David Starr JordanBorn 19 Jan 1851; died 19 Sep 1931 at age 80. American ichthyologist and peace activist who was not only a leading American authority on ichthyology (study of fish) in his time, but also a renowned expert in many fields. At the Scopes Monkey Trial he provided expert testimony supporting the theory of evolution. He wrote extensively on education, philosophy, eugenics and peace, as well as science. In 1885, Indiana University appointed him its President, at the time, the youngest in the nation. He was a leader for international peace. He applied biology in his arguments for peace, stating that war endangered the health of the species because it was the strongest individuals who died, and were lost from the gene pool. Before America engaged in WW I, he opposed being involved, though once war became the reality, he supported the necessity of aggressive measures to terminate the conflict as soon as possible.« |
