Jacob Whitman Bailey (1811 - 1857)

Born 29 Apr 1811 in Auburn, Massachusetts, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 28 Feb 1857 at age 45 in West Point, Highlands, Orange, New York, United States

Biography

This profile is part of the Bailey Name Study.

Jacob Bailey is Notable.

Jacob Whitman Bailey was an American naturalist, known as the pioneer in microscopic research in America. In 1832 graduated at West Point, where, after 1834, he was successively assistant professor, acting professor, and professor of chemistry, mineralogy, and geology. At West Point he studied with John Torrey. He devised various improvements in the construction of the microscope and made an extensive collection of microscopic objects and of algæ, which he left to the Boston Society of Natural History. In 1857 he was president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, as well as a member of the National Institute for the Promotion of Science, a precursor to the Smithsonian Institution. He was elected an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) in 1845. Bailey and his son William were survivors of the steamboat Henry Clay disaster on July 28, 1852, though his wife and daughter, both named Maria, were among the casualties.

Sources

• William Ramage, firsthand knowledge. Click the Changes tab for the details of edits by William and others.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Whitman_Bailey