Louis Agassiz

Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz (May 28 1807-December 14 1873) was a Swiss-born American zoologist, glaciologist, and geologist, the husband of educator Elizabeth Cabot Cary Agassiz, and one of the first world-class American scientists. He was a prominent supporter of polygenism.

Early life and education

Louis Agassiz was born in Môtiers in Neuchâtel canton, Switzerland. Educated first at home, then spending four years of secondary school in Bienne, he completed his elementary studies in Lausanne. Having adopted medicine as his profession, he studied successively at the universities of Zürich, Heidelberg and Munich; while there he extended his knowledge of natural history, especially of botany. In 1829 he received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Erlangen, and in 1830 that of doctor of medicine at Munich. Moving to Paris he fell under the tutelage of Alexander von Humboldt and Georges Cuvier, who launched him on his careers of geology and zoology respectively. Until shortly before this time he had paid no special attention to the study of ichthyology, which soon afterwards became the great occupation of his life, if not the one for which he is most remembered in the modern day. Agassiz always declared that he was led into ichthyological pursuits through the following circumstances:

Related Topics:
Môtiers - Neuchâtel - Switzerland - Bienne - Lausanne - Zürich - Heidelberg - Munich - Botany - 1829 - Doctor of Philosophy - Erlangen - 1830 - Doctor of medicine - Paris - Alexander von Humboldt - Georges Cuvier - Ichthyology

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