Katherine Van Winkle Palmer

Katherine Van Winkle Palmer, circa 1960

Katherine Van Winkle Palmer (1895 – September 12, 1982) was a Tertiary paleontologist, a scientist who studies fossils from the Cenozoic Era, and geologist.^[1] Palmer was recognized for her field/doctoral study on veneracean lamellibranches,^[1] a class of bivalve mollusks that include clams, scallops and oysters. Palmer was a director of the Paleontological Research Institution in New York.^[2] At this position, Palmer oversaw the publication of numerous Bulletins of American Paleontology as well as several issues of Palaeontographica Americana.^[2]

Early life

Palmer was born to Jacob Van Winkle and Edith Van Winkle in Oakville, Washington, where she spent her youth.^[3] In 1918, Palmer received her bachelor of science degree at the University of Washington.^[1] Palmer wrote her thesis at the University of Washington on the Oligocene fossils found in the Chehalis Valley in Washington, and named it "Fauna from the Eocene of Washington".^[2] While attending the University of Washington, Palmer worked as the laboratory assistant to Charles E. Weaver, who focused his study on Tertiary fauna.^[3] After graduation, Palmer continued her education at Cornell where she received her Ph.D in 1925. During her studies there, Palmer met and married her husband, Ephraim L. Palmer, who was a Professor of Rural Education and Nature Study.^[3] At Cornell, Palmer worked closely with professor Gilbert Harris, helping him create the Paleontological Research Institution.^[2]

Career

Palmer and Harris established the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) together in 1932, and in 1952 she replaced Harris as director, a post she occupied until 1978.^[2] While at this position, Palmer oversaw the publication of 150 Bulletins of American Paleontology as well as 20 issues of Palaeontographica Americana.^[2] As well as founding and overseeing the two publications, Palmer was a life trustee of both.^[1] The same year that Palmer died (1982), she published the first history of the PRI,^[3] securing her own, as well as the PRI's, legacy in print. Palmer's research produced more than 150 publications, including Gastropoda of the Claibornian Mid-Eocene of the Southern United States (1937), The Mollusca of the Jackson Eocene of the Mississippi Embayment (Sabine River to Alabama River) (1946), and Catalogue of the Paleocene, and Eocene Mollusca of the Southern and Eastern United States (1965), to name a few.^[2] As well as conducting field studies in the United States, Dr. Palmer conducted research in the Gulf of Mexico, New Zealand, and the West Indies.^[1] In 1935, Palmer was appointed Fellow of the Geological Society of America. Dr. Palmer was also president of the Malacological Society, an organization dedicated to the research and preservation of mollusks.^[4] Palmer received the Paleontological Society Medal in 1972 as well as the Western Society of Malacologists Award in 1974 in honour of her lifelong contribution to geology.^[1]

Works

Palmer has many published articles and books in the geology sphere based on her research on molluscs. The following are examples of some of the papers presented by her on the research she conducted:

Palmer contributed a chapter to volume 76 of the Geological Society of America Memoirs. Her chapter in this book is titled “Type Specimens of Marine Mollusca Described by P. P Carpenter From the West Coast (San Diego to British Columbia.)” In the chapter Palmer outlined several new species of molluscs that Carpenter found in his field research. There are outlined illustrations and lengthy explanations to aid with understanding. The chapter is a historical background of the science of conchology up to that time (1841-1870), which was Carpenter's specialization.^[5]

Palmer also co-wrote a paper titled “Fauna from the Eocene of Washington” that was eventually published by the University of Washington Publications in Geology. The goal of this paper was to describe and illustrate the new fossilized molluscan species found in western Washington.^[6]

Palmer also worked alongside W. Armstrong Price on a paper called, “A New Fauna from the Cook Mountain Eocene near Smithville, Bastrop County, Texas”. Their paper is a description of the fossilized remains that they found in Texas. Palmer and Price made claims in order to help explain why the fossils appeared how and where they did. This piece of research literature was published in The Journal of Paleontology.^[7]

By studying the fossils of molluscs across various locations, Palmer was able to correlate and compare the species that lived in different geographical regions at different times in history.

Awards and honors^[8]

• National Honorary Member of Sigma Delta Epsilon/Graduate Women in Science (SDE/GWIS) (1971)
• Fellow of the Geological Society of America (1935)
• Honorary Member of the Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists (1966)
• First female recipient of the Paleontological Society Medal in 1972 for her work on Tertiary Mollusca: widely acknowledged as paleontology’s highest professional honor in the United States (1972)
• Western Society of Malacologists Award (1974)
• The Alpha Chapter of SDE/GWIS named their first Award for Excellence after Palmer (1978)
• The Katherine Palmer Award for amateur contributions to paleontology is presented each year by the Paleontological Research Institution (1993)
• “Paleontology is Alive and Well: A Symposium in Honor of Dr. Katherine Van Winkle Palmer” was held at Tulane University in 1978, which included an Honorary Doctor of Science presentation from the University (1978)
• Honorary Life Member of the American Malacological Union

References

External links

• Works by or about Katherine Van Winkle Palmer at Internet Archive
• Guide to the Katherine V. W. Palmer and Ephraim Laurence Palmer Memorabilia, 1918-1978 at Cornell University Library