HELLER, Amos Arthur
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HELLER, Amos Arthur (1867-1944)
Heller collected on:
- Santa Catalina Island (1908)
WIKIPEDIA: Arthur Amos Heller, botanist and prolific collecter from 1892-1940. He and his wife founded the botanical journal Muhlenbergia.
Amos Arthur Heller = [1896] Emily Gertrude Halbach
- daughter (Mrs. Albert T. Bickett of Marysville)
- daughter (Mrs. Frank Pritchett of Vacaville)
In the News~
May 20, 1944 [Chico Daily Record]: “Dr. A.A. Heller, Veteran Botanist, Chico Teacher, Dies in Vacaville. Dr. A.A. Heller, passed away Thursday night at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Frank Pritchett of Vacaville. Dr. Heller was born in a farm in Montour County, Pennsylvania, Mach 21, 1867. He first attended school at a little white schoolhouse on a hill not far from his home. When he had completed the eighth grade, he decided that he had absorbed enough of the three R’s, but his elder brother and guardian had other ideas and apprenticed young Arthur to a printer. He was very unhappy during his apprenticeship, but learned it well. At the end of this period he decided that he wanted an education, and so returned to school. When he had completed his secondary schooling, he enrolled at Franklin Marshall College where he majored in science, especially Botany. He graduated with honors with the class of 1892. It was during his years at college that he met his future bride, the Miss Emily Gertrude Halbach. Following his graduation, he spent a number o years in field research with the New York Botanical Gardens. At this time he visited California which was to later be his home. He also made trips up into Idaho and Montana which were at that time wild country. He spent over a year in the Hawaiian Islands classifying the flora of the interesting islands. He married Miss Halbach on April 8th, 1896. He was awarded his master’s degree in 1897. He was also awarded an honorary membership in the Society of the Sigma Xi. Immediately following the Spanish American War, The New York Botanical Gardens sent he and his wife on the Vanderbilt Expedition to Puerto Rico where he obtained many valuable specimens and continued with his botanical research and writing. His botanical collections and publications are in all the large universities of the United States and Europe. He was associated with the botanical department of the University of Minnesota for a year. After turning down several offers from colleges and universities, he came to California where he settled down on a small farm to continue his research and botanical publications. In 1908 he accepted a position at the University of Nevada where he remained for five years. He then came to Chico where he has lived ever since. He again returned to the school room in 1917 when he accepted a position in the science department at Chico High school. During his 21 years there he made many friends among the teachers and students and was fondly known to the students as “Doc Heller.” He retired from teaching in 1938. Arthur Heller received several honorary degrees and awards. In 1911 he returned to Lancaster where his Doctors degree was conferred upon him. In 1936 he was elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science and for a number of years had his name in Who’s Who in America. He also had a lifelong interest in Philately. In 1929 he started building up a stamp business which he has followed with much enthusiasm since his retirement from teaching. One of his specialties was servicing first day covers which took him on trips to most of the Western states and brought him a host of new friends. He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Albert T. Bickett of Marysville and Mrs. Frank Pritchett of Vacaville; also six grandchildren: Ruth, Rose and Teddy Bickett and Margaret, Frank and Elsa Prichett. Services will be held from the Nugent Funeral Service Monday at 2:30 p.m. Rev. H.H. Allen officiating. Interment will be in the Chico cemetery.”
