Home > George Ord

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father was a rope maker and Ord joined him in the business, continuing after his father’s death in 1806. In 1829 he retired from the business so that he could devote more time to science.

In 1815 he became a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and two years later became a member of the American Philosophical Society. He went on to hold important positions in both. Ord received several of the specimens brought back by Lewis and Clark for description, including the Grizzly Bear and the Pronghorn.

He was friend and avid supporter of Alexander WilsonFor the 1970s MP of this name see Alexander Wilson (Scottish politician Alexander Wilson ( July 6, 1766 August 23, 1813) was a Scottish-born American poet, ornithologist, naturalist and illustrator. Wilson was born in Paisley, Scotland, the son of an illi, accompanying him on several of his journeys. After Wilson's death he finished the eighth and ninth volumes of Wilson's American Ornithology. He issued a life of Wilson in 1828 and published biographies of his fellow naturalists Thomas SayThomas Say ( June 27, 1787 October 10, 1843) was an American naturalist, entomologist, malacologist and crustaceologist. He was a taxonomist and is often considered to be the founder of descriptive entomology in the United States. Thomas Say was born in P (1834) and Charles Alexandre LesueurCharles Wilson Peale. Charles Alexandre Lesueur ( 1778 1846) was a French naturalist, artist and explorer. In 1801 he travelled to Australia as artist on the expedition of Nicolas Baudin. With Francois Peron he took over the duties as naturalist after the (1849). He also assisted in the enlargement of Samuel JohnsonDr Samuel Johnson ( September 18, 1709 December 13, 1784), often referred to simply as Dr Johnson was one of England's greatest literary figures: a critic, poet, essayist, biographer and lexicographer whose bon mots are still frequently quoted in print to's dictionary and the first edition of Noah WebsterNoah Webster ( October 16, 1758 April 15, 1843) was an American lexicographer, textbook author, Bible translator, and spelling reformer, writer, and editor. Webster's Dictionary Webster published his first dictionary of the English language in 1806, and i's dictionary. He was hostile to John James AudubonJohn James Audubon ( April 26, 1785 January 27, 1851) was an American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He painted, catalogued, and described the birds of North America. Audubon was born in Haiti, the illegitimate son of a French sea captain and his, whose drawings he disliked and who he felt was usurping the position of Wilson. He is buried in Philadelphia next to Wilson.