Conard, Dr, Henry Shoemaker 1874-1971

CONARD, SARGENT, MOON, CARKEY, FRENCH

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes
Date: 3/17/2014 at 18:19:40

The Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register
Oct. 11, 1971

DR. CONARD DIES,
LEADING BOTANIST

Henry Shoemaker Conard emeritus professor of botany at Grinnell College, died Thursday, Oct. 7, in Haines City, Fla. He was 97 years old.

A distinguished scientist and teacher, Conard served on the Grinnell faculty for 38 years, from 1906 until his retirement in 1944.

A memorial service was held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, at the Dave Lane Funeral Home in Haines City.

Born in Philadelphia, Pa., on Sept. 12, 1874, Conard received the B.S. and M.A. degrees from Haverford College, and his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

A bryologist (specialist in mosses), Conard earned an international reputation in his field. He was also noted for his intense interest in preserving the natural environment.

In 1968 he was one of 15 charter members inducted into the Iowa Conservation Hall of Fame by the Iowa Chapter of the Wildlife Society. The honor was one of many received during his long life and career.

A member of many state, regional, and national scientific societies, he was a past president of the American Bryological Society and the Iowa Academy of Science.

Author of more than 100 articles and monographs in leading journals, he wrote authoritatively on the mosses and other plants of Iowa as well as on a wide variety of other botanical and horticultural subjects. His book, The Plants of Iowa, remains the definitive work in the field. He also researched and wrote a similar work on the vegetation of Florida.

For his writings and interest in environmental studies, he was named "Eminent Ecologist" by the Ecological Society of America in 1954. He was also honored by the Botanical Society of America in 1956.

In 1969 Grinnell College paid tribute to the long time scientist-teacher by opening the Henry S. Conard Environmental Research Area, a 365-acre tract near Grinnell devoted to research and instruction in environmental sciences.

Conard was named a Johnston Scholar in Botany by Johns Hopkins University and received honorary doctorates from Grinnell and Haverford Colleges.

Conard is survived by his wife, the former Louisa Sargent, whom he married in 1950. His first wife, the former E. Letitia Moon, died in 1946. Also surviving are a son, Alfred F. Conard, professor of law at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and two daughters, Mrs. Harold Carkey (Elizabeth Conard) and Mrs. Porter French (Rebecca Conard).