Geek of the Week -- Charles Henry Turner

This week's Geek was an pioneer in the field of invertebrate behavior. He was the first to discover that honeybees can see color, that cockroaches can learn by trial and error, and that insects can hear and distinguish pitch.  All of this was accomplished despite the fact that no university would or could hire him.

Charles Henry Turner was born in Cincinnati in 1867.  he became the first African American to receive a graduate degree at the University of Cincinnati and the first to receive a PhD at the University of Chicago. Despite this, he was unable to get a university appointment -- the one university that wanted him, the Tuskegee Institute, could not afford to pay both Turner and George Washington Carver, and so declined to hire him.

Undaunted, Turner chose to teach high school, continuing to do his research at the same time.  Without the resources of a university at his disposal, he managed to conduct research on a variety of creatures, including ants, honeybees, cockroaches, wasps, moths, spiders, crustaceans, and pigeons. He published 49 papers and was the first African American to be published in Science.  With no assistance and limited funds, he had to fit his work in around his teaching duties, squeezing it in at night or over summer vacation.  He even brought his bees into the classroom, becoming one of the first to use experimental observation at the high school level.

In addition to his teaching and research, Dr. Turner worked to improve educational opportunities and social services for African Americans in the St. Louis area, where he taught. Several St. Louis area schools have been named in his honor.

Dr. Turner's thirst for knowledge, his perseverance through difficult circumstances, his devotion to sharing his knowledge, and his determination to make sure others had the opportunity to pursue education make him a deserving Ravenclaw Geek of the Week!

Learn more about Charles Henry Turner:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Henry_Turner_(zoologist)
http://psychology.okstate.edu/museum/turner/turnerbio.html