Dr. John M. Macfarlane (1855-1943)

From his obituary:

Dr. John M. Macfarlane, Professor Emeritus of Botany at the University of Pennsylvania died at age 87 in Lancaster, New Hampshire.

A distinguished figure in the scientific world for many years, Dr. Macfarlane organized the botanical gardens at the University of Pennsylvania and had a major part in their development and in the expansion of the department of botany.

His major contribution to the study of insectivorous plants was his 1908 systematic overview of the Sarraceniaceae (published as pp. 1-39 in Das Pflanzenreich. Regni vegetabilis conspectus, edited by A. Engler. Verlag von Wilhelm Engelmann, Leipzig). He was also keenly interested in world oil supplies, and wrote two books on that topic: Fishes, the Source of Petroleum and The Quantity and Sources of our Petroleum Supplies.

A well-published plant systematist, his species descriptions are recognized with the standard abbreviation Macf. Macfarlane Hall at the University of Pennsylvania was named in his honor after he retired in 1920.

Dr. Macfarlane was a fellow of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, and served terms as President of the Society for Plant Morphology and Physiology, British and American Associations for the Advancements of Science, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the American Philosophical Society. 

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