Osborn, Henry Fairfield (1857-1935), was an American paleontologist (expert on prehistoric life) and promoter of eugenics. Eugenics aimed to change the genetic makeup of a human population by controlling the population’s reproduction. Osborn was an authority on fossil vertebrates (animals with backbones) and evolution. His best-known work consisted of his studies of ancient reptiles and mammals.
Osborn wrote about rhinoceroses; elephants and their relatives; and brontotheres, large mammals that once roamed the American West. Osborn’s book From the Greeks to Darwin (1894) discussed evolution. In 1905, Osborn published a description of a newly identified species of meat-eating dinosaur that he named Tyrannosaurus rex. In 1924, he described and named the birdlike dinosaur Velociraptor. See Tyrannosaurus; Velociraptor.
Osborn was born on Aug. 8, 1857, in Fairfield, Connecticut. In 1891, he began working at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City. From 1908 to 1933, he served as the museum’s president. Under his administration, the AMNH became one of the world’s largest museums.
Osborn was an outspoken and influential supporter of eugenics. He thought the government should take away the rights of people he considered “worthless to society.” Osborn held strongly racist beliefs. He believed people of white, northern European origin were superior to others. Osborn used his position of authority at the AMNH to spread his views. He designed racist museum exhibits, founded societies for the study and promotion of eugenics, and organized and hosted eugenics conferences. Osborn died on Nov. 6, 1935.
