Althea R. Sherman

Althea R. Sherman. — In the old family homestead in National lives Althea R. Sherman, one of the busy workers of Clayton county. Although Farmersburg township was the place of her birth, sixty-three years ago, she has lived in it only a little more than half of her life. Fourteen years of teaching are counted to her credit; seven years of her girlhood were spent in academic and collegiate study in Fayette, Iowa, and Oberlin, Ohio ; nearly five years were given to the study of art in Chicago and New York City. To these educational advantages may be added many months of travel in America and in several countries of the Old World. The visitor to the old home finds there some of the results of her life work.

Among several hundred studies in oil and in water colors, as well as various mediums of black and white, are a few copies from the old masters, and many of her own studies from nature. In land- scape there are sketches made in various places from Maine to Alaska, and among her latest works are studies from living birds. Some of these have already been published, while others are ready for publication as illustrations for her writings on birds. Two books are now being written, chapters from which have appeared in ornithological magazines. One of them deals with the birds of her dooryard, the other is now appearing in serial form in the Wilson Bulletin under the title "Birds by the Wayside. In Europe, Asia, and Africa." It describes the birds she saw on a journey of 33,000 miles, and in twenty countries of the Old World.

For several years it has been her annual custom to read a paper before some one of the leading scientific societies of America. These papers, setting forth the results of research work in the study of bird life, have been given a very hearty reception by scientists. The stamp of their approval may be seen in her election to the class of "Members" in the American Ornithologists' Union. Only three other women have ever been raised to this class, which is limited to one hundred persons.

Another token of approbation was given by Smithsonian Institution, when it chose her paper on the feeding of hummingbirds to embody in its annual report to Congress. It sets forth that its aim is "to enrich the annual report required of them by law with memoirs illustrating the more remarkable and important developments in physical and biological discovery," and for this purpose about three dozen papers are chosen from all parts of the world. Of these the hummingbird paper was one in the report for 1913. Favorable notice has been taken of this paper in foreign countries and it has been republished in a British ornithological magazine.

Another mark of appreciation has been given by the editor of "Biographic Directory of American Men of Science," when he enrolled Miss Sherman among the very few women whose histories are given in this volume. She names some seven or eight scientific societies in which she has membership, and in several of which she takes an active part. Besides the study of birds she is carrying on a series of observations on bats. All about the place are evidences of the preparations she has made to attract the birds.

There are boxes for nesting, brush-piles and refuges of various sorts, besides two buildings built especially for bird study, and in addition to these the barn has been the natal home of a half dozen species of birds. Nesting boxes are placed in it. that are so arranged that the bird life within can be watched by unseen observers. It is thought that this is the only place in America in which the visitor may thus view the mysteries of the home life of four hole- nesting species of birds. At the time of our visit a screech owl in one of these boxes was brooding her snow-white, downy young, and a few rods away in an open lot a killdeer had placed her nest, while many of the common birds of village and orchard were busy at nest-building.

source: History of Clayton County, Iowa; From The Earliest Historical Times Down to the Present; by Realto E. Price, Vol. II, 1916; pg. 376-377

-OCR scanned by S. Ferrall