Why was John James Audubon denied membership at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia in 1824?

Abstract

In 1824, John James Audubon (1785–1851), painter and ornithologist, was nominated for a “corresponding” (non-resident) membership at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP). However, one month later, he was rejected by a vote of its resident members. This controversial event was a turning point in Audubon's career, which prompted him to abandon his goal of publishing in the United States and, instead, to seek an engraver and subscribers in Europe. Biographers have suggested that Audubon's rejection was orchestrated by George Ord (1781–1866), then ANSP Vice President, who may have felt jealous and/or threatened by his talent. However, an essay written by Ord in 1831, published here for the first time, explains that Audubon was only rejected after he was caught falsely accusing Alexander Wilson (1766–1813), the late ornithologist and ANSP member, of plagiarism and scientific fraud. Heretofore, historians have assumed that these accusations were first levied in 1839, but the primary record indicates that they were first levied in 1824. This revelation has significant implications for Audubon's biography and the history of American ornithology.