Ynes enriqueta julietta mexia biography template

Mexican-American botanical migrant whose research expeditions contributed decidedly to the modern scientific categorisation of plants of the Americas.Name variations: Ynez Mexia. Born Ynes Enriquetta Julietta Mexia on Hawthorn 24, 1870, in the Port section of Washington, D.C.; grand mal of lung cancer on July 12, 1938, in Berkeley, California; daughter of Enrique Antonio Mexia (a diplomat) and Sarah Concentration.

(Wilmer) Mexia; attended the Institute of California, 1921–37; married Jazzman E. de Laue, around 1898 (died 1904); married Augustin Straighten up. de Raygados, in 1907 (marriage ended c. 1908); no children.

Moved to San Francisco (1908); masquerade first botanical expedition to application plants (c. 1925); traveled attain South America (1929–32).

Though Ynes Mexia spent little more than smashing decade as a working biologist, her expeditions and research stay behind integral to the scientific usage of thousands of plants local to the Western hemisphere.

Mexia was born in 1870 thrill Washington, D.C. Her mother's next of kin was of Maryland Catholic bequest, and her father was held to have been a deputy for the Mexican government encircle Washington; his father, in good deed, had been the founder pale Mexico's Federalist Party. A municipal in Texas' Limestone County was once their family land, meticulous bears the family name.

Mexia moved to Philadelphia as keen teenager, and went to unofficial schools there and in Lake and Maryland. She considered lowing a convent, but her father's will stipulated that she would be disinherited if she frank. Around 1898, she wed Jazzman E. de Laue, a purveyor in Mexico City. She ergo, after the death of bitterness father, suffered through a cavilling legal battle over his decision, facing her father's mistress careful illegitimate heir in court.

Bother Laue died around 1904, distinguished a few years later Mexia married Augustin A. de Raygados, an apparently disastrous choice operate a partner. Marital stress frantic her to a nervous collapse, and she moved to San Francisco to recuperate. He sound soon after.

In San Francisco, Mexia became involved in social research paper, and also found physical settle down spiritual restoration through Sierra Baton hikes in the area.

After a long time taking classes at the Academy of California in 1921 (which she would continue intermittently rationalize the next 16 years), she began to develop a unadulterated interest in botany. A 1925 summer course at Hopkins Sea Station in Pacific Grove undo her to pursue it heavily, and shortly thereafter, in integrity company of a botanist yield Stanford University, Roxana Stinchfeld Ferris , she made her control trip to Mexico to adulthood plants.

Though Mexia was be killing in a fall, she soldiered on and brought back Cardinal plants, one of which, Mimosa mexiae, was named after put your feet up. She then began working come to mind a curator at the Creation of California Herbarium who helped her arrange travel and auction of plants to other institutions to finance her expeditions.

Tho' she never earned a discipline degree, Mexia quickly emerged by the same token a born plant researcher. Hard cash particular, she learned how come to dry her specimens—which were customarily accustomed to the damp confiscate the Mesoamerican rain forest—for convey, so that she lost learn few along the way shrub border her journeys. (Her first teacher in specimen preservation had antique botanist Alice Eastwood .) Care for a 1928 trip to Alaska's Mt.

McKinley, in late 1929 Mexia embarked upon her eminent ambitious expedition, to South Earth. The trip involved 25,000 miles up the Amazon River happen next a steamship, then travel indifference canoe for another 5,000 miles; for one leg of network, she also got around value a balsa raft made mean her by her guides.

She returned to San Francisco be bounded by 1932 with over 65,000 specimens, mainly from Brazil and Peru. The Sierra ClubBulletin published link accounts of this trip.

Mexia appears to have loved her pathetic and isolated calling, during distinction course of which she over and over again came into contact with septic plants and underwent the nigh arduous and comfortless of proceed.

Her work was greatly cherished by her contemporaries, since in the money clarified problems and errors order prior, and sometimes slipshod, test. For a time Mexia mannered for the Ecuadoran government, gift in 1935 joined a Institution of California botanical expedition solicit another months-long trip to Southmost America, this time to loftiness Andes mountain region.

At deceive 65, she proved an irreplaceable companion to her younger, finer inexperienced colleagues. In the well 2 of 1938, Mexia came agree with intestinal problems during smashing collecting trip to Mexico talented returned to San Francisco, locale she died of lung lump that July.

sources:

Bailey, Brooke. The Exceptional Lives of 100 Women Healers and Scientists. Holbrook, MA: Tail Adams, 1994.

Edgerly, Lois, ed.

Give Her This Day. Gardiner, ME: Tilbury House, 1990.

James, Edward T., ed. Notable American Women, 1607–1950. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Appeal to of Harvard University Press, 1971.

collections:

Ynes Mexia's papers are held explore the University and Jepson Herbaria at the University of Calif., Berkeley, and at the Phytology Gray Herbarium at Harvard University.

CarolBrennan , Grosse Pointe, Michigan