William Willard Ashe
| William Willard Ashe | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 4, 1872 Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Died | March 18, 1932 (aged 59) Washington, D.C. |
| Citizenship | American |
| Fields | forestry, botany |
| Alma mater |
University of North Carolina, Cornell University |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Ashe |
William Willard Ashe (June 4, 1872 – March 18, 1932) was an American forester and botanist. He was known as a prolific collector of plant specimens and an early proponent of conservationism in the Southern United States.
Ashe was born in Raleigh, North Carolina to Samuel A'Court Ashe (1840 – 1938) and Hannah Emerson Willard. He was the oldest of nine children and grew up on the family's antebellum estate "Elmwood," where he spent much of his childhood exploring the nearby woods and fields looking for natural curiosities. He quickly took to collecting plant specimens, and by the time he entered college, Ashe required a two-story building to house his entire collection. As a young man, Ashe also spent time writing; and along with his brother Samuel, he produced a tract titled "The West End Sun" that included woodcuts made by W.W. Ashe himself. A copy of "The West End Sun" was placed in the cornerstone of the State Agricultural College Building in Raleigh.
Ashe was from a storied southern family. His father was a Confederate captain during the American Civil War, as well as a regarded historian and member of the North Carolina legislature. His grandfather, William Shepperd Ashe (1814 – 1862), was a member of the North Carolina state senate who also served as a United States Congressman from 1849 to 1855. W.W. Ashe was also a descendant of Samuel Ashe (1725 – 1813), the ninth Governor of North Carolina.
Ashe was schooled at home by his mother and great-aunt before entering the Raleigh Male Academy when he was 12. Only three years later, in 1891, he matriculated at the University of North Carolina and graduated with a bachelor's degree that same year. One year later, he received an MS in botany and geology from Cornell University. Ashe also took an interest in ornithology during his college years and amassed an impressive collection of eggs and stuffed birds during that time.
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