William Parker Foulke facts for kids

William Parker Foulke (1816–1865) was an important person who found the first complete dinosaur skeleton in North America. This amazing discovery happened in 1858 in Haddonfield, New Jersey. The dinosaur was named Hadrosaurus foulkii, which means "Foulke's big lizard."

Born in Philadelphia, William Parker Foulke was many things: a lawyer, a historian, and a geologist. His interest in geology led him to find the dinosaur. He was also known for helping people, especially by working to end slavery and improve prisons.

Early Life and Career

William Parker Foulke became a lawyer in Pennsylvania in 1841. However, he spent much of his time working on important social changes. From 1845, he focused on two main areas: improving prisons and ending slavery.

Helping Prisons Become Better

Foulke cared deeply about people in prison. He joined the Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries in Public Prisons in 1845. He studied different ways to manage prisons and wrote about these ideas.

He visited many prisons in 1847 and 1848 to see how they worked. Foulke played a key role in building the new Lancaster County Prison. He also helped improve other prisons in Pennsylvania. He worked with groups that wanted to make prisons fairer and more helpful.

Working to End Slavery

Foulke also supported the Pennsylvania Colonization Society. This group helped freed slaves move to West Africa, to a country called Liberia. Each year, they helped about 1,000 people start new lives there.

Even though some people disagreed with this idea, Foulke continued to support it. He believed strongly in helping freed slaves. By the time he passed away in 1865, he was the Vice-President of this society.

Other Interests and Activities

William Parker Foulke was a generous person. He supported the American Academy of Music, which is a place for musical performances. He was also a member of several important groups:

• The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia
• The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
• The American Philosophical Society

He loved studying nature and geology. He also supported the first trips to explore the Arctic region.

Family Life

In 1855, William Parker Foulke married Julia DeVeaux Powel. They had seven children together. One of their children, Sara Gwendolen Foulke, became a biologist. William Parker Foulke died on June 18, 1865.

See also

In Spanish: William Parker Foulke para niños