Stephen Alfred Forbes
1844–1930 (age 86)
Ecologist
Biography
Stephen Alfred Forbes emerged as one of America's earliest ecological thinkers, blending scientific rigor with an abiding reverence for the natural world. As the first chief of the Illinois Natural History Survey, he produced pioneering research on lakes, streams, and the interconnections of living systems.
His essays and lectures encouraged citizens and policymakers alike to value conservation, helping to lay the groundwork for institutions that still monitor and protect environments today. Forbes is remembered at Mount Hope Cemetery and Mausoleum as the father of modern ecology, a scholar whose compassion deepened the nation's respect for nature.