Robert Edwards Carter Stearns

Biography

Born in 1827, Robert Edwards Carter Stearns devoted his life to natural history, specializing in the study of mollusks along the Pacific coast. His meticulous descriptions and collections helped to deepen the scientific community’s understanding of West Coast marine life, and his writings were valued by colleagues far beyond California.

In later years he remained engaged with local and national scientific circles while cherishing the tranquility of his Bay Area home, and his passing in 1909 left Mountain View Cemetery to shelter a gentle spirit whose taxonomic diligence still echoes in natural history collections.