About
Delaware-born geologist and mollusc shell expert. His collection of freshwater bivalve mussels was displayed at Washington, D.C.'s Smithsonian Institution.
Before Fame
He was the co-owner of a Philadelphia publishing house.
Trivia
In 1860, he became President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Family Life
He married Frances Anne Carey in 1821. Their son, Henry (born in 1825), went on to become an American historian and political activist.
Associated With
He was a contemporary of fellow geologist Charles Lyell.
