Ornithologist John Cassin, one of the giants of American ornithology (1813 - 1869) was born, raised, lived, worked, died, and is buried in the Philadelphia area. While maintaining a full time job in the printing industry, he was elected to the honorary position of Curator at the Academy of Natural Sciences in 1843. The term "honorary position of Curator" was the common term for all the curators of the time. It signified that they were unpaid. He was America's first taxonomist, scientifically describing 198 birds not previously mentioned by Alexander Wilson and John James Audubon.
There are five birds common to North America that are named in his honor: Cassin's Finch, Cassin's Vireo, Cassin's Sparrow, Cassin's Auklet, and Cassin's Kingbird. The journal of the DVOC, Cassinia, is named in his honor.
Further information on John Cassin is available on the DVOC website at http://www.dvoc.org/DelValOrniHistory/CassinJohn/CassinJohn.htm
Member Jeff Holt wrote an excellent profile of John Cassin in the latest edition of Cassinia
http://www.dvoc.com/CassiniaOnLine/Cassinia72_73/C72_73Cassin.pdf
John and his wife, Hannah, are buried in plot J97 of the Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, PA
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