History

Louis Agassiz

The Department of Herpetology was started by
Louis Agassiz in 1859 when the MCZ was
founded. Throughout its history, the
herpetological collection has grown steadily with
holdings influenced by the research interests and
efforts of its researchers. From inception, the
collections were primarily established to
actively support and complement scientific
research and teaching activities at Harvard. The
department has a profound history of prominently dynamic curators.

• Louis Agassiz (1859-1873)
• Samuel Garman (1874-1911)
• Thomas Barbour (1911-1927)
• Arthur Loveridge (1927-1957)
• Ernest Williams (1957-1980)
• Pere Alberch (1980-1987)
• James J. McCarthy (Acting Curator) (1987-1993)
• John E. Cadle (1993-1999)
• James Hanken (1999–Present)
• Jonathan B. Losos (2006–Present)