Colleagues and Friends from Around the Globe Share Memories and Appreciation of the Longtime Garden President
This past spring, we shared with profound sadness that Dr. Peter H. Raven — a botanist of global stature who transformed the Missouri Botanical Garden into one of the world’s leading centers for botany and became one of the most influential voices for biodiversity and conservation — had passed away at the age of 89.
For nearly four decades, Dr. Raven served as President and Director of the Garden while also holding the George Engelmann Professorship of Botany at Washington University in St. Louis. When he assumed leadership of the Garden in 1971 at age 35, the institution was modest in scope. By the time he retired in 2010, he had transformed the organization into a global hub for research, education, horticultural display, and sustainability, with far-reaching scientific partnerships and conservation programs.
Here at our Discover + Share blog, we wanted to bring together in one post a range of ways the Garden, peer organizations, and individuals from around the globe have shared the impact Dr. Raven made on them.
On Saturday, June 13, which would have been Dr. Raven’s 90th birthday, people from around the world gathered at the Missouri Botanical Garden to celebrate his life. Below, you can watch a recording of this celebration:
Shared Memories
Several colleagues and family members who took part in the Celebration of Life spoke also with Shiloh Documentary Films. The filmmakers added these memories as an epilogue to their documentary about Dr. Raven’s life, available below:
In addition, hundreds of students, scientific peers, friends, family, and colleagues from across the globe shared stories of Dr. Raven with the Garden. Below, we are honored to share just a small sampling of those reflections:
Help Honor Dr. Raven’s Legacy
We invite you to make a fully tax-deductible gift to the Dr. Peter H. Raven Memorial Fund today to honor his extraordinary legacy and support the work he championed. Dr. Raven’s family will be notified of gifts without reference to gift amount. Commemorative gifts of $100 or more will be listed in the Garden’s Bulletin.
Leave a Reply