The
Making of Pennsylvania Entomology: The Life and Contributions of
Stuart W. Frost 1891-1990
Like
many naturalists, Stuart Frost began his entomological interests
early in life. He was born in Tarrytown, New York at a time when
there were no electric lights, automobiles, radio or television.
His father was
a grocery dealer, and although his parents were not inclined towards
natural history, they allowed him to bring live mice, frogs, and
insects into the house. Stuart found great entertainment in his
observations of the natural world. He would make frequent trips
to nearby places to observe wildlife such as dragonflies darting
over the water, frogs lurking in the grass, and butterflies feeding
on flowers.
During his teens
Stuart traveled with his family in the Hudson river region. Many
of the insects he collected then are in the Frost Entomological
Museum now. Frequent visits were also made to the American Museum
of Natural History where he learned much about proper procedures
for insect preservation. At the age of 18 he began to document his
observations, including notes on how a caddis fly, deprived of sticks
for case-making, would build a "glass house" from pieces
of mica.
 Scientific
training
Stuart
entered Cornell University in the fall of 1911. In his sophomore
year he was fortunate to obtain an assistantship with the famed
entomologist J. H. Comstock. In 1918 he produced his first scientific
paper which described the biology of a small weevil (Ceutorhynchus
marginatus) infesting flower heads of dandelion.After
graduation Stuart worked several years at a research station in
Arendtsville, PA. In 1925 he completed his Ph.D. at Cornell with
a thesis on the leaf-mining Diptera (flies) of North America.
Dr. Frost used
his first sabbatical in 1929 to study leaf-mining insects at the
Smithsonian Research station at Barro Colorado Island in Panama
(see picture at right). At this time he also traveled to Ecuador
to collect insects.
Museum
established
Dr. Frost
transferred to Pennsylvania State University (then a college) in
1937 to teach entomology. Along with his teaching and research projects
on fruit tree pests, Dr. Frost gathered numerous insects and established
for the first time an organized insect reference collection for
the Zoology/Entomology Department in the Old Agricultural Building.
Upon retirement
in 1957, Dr. Frost's initiative was continued by the current museum
curator, Dr. K. C. Kim. Over the next 13 years Dr. Frost added a
further 400,000 specimens and 1,500 species!
Dr. Frost played
a pivotal role in establishing and developing the Frost Entomological
Museum as one of the major regional collections in the eastern United
States. In recognition of his special contribution to the knowledge
of the insect fauna of Pennsylvania, and the region in general,
the museum was named in his honor in 1969.
The museum continues
the work of Dr. Frost by developing the collection with further
additions from collectors and survey projects. It is in this capacity
that the Frost Entomological Museum will contribute to the future
conservation of biodiversity in the 21st century.
References:
Frost, S. W. (1979). Autobiography of an Entomologist. Melsheimer
Entomological Series 26, 33-38.
Kim, K. C. (1980). A tribute to Dr. Stuart W. Frost. Bulletin of
the Entomological Society of America 26, 138.
Wheeler, A. G. Jr. (1981). Stuart W. Frost: List of publications
(1957-80), new names proposed, and species named in his honor. Entomological
News 92, 171-176.
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