Sidney Dillon Ripley
| S. Dillon Ripley | |
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,_S._Dillon_Ripley_(1913-2001),_Salim_Ali.jpg)
Salim Ali, Mary Ripley, and S. Dillon Ripley on a collection trip in India
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| 8th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution | |
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In office 1964–1984 |
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| Preceded by | Leonard Carmichael |
| Succeeded by | Robert McCormick Adams |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 20, 1913 New York City, New York |
| Died | March 12, 2001 (aged 87) Washington, D.C. |
| Nationality | American |
| Education |
Yale University (BA) Harvard University (PhD) |
| Known for | Ornithology |
Sidney Dillon Ripley II (September 20, 1913 – March 12, 2001) was an American ornithologist and wildlife conservationist. He served as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution for 20 years, from 1964 to 1984, leading the Institution through its period of greatest growth and expansion. For his leadership at the Smithsonian, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Ronald Reagan in 1985.
Ripley was born in New York City and studied at St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire. In 1936, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Yale University. His great-grandfather, Sidney Dillon, was President of the Union Pacific Railroad.
A visit to India at age 13, along with his sister, included a walking tour into Ladakh and western Tibet. This led to his lifelong interest in the birds of India. He decided that birds were more interesting than law, and he began studying zoology at Columbia University. As a part of his study, Ripley participated in the Denison-Crockett Expedition to New Guinea in 1937-1938 and the Vanderbilt Expedition to Sumatra in 1939. He later obtained a Ph.D. in Zoology from Harvard University in 1943.
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