E. G. Voss
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Name
Edward G. Voss
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Dates
22 Feb 1929 - 13 Feb 2012
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Specialities
Spermatophytes, Lepidoptera of Michigan, Flora of Michigan
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Roles
Author, Determiner, Collector
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Movement Details
United States of America, Michigan
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Notes
Author Notes: MICH
Determiner Notes: MICH
Collector Notes: Manitoba (col. 1959): MICH, S, WAT; Michigan (col. 1945-x): BLH, BSC, CAN, GH, LE, LKHD, MICH, MSC, NY, SMU, TRT, UMBS, US, WAT, WIS; Minnesota & Wisconsin (col. 1961): LKHD, MICH, MIN, S, VDB, WIS. Ohio (col. 1953-81): MICH, SMU. Ontario (col. 1961-x): CAN, DAO, G, LKHD, MICH, S, TRT, UMBS, WIS; Quebec (col. 1959): MICH; N.W. United States (col. 1969): MICH, WTU; USSR (Karelia & Kola Pen., col. 1975): MICH.
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From email by R. Rabeler, 14 Feb 2012:
Eminent Michigan botanist and long standing expert on nomenclature, Edward G. Voss passed away Feb. 13, 2012, a few days short of his 83rd birthday. Born in Delaware, Ohio, Ed spent his entire professional career, including a productive retirement that began in 1996, at the University of Michigan, studying the plants and Lepidoptera of his adopted state. He is best known among botanists for his three volume Michigan Flora, plus his work on botanical history, especially his "Botanical Beachcombers," and for his long service to the International Association of Plant Taxonomy, serving as secretary of the editorial committee of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature from 1969 to 1981 and chairman from 1981 to 1987. Ed also had a strong interest in Lepidoptera, publishing a number of papers on the butterflies and moths of northern Michigan. He was a highly skilled field botanist and collector, a dedicated teacher who was very focused on showing students the living plants in their natural settings, especially during his many summers teaching at the University of Michigan Biological Station, and a strong advocate for plants and their environments.
Arrangements have not yet been finalized.
Tony Reznicek and Richard K. Rabeler,
University of Michigan Herbarium
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From Flora pof North America Newsletter26(1): 15 (2012):
Edward G. Voss
1929–2012
E
dward Groesbeck Voss, died on February 13, 2012,
in Ann Arbor, Michigan, after a brief illness. He was
born on February 22, 1929, in Delaware, Ohio, the son
of David O. Voss and Katherine (Groesbeck) Voss. After
graduating from high school in Toledo, Ohio, in 1946,
he subsequently received a bachelor’s degree with honors
from Denison University (1950), and a master’s in Biology
(1951) and a doctoral degree in Botany (1954), both from
the University of Michigan.
In 1956, he was appointed as a research associate to
conduct a five-year project to document the flora of
Michigan. He joined the faculty of the Department of
Botany in 1960 as assistant professor and was later
promoted to associate professor (1963) and professor
(1969). The study of the Michigan flora took longer
than originally anticipated, in part due to his extremely
methodical approach. With volumes appearing in 1972,
and 1985, his work culminated 40 years after its start
with the appearance of the third volume of the Michigan
Flora in 1996; the year of his retirement. He continued to
work actively at the herbarium until late in 2011.
His research focused on the vascular plants of the
Great Lakes region, with a particular interest in boreal
environments and aquatic plants. In addition to the
Michigan Flora, he published nearly 100 other articles,
on subjects including Lepidoptera of the northern Great
Lakes area, history of Michigan botanists, and botanical
nomenclature. He founded and edited the first 15 volumes
of The Michigan Botanist, the scientific journal of the
Michigan Botanical Club. A series of articles about Ed,
including a complete bibliography, will appear in that
journal later this year. He served as a regional reviewer
for Michigan for Flora of North America North of
Mexico until this past year; many treatments benefitted
from his eye for detail.
He is survived by his sister, Eleanor (Elly) Hendricks
(Tom), and nephews; Jim and Andy Hendricks.
—Richard K. Rabeler (MICH)
and Anton A. Reznicek (MICH) -
Collections