Real Life Romance: Theodore and Wilmatte Porter Cockerell

Wilmatte Porter Cockerell and her husband Theodore Alison Cockerell were a couple whose scientific research took them all over the world. Between the two of them, they contributed to the fields of botany, entomology, taxonomy, paleontology, evolution, and conservation.

Wilmatte was born in Iowa in 1869. She graduated from Stanford University and became a university professor. Wilmatte never lost her passion for teaching. For much of their married lives she taught high school, and after Theodore retired the two of them worked as volunteers to educate school children about science and conservation.

Wilmatte wore many hats both as a single woman and after her marriage. In addition to teaching, she went on expeditions, both alone and with Theodore. She wrote scientific papers on her botanical findings. She also made an income from selling specimens. One of her discoveries was a red sunflower that she found not in some far-flung location but across the street from her house. It was a mutant variety that she was able to transplant to her own garden, cultivate, and sell to seed companies. You can read a delightful article by Theodore about the discovery and Wilmatte’s cultivation of the flower in a 1912 article from Popular Science.

Deep red sunflower discovered by Wilmatte - it has light red tips and deep red petals with a dark center, flat and filled with sunflower seeds

Theodore was born in 1866, in London. He moved to Colorado for his health. He had a slight case of tuberculosis, which he battled for the rest of his life. After spending some time cataloging the plant and animal life in Colorado, he got a job in Jamaica, where he helped Alfred Wallace Russell revise his book, Island Life. Theodore and his first wife, Annie Penn, had two children together, one of whom died in infancy. Annie died two years after they married. Theodore and Wilmatte met at New Mexico Normal University in 1900.

Theodore and Wilmatte were both avid collectors and observers of plants, insects, and fossils. Like Wilmatte, Theodore spent a lot of time teaching. According to The Norwood Society:

Theodore’s scientific interests covered a wide spectrum of interests, and he was unhappy when told by the University authorities that he had to limit his teaching to a specific area. He is quoted in a scientific journal as having said: “I have noticed that those who stuck to a single subject are apt to attain a rigidity of mind which may give a comfortable assurance of competency but does not permit much originality.”

The Cockerells were great travelers in their quest for specimens. In addition to traveling all over New Mexico and Colorado, they visited Europe, Japan (where they were presumed dead for several days after an earthquake) and several areas in Africa, California, and Honduras.

The couple in Boulder, Colorado, 1935 Wilmette has wavy hair, it looks like, and it's caught at the name of her neck. Theodore is wearing a white suit and has a slight beard, while Wilmatte is wearing a dark dress. They're standing in a field of sunflowers
The couple in Boulder, Colorado, 1935

After retirement, the Cockerells worked as the curators of the Palm Springs Desert Museum. They worked there as full time volunteers throughout WWII. After the war, they travelled to Honduras, where they taught at Escuela Agricola Panamericana in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. They both lived long lives: Theodore died at the age of 81 in 1948. Wilmatte continued teaching – in Mississippi this time – before moving back to California where she died in 1957.

The Cockerells lived of considerable adventure and accomplishment. Above all, they seem to have approached their world with a great deal of wonder and excitement. Neither of them liked to focus on one thing: they were both experts on flowers, bees, and other forms of insect life, as well as paleontology.

Multiple species are named after them both. My favorite is this slug, which Theodore named after his wife. Naming a slug after your beloved might not seem very romantic, but check out the slug at this link – it’s a stunning nudibranch. It’s a beautiful tribute to a beautiful relationship!

Bonus trivia for the day: Theodore’s nephew Sir. Christopher Cockerell invented the hovercraft.

In addition to references linked above, I’m in debt to:

“felimare-porterae” at America Pink

Wilmatte Porter Cockerell” at America Pink 

“Boulder History: Wilmatte Cockerell and the Red Sunflower” by Carol Taylor, at Daily Camera

“Featured Collections: Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell Papers” for University Libraries

I first came across this couple in an article on io9.com by Lauren Davis titled “Historical Photographs of Scientists in Love.” It’s a delightful article with lovely photographs!

 

Comments are Closed

  1. Kareni says:

    What an enjoyable article! Thank you.

  2. Jazzlet says:

    I love sea slugs, but not as much as I hate land slugs.

  3. JenM says:

    I’m a scuba diver and I love nudibranchs! I even think I’ve seen this one. They are so lovely. I asked the hubs if he would name a nudi after me and he assured me he would. I can’t think of a more romantic present.

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