Naturalist; born in Motier parish, near
Neuchatel, Switzerland, May 28. 1807.
He was of
Huguenot descent, was thoroughly educated at
Heidelberg and
Munich, and received the honorary degree of Ph.D. He prosecuted his studies in natural history in
Paris, where
Cuvier offered him his collection for the purpose.
The liberality of
Humboldt enabled him to publish his great work (1834-44) on
Fossil fishes, in 5 volumes, with an atlas.
He arrived in
Boston in 1846, and lectured there
on the
Animal Kingdom and on Glaciers.
In the summer of 1847 the superintendent of the Coast Survey tendered him the facilities of that service for a continuance of his scientific investigations.
Professor Agassiz settled in
Cambridge, and was made
Professor of Zoology and Geology of the Lawrence Scientific School at its foundation in 1848.
That year he made.
with some of his pupils, a scientific exploration of the shores of
Lake Superior.
He afterwards explored the southern coasts of the
United States, of
Brazil, and the waters of the
Pacific Ocean.
An account of his explorations on the
Brazilian coast was given in
A journey to Brazil, by
Mrs. Agassiz, in 1867.
He received the
Copley Medal from the Royal Society of
London;
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from the Aeademy of Sciences of
Paris, the
Monthyon Prize and the
Cuvier Prize; the
Wollaston Medal from the Geological Society of
London; and the Medal of Merit from the
King of
Prussia.
He was a member of many scientific societies, and the universities of
Dublin and Ediniburgh conferred on him the honorary degree of Ll.D.
Professor Agassiz published valuable scientific works in
Europe and in the
United States.
He died in
Cambridge, Mass., Dec. 14, 1873.
