Paul Otto Schallert
Paul Otto Schallert | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 March 1879 |
| Died | 30 January 1970 (aged 90) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Marion College University of Illinois College of Physicians & Surgeons |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Medicine, botany |
| Institutions | Salem College |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Schallert |
Paul Otto Schallert (5 March 1879 – 30 January 1970) was an American physician and botanist active in North Carolina.
Early life and career
[edit]Schallert was born in Watertown, Wisconsin on 5 March 1879. He grew up on a farm, and later worked as a carpenter to afford college tuition.[1] He attained two undergraduate degrees from Marion College, and in 1904 earned dual M.S. and M.D. degrees from the University of Illinois College of Physicians & Surgeons. After graduation, he practiced medicine in Wisconsin before relocating to Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1910.[2]
While working as a physician and surgeon in North Carolina, Schallert took up botany. He became a prolific plant collector, and taught the subject at Salem College. In 1943, he served the Army Medical Corps in Seattle, Washington. After the war, he moved to Altamonte Springs, Florida.[2]
Political activism
[edit]Schallert was an avid socialist. He was a member of the North Carolina State Executive Committee of the Socialist Party and of the Winston-Salem City Committee of the Socialist Party. He was an advocate for the style of medical care provided in the Soviet Union.[3]
In 1935, Schallert visited the Soviet Union as a representative of the Socialist Party of North Carolina. Following his visit, he published a series of essays titled, "Russia: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow".[4]
Personal life and death
[edit]Schallert married his wife, Flora Grace Jackson, on 16 May 1904. They had four children. One of their children, the chemist Paul O. Schallert, Jr., also collected plant specimens.[2]
Schallert died at the age of 90 on 30 January 1970 while living in Freehold Township, New Jersey.[5]
Legacy
[edit]The herbarium of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill houses several hundreds of specimens collected by Schallert.[2] Throughout his lifetime, his personal collected reached 50,000 specimens. The Fort Worth Botanic Garden has archived the Paul O. Schallert Papers, a collection of correspondances between Schallert and other botanists such as Otto Degener.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Paul O. Schallert Collection". University of South Florida Libraries. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d McCormick, Carol Ann (17 September 2021). "Paul Otto Schallert". North Carolina Botanical Garden. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
- ^ "Soviet Medical Care Praised By American Socialist Physician". The Daily Worker. 29 June 1935. p. 7. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
- ^ "Paul Otto Schallert". The International Military Tribunal for the Far East Digital Collection. University of Virginia School of Law. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
- ^ "Dr. Paul Schallert". Red Bank Register. Middletown, New Jersey. 2 February 1970. p. 4. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ "Paul O. Schallert Papers". Texas Archival Resources Online. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
- ^ International Plant Names Index. Schallert.