Ernest Tinkham

Biographical Sketch, by Hany Abdoun, Archives Intern

Ernest Tinkham was born on September 13, 1904, in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 1927 he received his B.S. from the University of Alberta, Canada, and in 1928 he received his M.S. in entomology from Montana State College. In 1939, he received his Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Minnesota.

Beginning in 1928 Dr. Tinkham served as Entomologist in the Pink Bollworm Lab, State Division of Entomology, Texas. He continued working there until he became Instructor of Entomology at Lingnan University, China and Assistant Curator to its Natural History Museum in 1933. He was later appointed Science Artist at Bishop Museum, Hawaii (1936-1937), Head of the Department of Biology at Intermountain-Polytechnic Institute, Montana (1937-1938), Grasshopper Technician, Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, U.S. Department of Agriculture, North Dakota and Arizona (1938-1939), and Wildlife Biologist, State Game and Fishing Commission, Arizona (1941). Dr. Tinkham received a Guggenheim Fellowship (1946), and served as Manager and Entomologist at Coachella Valley Mosquito Abatement District (beginning in 1948).

Dr. Ernest R. Tinkham, a leading authority on insect studies in Arizona, died in February 1987. After his death, his insect collection was given to the California Academy of Sciences.

Sources Consulted:

American Men and Women of Science, 8th Edition, 1949.

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