DR. FREDERICK ERNST MELSHEIMER

Dr. Frederick Ernst Melsheimer, born 1782, was the son of a Lutheran Pastor in Hanover who had studied theology and medicine in his native Germany.  The boy was exposed early, to his father’s teachings about medicine, his interest in American insects, and the publication of his book, the first American-printed work on entomology.  Frederick graduated from University of Maryland, practiced in Hanover for a time, and in 1810 transferred to Davidsburg where he practiced until his death in 1873.

During these years Dr. Melsheimer studied entomology and enlarged his father’s and brother’s collection.  He was visited by a distinguished scientist, Dr. Carl Zimmerman, in 1834, and some time later Dr. Zimmerman mentioned in a publication the “remarkable collection of insects” of Davidsburg’s doctor.  The widely acclaimed American naturalist Louis Agassiz bought the entire collection from Dr. Melsheimer in 1864 and placed it in the museum at Harvard University.  The collection contained nearly 15,000 specimens, of which 2200 species belonged to the United States, about 1900 from Europe, and more than 1000 from other parts of the world.  Dr. Melsheimer was also interested in astronomy and had in front of his house a mounted telescope with which he and his visitors observed the sun, moon and stars.  In 1853 he was president of the American Entomological Society, and belonged to other “learned societies” as well.