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Dr. W.E. Clyde Todd

Beaver's most famous representative in the world of science was W. E. Clyde Todd, who came here in 1877 and remained until his death in 1969. He had his first paper published at the age of 13, and was Curator of Ornithology at Carnegie Museum from 1899 until 1945, and Curator Emeritus until 1969. In addition to his many books, he organized more than 25 trips to Northern Canada for the Museum and was the first man to cross the Northern Labrador peninsulas on foot. A Fellow of the prestigious American Ornithologists Union, he twice won its highest honor, the Brewster Medal, for outstanding contributions to ornithology in the Western Hemisphere. In a special exhibition of his work by the Museum in 1974, this tribute appears:

"His legacy to the Carnegie Museum was not only the collection of specimens he assembled, but the tradition of scrupulous accuracy and painstaking care in both curatorial work and research"

He commuted by train for nearly 70 years and was a familiar sight in the fields and woods of Beaver County. The Beaver Area Chamber of Commerce named him its Man Of The Year in 1969.