Edward Strieby Steele

Edward Strieby Steele was an influential American botanist whose work significantly contributed to the field of botany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1872 and later earned a seminary degree in 1877. Steele's career took him to Washington, D.C., where he joined the editorial staff of the Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia in 1889. His professional journey included a lengthy tenure with the U.S. federal government, where he served in various capacities, including as a botanical clerk for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and as an editorial assistant for the United States National Museum's Division of Plants from 1912 to 1918. Steele's passion for botany was shared with his wife, Grace Avery King, as they worked together as co-collectors of botanical specimens. After Grace's passing in 1932, Steele relocated to Los Angeles, where he continued his botanical pursuits alongside his niece, Helen Steele Pratt. Together, they contributed approximately 350 botanical specimens to the Oberlin herbarium, enriching the scientific community's understanding of plant diversity. Steele's legacy is marked not only by his contributions to botany but also by his familial connections to significant historical events, such as his father's involvement in the return of the Amistad captives to Africa.