catid=1652 Biography of William Henry Phelps and William H. Phelps, Jr.]