William Alanson Bryan

William Alanson Bryan 1875-1942 was an American zoologist, ornithologist, naturalist and museum director.

Life and Work

Bryan was born on a farm in New Sharon, Iowa. After his education, and his zoology studies, he graduated in 1896 from Iowa State College. In 1900 he came to Hawaii and received a curator at the Centre for Ornithology Bernice P. Bishop Museum. In June of the same year he married Ruth May Goss, who died in 1904. In 1907 he left the museum and founded the Pacific Scientific Institution, a device which aims to promote the biological and anthropological research in the Pacific. He then became professor of zoology at the Faculty of the College of Hawai'i. In 1909 he married Elizabeth Letson Bryan (1874-1919), who worked as mussels and snails collector. After his wife's death he finished his work at the College of Hawai'i and went to South America. In January 1920, he undertook an expedition to Easter Island.

From 1921 until his retirement in 1940 he was director of the Los Angeles Museum of History, Science and Art.