William Thomas Stearn
| William Thomas Stearn | |
|---|---|
W. T. Stearn 1974
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| Born | 16 April 1911 Cambridge, England |
| Died | 9 May 2001 (aged 90) Kingston upon Thames, London, England |
| Institutions | Botany School, Cambridge, Lindley Library, Natural History Museum |
| Education | Cambridge High School for Boys |
| Known for | Botanical taxonomy, History of botany, Botanical Latin, Horticulture |
| Influences | Albert Seward, Agnes Arber, John Gilmour, Humphrey Gilbert-Carter, Harry Godwin, E.A. Bowles |
| Influenced | Ghillean Prance, Norman Robson, Max Walters, Vernon Heywood, John Akeroyd |
| Notable awards | Veitch Memorial Medal (1964), Victoria Medal of Honour (1965), Linnean Medal (1976), Commander of the Swedish Order of the Star of the North (1980), Engler Gold Medal (1993), CBE (1997), Asa Gray Award (2000) |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Stearn |
| Spouse | Eldwyth Ruth Alford 1940–2001 |
| Children | 3 |
Professor William Thomas Stearn /stɜːrn/, CBE, FLS, VMH (16 April 1911 – 8 May 2001) was a pre-eminent British botanist. Born in Cambridge in 1911, he was largely self-educated, and developed an early interest in books and natural history. His initial work experience was in a Cambridge bookshop, but he also had a position as an assistant in the university botany department. At the age of 29 he married Eldwyth Ruth Alford, who became his collaborator. He died in London in 2001, survived by his widow and three children.
While at the bookshop, he was offered a position as librarian at the Royal Horticultural Society in London (1933–1952). From there he moved to the Natural History Museum as a scientific officer in the botany department (1952–1976). After retirement, he continued working there, writing, and serving on a number of professional bodies related to his work, including the Linnean Society, of which he became President. He also taught botany at Cambridge University, as a visiting professor (1977–1983).
Stearn is known for his work in botanical taxonomy and botanical history, particularly classical botanical literature, botanical illustration and for his studies of the Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus. His best known books are his Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners, a popular guide to the Latin names of plants, and his Botanical Latin for scientists.
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