Did you know that Leidy Laboratories, home to Penn’s Department of Biology, is more than just a building? It is a testament to scientific exploration and discovery. Leidy Laboratories stands as a handsome variation on the themes of Cope and Stewardson’s Towne and Medical Buildings.
Completed in 1910, Leidy Laboratories has been a center for biological research and education for over a century. Its architect was Cope & Stewardson. The building spans 65,415 square feet over four floors. It has been named Leidy Labs, Leidy, Biology Labs, and Zoology Laboratory.
The Leidy Laboratories are named after Joseph Leidy. He was a Philadelphia native born in 1823. Leidy made significant contributions to paleontology, parasitology, and anatomy. Interestingly, Leidy wasn’t always a star student. He preferred exploring nature to the classroom. He roamed Bartram’s Gardens. He explored the banks of the Schuylkill River and Wissahickon Creek.
Leidy’s career took off after graduating from Penn’s Medical School in 1844. He became known as the foremost microscopist in America. He also founded American vertebrate paleontology. He published over eight hundred scientific articles.
Leidy’s research included evidence of fossils. These fossils proved horses existed in America long before the Spanish. He also assembled the first fairly complete dinosaur skeleton from bones found in New Jersey. Joseph Leidy even used the microscope in forensic medicine. He examined blood on a shirt in a murder case. He proved it was not chicken blood as claimed.
In 1853, Leidy became a professor of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania. He taught medical students for 38 years. His 1861 anatomy textbook became the standard for decades. He established the Department of Natural History at Swarthmore College in 1871. Then he founded the Department of Biology at Penn in 1885.
Leidy’s influence extended beyond the classroom. He was president of the Wagner Free Institute of Science. He was also curator at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Leidy was the first president of the American Association of Anatomists in 1888.
One little-known fact is that Leidy Glacier in northwest Greenland was named after him. Robert Peary honored Leidy. Leidy died in 1891. He left behind a legacy of scientific discovery and education.
Standing here at Leidy Laboratories, you’re at a place where history and science intertwine. Consider Joseph Leidy’s dedication and passion. It is a place where the mysteries of the natural world continue to be unraveled.