Georgia Mason facts for kids

Georgia Mason (born March 16, 1910 – died October 8, 2007) was a talented botanist. Botanists are scientists who study plants. She worked at the University of Oregon. Georgia Mason also wrote important books about plants, like Guide to the Plants of the Wallowa Mountains of Northeastern Oregon. Her work helped people learn about the amazing plants found in Oregon.

A Life of Learning and Plants

Early Life and Teaching Career

Georgia Mason was born Georgia Mavropoulos in West Orange, New Jersey. Her parents, Peter and Bessie Mavropoulos, were immigrants from Greece. From 1931 to 1941, she taught grades 1 through 7 in New Jersey schools. During this time, she changed her last name to Mason. This made it easier for people to say. From 1941 to 1958, she taught science classes to students in grades 6 through 9.

Becoming a Botanist

In 1958, when she was 49 years old, Georgia Mason received a special grant. This grant was from the National Science Foundation. It allowed her to study for a Master of Science degree. She attended Oregon State College, which is now called Oregon State University, in Corvallis, Oregon. She finished her degree in 1960. After graduating, she decided to stay in Oregon for the rest of her life.

Working with Plant Collections

In 1959, Georgia Mason started collecting herbarium specimens. A herbarium is like a library for dried plant samples. These samples help scientists study different plants. By 1960, she focused on plants from the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon. She worked at the herbarium at Oregon State College.

From 1961 to 1962, she worked at the University of Oregon Herbarium in Eugene. She filled in for the main Curator, LeRoy Detling, who was away. Later, in the late 1960s, she worked with specimens from the Arizona State University herbarium. After Mr. Detling passed away in 1970, Georgia Mason became the curator at the University of Oregon. She held this important job until she retired in 1976. Even after retiring, she continued to teach botany classes. She also led walks to help people learn about native plants.

Her Important Books and Contributions

Georgia Mason wrote two important books about plants. Her book, Guide to the Plants of the Wallowa Mountains of Northeastern Oregon, was published in 1975. Her second book, Plants of Wet to Moist Habitats in and Around Eugene Oregon, came out in 1983.

She also helped future botanists. In 1978, she started a special fund at Oregon State University. This fund helps students who work in the herbarium.

Georgia Mason was a very active collector. She donated 4,549 plant specimens to herbaria in Oregon. This was one of the largest collections ever given by an Oregon collector. She also collected plants in Washington, Wyoming, and Nebraska. While she was a curator, she helped organize many other plant collections. She added about 3,000 specimens from another botanist, Lilla Leach. She also added 3,800 collections from Orlin Ireland. Georgia Mason also updated the names on hundreds of plant sheets. This made sure the collections were accurate and useful for future studies.