Harriet Barclay
Harriet Barclay
“The more I find out, the more I see to study.”
Biography
Dr. Harriet Barclay was born in Minnesota and received degrees from the universities of Minnesota (1924), Chicago (1928), and Tulsa (1945) and began researching in the field of plant life when she joined the faculty of the University of Tulsa where she became the head of the Department of Botany and was known internationally for her accomplishments in the field. In 1959, she was named “Woman of the Year” by the American Women in Radio and Television and “Conservationist of the Year” by the Oklahoma Wildlife Federation in 1971. She was largely responsible for the preservation of an 83-acre nature preserve, Redbud Valley, northeast of Tulsa.
Fun fact
Dr. Barclay’s collection of more than 35,000 plants and 6,000 varieties included many previously unknown plants. Most have incorporated “Barclay” into their scientific names and a South American variety is called “Senecio Harrietae.”
Oklahoma connections
Barclay came to the University of Tulsa as a Botany instructor in 1929.
Relevant Exhibits
