The Resume

(August 8, 1857-November 6, 1935)
Born in Fairfield, Connecticut
Paleontologist and geologist
President of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH; 1908-33)
President of the New York Zoological Society (1909-25)
Described and named the dinosaurs Ornitholestes (1903), Tyrannosaurus rex (1905), Albertosaurus (1905), Pentaceratops (1923), and Velociraptor (1924)

Why he might be annoying:

He became president of the AMNH partly by exploiting his family's wealth and political and social connections.
He would order lower-ranking museum employees to leave the elevator when he got on.
He had exhibits in the Hall of the Age of Man designed to promote the idea that Nordic 'races' were the most advanced.
As a eugenicist, he lobbied for the restrictive Immigration Act of 1924.
He called the Nazi Party 'a positive force' in Germany.

Why he might not be annoying:

He was credited with greatly improving the standards for museum displays, especially with the AMNH's lifelike dioramas.
He assembled one of the world's greatest fossil collections.
A biographical sketch noted, 'You have to hand it to Osborn, he was good at the naming business: it is hard to beat Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor as evocative descriptors.'
He opposed imposing complete bans on immigration from any nation, noting 'There are very good and desirable emigrants to be found in every country.'

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• 19th Century Scientists
• 20th Century Scientists
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 74]
• Eugenics Supporters
• I Attended Princeton
• I Died in 1935 (Ranked: 78)
• I Earned a Doctorate
• I Named My Kid After Myself
• I Outlived My Child
• Look at Me, I'm on the Cover of Time
• Look at My Magazine Cover
• Profiles 46001-46250 (Ranked: 46173)
• Scientists

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 14 Votes: 92.86% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 6 Votes: 83.33% Annoying