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{% include image.html
url="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Charles_Henry_Turner_at_Sumner_High_School%2C_St._Louis%2C_Mo._Aug._9%2C_1921.jpg/330px-Charles_Henry_Turner_at_Sumner_High_School%2C_St._Louis%2C_Mo._Aug._9%2C_1921.jpg"
description="C. H. Turner, August 9, 1921; a gelatin silver print of Charles Henry Turner at Sumner High School, St. Louis, Missouri. 15 x 10 cm. From the W. E. B. Du Bois Papers"
description="C. H. Turner, August 9, 1921; a gelatin silver print of
Charles Henry Turner at Sumner High School, St. Louis, Missouri. 15 x
10 cm. From the W. E. B. Du Bois Papers"
style="float:right; padding:1em; max-width:350px" %}

Recently, while reading Lars Chittka's 2022 book, [_The Mind of a Bee_](https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691180472/the-mind-of-a-bee), I became intrigued by the story of zoologist [Charles Henry Turner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Henry_Turner_(zoologist)). In recognition of Black History Month (and coincidentally Turner's birthday), I'd like to share a short summary of what I learned about this outstanding Black American scientist.
Recently, while reading Lars Chittka's 2022 book, [_The Mind of a
Bee_](https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691180472/the-mind-of-a-bee),
I became intrigued by the story of zoologist [Charles Henry
Turner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Henry_Turner_(zoologist)).
In recognition of Black History Month (and coincidentally Turner's
birthday), I'd like to share a short summary of what I learned about
this outstanding Black American scientist.

Charles Henry Turner was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1867, just two years after the end of the Civil War. Turner excelled in school and was valedictorian of his graduating class at Woodard High School. He earned a B.S. in Biology from the University of Cincinnati in 1891 and then went on to become the first African American to earn a graduate degree from that same University when he earned his M.S. in Biology in 1892. In 1907, he earned his Ph.D. in Zoology, _magna cum laude_, likely being the first African American to earn a doctorate from the University of Chicago and certainly among only a tiny handful of Black people to have done so anywhere in the United States at that time.[^nih]
Charles Henry Turner was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1867, just two
years after the end of the Civil War. Turner excelled in school and was
valedictorian of his graduating class at Woodard High School. He earned
a B.S. in Biology from the University of Cincinnati in 1891 and then
went on to become the first African American to earn a graduate degree
from that same University when he earned his M.S. in Biology in 1892.
In 1907, he earned his Ph.D. in Zoology, _magna cum laude_, likely being
the first African American to earn a doctorate from the University of
Chicago and certainly among only a tiny handful of Black people to have
done so anywhere in the United States at that time.[^nih]

After receiving his doctorate, Turner faced problems finding a job in academia. He was considered for a professorship at the University of Chicago, but the professor who invited him to apply died and, according to sociologist and civil rights activist W. E. B. Du Bois, his replacement refused to hire a Black scientist.[^knowable] At the Tuskegee Institute, Turner was turned down because president Booker T. Washington reportedly could not afford to pay the salaries of both Turner and another famous Black American scientist, George Washington Carver.[^okstate] Turner consequently worked as a high school teacher for the remainder of his career, spending most of it at Sumner High School in St. Louis, Missouri. He continued to pursue his research and publication throughout his career, even while teaching high school. I was amazed to learn that Turner used bees as teaching tools to demonstrate principles of complex behavior even in his high school biology classes. One of my favorite notes suggesting his effectiveness in this regard comes from one of his students:[^okstate]
>"The bees appeared at the table at all three meals. Then Dr. Turner put jam only at breakfast daily. They still came to each meal but found no jam at noon and night. Soon they stopped coming. This shows they have some idea of time."
After receiving his doctorate, Turner faced problems finding a job in
academia. He was considered for a professorship at the University of
Chicago, but the professor who invited him to apply died and, according
to sociologist and civil rights activist W. E. B. Du Bois, his replacement
refused to hire a Black scientist.[^knowable] At the Tuskegee Institute,
Turner was turned down because president Booker T. Washington reportedly
could not afford to pay the salaries of both Turner and another famous
Black American scientist, George Washington Carver.[^okstate] Turner
consequently worked as a high school teacher for the remainder of his
career, spending most of it at Sumner High School in St. Louis, Missouri.
He continued to pursue his research and publication throughout his career,
even while teaching high school. I was amazed to learn that Turner used
bees as teaching tools to demonstrate principles of complex behavior even
in his high school biology classes. One of my favorite notes suggesting
his effectiveness in this regard comes from one of his students:[^okstate]
>"The bees appeared at the table at all three meals. Then Dr. Turner put
jam only at breakfast daily. They still came to each meal but found no
jam at noon and night. Soon they stopped coming. This shows they have
some idea of time."

Turner's work spanned such diverse areas as comparative neuroanatomy in both vertebrates and invertebrates, arthropod taxonomy, insect and spider behavior, audition in moths, leaf morphology in grapevines, and even civil rights.[^nih] The extent of his scientific works are too large to do justice to here, and fortunately extensive accounts do exist.[^pubmed] Some of his notable academic publications include:[^okstate]
* 1892: "_Psychological notes upon the gallery spider_", making Turner the first African American Psychologist and the first African American Comparative Psychologist
* 1892: "_A few characteristics of the avian brain_", establishing Turner as the first African American to publish in in the journal _Science_
* 1910: "_Experiments on color-vision of the honey bee_", providing conclusive evidence that honey bees can see color
* 1911: "_Experiments on the pattern vision of the honey bee_", providing conclusive evidence that honey bees can see patterns
* 1914: "_Auditory Powers of the catocala moths: An experimental field study_", providing conclusive evidence that insects can hear airborne sounds
* 1914: "_An experimental study of the auditory powers of the giant silkworm moths, Saturniidae_", considered to be the first classical conditioning experiment with insects
Turner's work spanned such diverse areas as comparative neuroanatomy in
both vertebrates and invertebrates, arthropod taxonomy, insect and spider
behavior, audition in moths, leaf morphology in grapevines, and even
civil rights.[^nih] The extent of his scientific works is too large to
do justice to here, and fortunately extensive accounts do exist.[^pubmed]
Some of his notable academic publications include:[^okstate]

In addition to his scientific work, Turner also wrote on the social and educational issues of his day. In 1897, he published, "_Reason for Teaching Biology in Negro Schools_", which was the first of a series of papers discussing the importance of education for both Caucasian and African American children. Turner was a leader in the civil rights movement in St. Louis and was instrumental in developing social services for African Americans in the St. Louis area.[^okstate]
* 1892: "_Psychological notes upon the gallery spider_", making Turner
the first African American Psychologist and the first African American
Comparative Psychologist
* 1892: "_A few characteristics of the avian brain_", establishing Turner
as the first African American to publish in in the journal _Science_
* 1910: "_Experiments on color-vision of the honey bee_", providing
conclusive evidence that honey bees can see color
* 1911: "_Experiments on the pattern vision of the honey bee_", providing
conclusive evidence that honey bees can see patterns
* 1914: "_Auditory Powers of the catocala moths: An experimental field
study_", providing conclusive evidence that insects can hear airborne
sounds
* 1914: "_An experimental study of the auditory powers of the giant
silkworm moths, Saturniidae_", considered to be the first classical
conditioning experiment with insects

The philosophy of animal intelligence and cognition has a long and complex history, stretching back to the time of Aristotle, with varying levels of acceptance of the idea that animals can be considered autonomous, sentient beings.[^nautilus] Recent research has provided new physical evidence supporting the arguments that many animals (and certainly a far wider range of species than we have ever even considered before) are indeed sentient, and have individual personalities and cognitive capabilities traditionally attributed only to humans and our immediate relatives.[^quanta][^psychtoday] Indeed, many of the scientists involved in these research efforts have cited Turner's work as pioneering.[^knowable]
In addition to his scientific work, Turner also wrote on the social and
educational issues of his day. In 1897, he published, "_Reason for
Teaching Biology in Negro Schools_", which was the first of a series
of papers discussing the importance of education for both Caucasian
and African American children. Turner was a leader in the civil rights
movement in St. Louis and was instrumental in developing social services
for African Americans in the St. Louis area.[^okstate]

Sadly, Turner died in 1923 at the relatively young age of 56 from an acute case of myocarditis which could've been exacerbated by his heavy teaching workload and relatively low pay. I cannot help but wonder how much more impact he could have had on the state of science education, particularly Black science education, and the burgeoning field of animal cognition if he had lived longer and been able to continue his work.
The philosophy of animal intelligence and cognition has a long and complex
history, stretching back to the time of Aristotle, with varying levels
of acceptance of the idea that animals can be considered autonomous,
sentient beings.[^nautilus] Recent research has provided new physical
evidence supporting the arguments that many animals (and certainly a
far wider range of species than we have ever even considered before)
are indeed sentient, and have individual personalities and cognitive
capabilities traditionally attributed only to humans and our immediate
relatives.[^quanta][^psychtoday] Indeed, many of the scientists
involved in these research efforts have cited Turner's work as
pioneering.[^knowable]

Sadly, Turner died in 1923 at the relatively young age of 56 from an
acute case of myocarditis which could've been exacerbated by his heavy
teaching workload and relatively low pay. I cannot help but wonder how
much more impact he could have had on the state of science education,
particularly Black science education, and the burgeoning field of animal
cognition if he had lived longer and been able to continue his work.

### References

Expand All @@ -48,4 +118,4 @@ Sadly, Turner died in 1923 at the relatively young age of 56 from an acute case
[^psychtoday]: [The Current State of the Science of Insect Sentience](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animal-emotions/202405/the-current-state-of-the-science-of-insect-sentience)
[^nautilus]: [The New Science of Animal Minds](https://nautil.us/the-new-science-of-animal-minds-713384/)
[^quanta]: [Insects and Other Animals Have Consciousness, Experts Declare](https://www.quantamagazine.org/insects-and-other-animals-have-consciousness-experts-declare-20240419/)
[^pubmed]: [Charles H. Turner, pioneer in animal cognition](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33122372/)
[^pubmed]: [Charles H. Turner, pioneer in animal cognition](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33122372/)

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