21 August 1845 – 27 March 1927
Born: Boston, Massachusetts.
Died: Washington, D.C.
Occupation: Explorer, Paleontologist, Naturalist, Historian, Malacologist. Acting Assistant, U.S. Coast Survey, 1871-1874, 1880. Paleontologist, U.S. Geological Survey, 1884-1927. Honorary Curator of Mollusks, Smithsonian Institution, 1868-1927. Honorary Curator of Mollusks, Bishop Museum, 1899-1927. Student under Louis Agassiz and Wyman, Harvard, 1863.
Education: Brimmer School and English High School, Boston, 1862. honorary A.M., Wesleyan University, 1888; Doctor of Science, University of Pennsylvania, 1904; LL.D., George Washington University, 1915.
Society Service: Boston Society of Natural History, 1863. Chicago Academy of Science, 1864. California Academy of Science, 1865. AAAS, elected 1868, Fellow, 1874, Life Member, 1916. Biological Society of Washington, charter member, 1881, President, 1888. Honorary Prof. Paleontology, Wagner Free Institute of Science, Philadelphia. Philosophical Society of Washington, Founder and President, 1894. National Academy of Science, 1897. Literary Society of Washington, President, 1907. Malacological Society of London, Vice-President, 1923.
Travels: Alaska, 1865-1874, 1880. Europe, 1878, 1888. Northwest U.S., 1890-1910. Harriman Alaska Expedition, 1899. Florida survey, 1891. Georgia surveys, 1893. Hawaii, 1899,
Collection Deposition:
Research Interests:
Remarks: Published 1,607 papers.
Data from: Abbott, R.T., and M.E. Young (eds.). 1973. American Malacologists: A national register of professional and amateur malacologists and private shell collectors and biographies of early American mollusk workers born between 1618 and 1900. American Malacologists, Falls Church, Virginia. Consolidated/Drake Press, Philadelphia. 494 pp.
Other References:
Partial Bibliography
Dall, W.H. 1868. [Remarks upon the natural history of Alaska]. Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History 12(9):143-145.
Dall, W.H. 1870. Revision of the classification of the Mollusca of Massachusetts. Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History 13:240-257.
Dall, W.H. 1888. Some American conchologists. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 4:95-134.
Dall, W.H. 1889. On the hinge of pelecypods and its development, with an attempt toward a better subdivision of the group. American Journal of Science and Arts 138(228):445-462.
Dall, W.H. 1896. Diagnoses of new mollusks from the survey of the Mexican boundary. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 18(1033):1-6.
Dall, W.H. 1897. Report on mollusks collected by the International Boundry Commission of the United States and Mexico, 1892-1894. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 19(1111):333-378 + 2 plates.
Dall, W.H. 1898. Description of a new Ampullaria from Florida. Nautilus 12(7):75-76.
Dall, W.H. 1902. Note on Neocorbicula Fischer. Nautilus 16(7):82-83.
Dall, W.H. 1903. Hawaiian Physidae. Nautilus 16(9):106.
Dall, W.H. 1903. Mrs. Henrietta H.T. Wolcott. Nautilus 17(7):83-84.
Dall, W.H. 1904. Gundlachia and Ancylus. Nautilus 17(9):97-98.
Dall, W.H. 1905. Land and freshwater mollusks of Alaska and adjoining regions. Harriman Alaska Series, Smithsonian Institution 13:xii-171. [Reprinted in 1910]
Dall, W.H. 1905. Notes on some preoccupied names of mollusks. Nautilus 18(10):113.
Dall, W.H. 1905. On the relation of the land and freshwater mollusk fauna of Alaska and Eastern Siberia. Popular Science Monthly 66:362-366.
Dall, W.H. 1906. Note on some forgotten mollusk-names. Nautilus 19(9):104-105.
Dall, W.H. 1906. Note on the genus Glabaris Gray or Partularia Swainson. Nautilus 20(4):39-40.
Dall, W.H. 1907. [Planorbis in aquaria]. Nautilus 21(8):90.
Dall, W.H. 1908. Descriptions and figures of some land and fresh-water shells from Mexico, believed to be new. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 35(1642):177-182 + 2 plates.
Dall, W.H. 1908. Notes on Gonidea angulata Lea, a freshwater bivalve, with description of a new variety. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 50:499-500. Quarterly Issue 4(4).
Dall, W.H. 1909. Dr. R.E.C. Stearns. Nautilus 23(5):70-72 + 1 plate.
Dall, W.H. 1910. A new Floridian Amnicola. Nautilus 24(1):2.
Dall, W.H. 1914. Henry Hemphill. Nautilus 28(4):58-59.
Dall, W.H. 1914. On a brackish water Pliocene fauna of the southern coastal plain. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 46(2023):225-237 + 3 plates.
Dall, W.H. 1917. Notes on boreal land and freshwater shells. Nautilus 31(1):12-13.
Dall, W.H. 1919. A new form of Ampullaria. Nautilus 33(1):10-11.
Dall, W.H. 1921. Species names in the Portland catalogue: I, American. Nautilus 34(3):97-100.
Dall, W.H. 1924. Report on Tertiary fossils from Brock River. Report of the Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18. 11. Geology and geography.:27A-28A.