William T. Stearn

William T. Stearn CBE FLS VMH
W. T. Stearn, 1974
Born	William Thomas Stearn (1911-04-16)16 April 1911 Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England
Died	9 May 2001(2001-05-09) (aged 90) Kingston upon Thames, London, England
Education	Cambridge High School for Boys
Known for	Botanical taxonomy, history of botany, Botanical Latin, horticulture
Spouse	Eldwyth Ruth Alford ​ (m. 1940)​
Children	3
Awards	Veitch Memorial Medal (1964), Victoria Medal of Honour (1965), Linnean Medal (1976), Commander of the Swedish Order of the Star of the North (1980), Engler Gold Medal (1993), Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1997), Asa Gray Award (2000)
Scientific career
Institutions	Botany School, Cambridge, Lindley Library, Natural History Museum
Author abbrev. (botany)	Stearn

William Thomas Stearn CBE FLS VMH (/stɜːrn/; 16 April 1911 – 9 May 2001) was a British botanist. Born in Cambridge in 1911, he was largely self-educated and developed an early interest in books and natural history. His initial work experience was at a Cambridge bookshop, but he also had an occupation as an assistant in the university botany department. At the age of 29, he married Eldwyth Ruth Alford, who later became his collaborator.

While at the bookshop, he was offered a position as a librarian at the Royal Horticultural Society in London (1933–1952). From there he moved to the Natural History Museum as a scientific officer in the botany department (1952–1976). After his retirement, he continued working there, writing, and serving on a number of professional bodies related to his work, including the Linnean Society, of which he became president. He also taught botany at Cambridge University as a visiting professor (1977–1983).

Stearn is known for his work in botanical taxonomy and botanical history, particularly classical botanical literature, botanical illustration and for his studies of the Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus. His best known books are his Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners, a popular guide to the scientific names of plants, and his Botanical Latin for scientists.

Stearn received many honours for his work, at home and abroad, and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1997. Considered one of the most eminent British botanists of his time, he is remembered by an essay prize in his name from the Society for the History of Natural History, and a named cultivar of Epimedium, one of many genera about which he produced monographs. He is the botanical authority for over 400 plants that he named and described.