Thomas Say

Thomas Say
Thomas Say by Joseph Wood, c. 1812
Born	(1787-06-27)June 27, 1787 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died	October 10, 1834(1834-10-10) (aged 47) New Harmony, Indiana
Nationality	American
Known for	"father of descriptive entomology in the United States"
Scientific career
Fields	Natural history, Entomology
Institutions	Academy of Natural Sciences

Thomas Say (June 27, 1787 – October 10, 1834) was an American entomologist, conchologist, and herpetologist. His studies of insects and shells, numerous contributions to scientific journals, and scientific expeditions to Florida, Georgia, the Rocky Mountains, Mexico, and elsewhere made him an internationally known naturalist. Say has been called the father of American descriptive entomology and American conchology. He served as librarian for the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, curator at the American Philosophical Society (elected in 1817),^[1] and professor of natural history at the University of Pennsylvania.^[2][3]