Turner, Charles Henry
1867-1923 · Contribution: 1890s-1922
Pioneering research in zoology, entomology, and comparative psychology — the study of insect behavior and cognition; demonstrated that insects can hear and distinguish pitch, that bees perceive color and visual patterns, and that insects (e.g., cockroaches) can learn from experience
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
A founder of the study of insect cognition; first to show insects learn, and the first demonstration of Pavlovian conditioning in an invertebrate. First African American to earn a PhD from the University of Chicago (1907) and among the first Black scientists to publish in the journal Science.
Life & background
African-American zoologist, entomologist, and educator born Feb 3, 1867 in Cincinnati, OH; first African American to earn graduate degrees at the University of Cincinnati. Barred by racism from university posts, he taught at Sumner High School in St. Louis while publishing 70+ papers. Died Feb 14, 1923.
Sources
- Encyclopædia Britannica; World Wildlife Fund; PubMed (Abramson 2009)
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