Bay, Jens Christian

Dr. Jens Christian Bay (1871-1962) was born in Rudkoebing on the island of Langeland, Denmark, and educated in botany at the University of Copenhagen. He followed the impulse of his ship-captain father to the USA, first to the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, then on to the Iowa State Board of Health, the Library of Congress, and the John Crerar Library, now part of the University of Chicago, becoming Librarian and Librarian Emeritus. His eclectic interests and publications ranged many topics: botany, taxonomy, history, literature, folklore, and book-collecting. Best known is his "Danis...