Joseph Conrad Chamberlin

Infobox_Scientist
name = Joseph Conrad Chamberlin


image_width =
caption =
birth_date = birth date|1898|12|23|mf=y
birth_place = Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
death_date = death date and age|1962|7|17|1898|12|23|mf=y
death_place = Hillsboro, Oregon, United States
residence =
nationality =
field = arachnologist
work_institutions = United States Department of Agriculture
alma_mater = Stanford University
doctoral_advisor =
doctoral_students =
known_for = arachnology
author_abbrev_bot =
prizes =
religion =
footnotes =

Joseph Conrad Chamberlin (December 23 1898—July 17 1962) was an American arachnologist who studied mainly pseudoscorpions. A native of Utah, he studied primarily at Stanford University while working most of his career in Oregon for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Chamberlin has had eleven species named in his honor.

Early life

Chamberlin was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1898 to Ole Chamberlin and Mary Ethel (Conrad) Chamberlin.Judson, Mark & Chamberlin, David C. (1998): [http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_free/JoA_v26_n3/JoA_v26_p411.pdf Joseph C. Chamberlin 1898-1962.] "The Journal of Arachnology" 26(3): 411-418.] His parents were descended from early Mormon pioneer families, and he was their first child. Joseph's father died in 1911, leaving the remaining five person family near poverty. After one year of high school, he left school in 1914 to work in order to support the family. In October 1918, Joseph was drafted into the United States Army, but fell ill with the Spanish flu pandemic and never served in World War I.

After recovering, Chamberlain began college at the University of Utah when Congress allocated funding for veterans. Originally a one year program, Congress expanded it to cover four years of school and Chamberlain transferred to Stanford University upon the recommendation of his uncle, Ralph Vary Chamberlin. He was accepted as a special case, and studied entomology in the Zoology Department. His tutor at Stanford University was Gordon Floyd Ferris, an internationally reputed entomologist at the time. Chamberlain graduated in 1923 with a BA degree, and in 1924 with a masters degree.

Career

Chamberlain began teaching after college at San Jose State University before earning a PhD from Stanford in 1929. That year, he began working for the United States Department of Agriculture. His first assignment with the Department was in Idaho, where he worked until transferring to Modesto, California in 1935. In 1936, he moved to Oregon, where he worked at a field station in Corvallis. In 1939, Chamberlain transferred to the Forest Grove, Oregon station where he remained until 1961. He died on July 17 1962 in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Two genus-group names and eleven species have been named after him.Harvey, Mark S. & Judson, Mark (1998): [http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_free/JoA_v26_n3/JoA_v26_p409.pdf A Tribute to Joseph C. Chamberlin on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth.] Preface. "The Journal of Arachnology" 26(3): 409-410.] He would describe several species while working with his uncle.

References

Further reading

* [http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_tocs/JOA_contents_v26n3.html A Tribute to Joseph C. Chamberlin] "The Journal of Arachnology" 26(3): 409-459.