E. Lucy Braun

Abstract

Emma Lucy Braun (b. 1889–d. 1971) was one of the more influential plant ecologists of the 20th century. She is known primarily for her seminal book, Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America, first published in 1950 with later facsimile reprintings. Although this book tends to overshadow her other accomplishments, those contributions to the fields of plant ecology and taxonomy are quite notable and considerable in themselves; she was a pioneer in conservation biology, she published numerous papers in prominent ecological journals (including Ecology, Ecological Monographs, and Botanical Review), and she was a distinguished plant taxonomist (author of The Woody Plants of Ohio). She actively contributed to and was a member of several notable scientific and ecological societies, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Ecological Society of America, the Botanical Society of America, the American Society of Plant Taxonomists, and the British Ecological Society. The broad biogeographic range of her interests contrasts with the provinciality of her academic pedigree; she was educated, and then a long-standing faculty member, at the University of Cincinnati, her city of birth. Beginning with the degrees of B.A. (1910?), M.A. (1912), and Ph.D. (1914). She was appointed assistant and instructor of botany in 1914 and rose through the ranks to full professor of botany. She retired as professor emerita in 1948, although her retirement years were remarkably productive with the publication of three books and several noteworthy papers. In 1950, she became the first woman president of the Ecological Society of America and the only woman to hold that office until 1986. With graduate research experience in both geology (M.A.) and botany (Ph.D.), she was one of the earlier in the field to not only embrace the multidisciplinary nature of ecology, but also use it to advance the field. In addition to her earned degrees, she was awarded an honorary D.Sc. from the University of Cincinnati in 1964.