Herbarium

Brief Historical Information about Herbarium Collectors

The Muskegon Community College Herbarium has specimens dating from 1894 to the present day with a total of 1676 specimens.  Collectors included Cal Scott from West Bend, Wisconsin in 1974; MCC student Kathy Anderson in 1968; Reverend Clinton Frank of Hope College in 1917, and MCC student Engelien de Bruin in 1987, who now teaches in the Netherlands.  Other major collectors were the following:

  • Eric A. Bourdo, Jr (1917-1995) collected most of his specimens in 1974. After completing his degrees from Michigan Technological University, and the University of Michigan (PhD in forestry), Eric worked as a consultant for many wood product companies, as well as being a professor at Ford Forestry Center (1958-1981) and Michigan Technology University 1947-1958.  He authored many articles and a guidebook on trees.
  • Hazel Roach Delcourt attended MCC in 1968-1969 and then graduated from Albion College in 1972. She later completed a Master’s degree in botany from Louisiana State University (1974) and earned her PhD in ecology from the University of Minnesota (1978).  Hazel also served as secretary of the Ecological Society of America from 1986-1992 and retired as a full professor from University of Tennessee in Knoxville.  She and her husband wrote many articles and books on forestry, ecology, and paleoecology.
  • Mary Kasey Hartz (1908 – 2001) taught in MCC’s Life Sciences Department from 1958-1973. She and her students established the campus’ natural area and trails in the 1970s.  In 2003, new trail boardwalks were constructed from funds bequeathed by her.   Kasey was dearly loved by many people who enjoyed her as a trail guide not only here but also at Hoffmaster State Park.  She graduated from College of St. Teresa in Winona, Minnesota in 1929.   Teaching at a variety of different high schools, junior schools, and colleges, she completed her Master’s degree from the University of Minnesota in 1952 with a focus in aquatic ecology.  A book of her poetry was published by Jim and Jane Kane in 2001 (Kasey Hartz: Poetry and Biography. Muskegon Community College).
  • The D. McLouth specimens range from 1890s – early1900s. Many of these fragile herbarium sheets are annotated and noted by Dr. Edward Voss, (deceased) curator of University of Michigan Herbarium for the 1966 Michigan Flora Project.  Clarence D. McLouth (1860-1932) was a science teacher, head of the Muskegon High School’s Natural Science department, and contributed to the Michigan Flora prepared by W. J. Beal in 1904.  Clarence was instrumental in establishing the “Garden Boys” in Muskegon around 1914.  Young students were given a small parcel of garden to plant and maintain on the outskirts of Muskegon Heights.  Garden yields were eaten or sold.  Some of his contemporaries wrote this about Clarence: “He is a widely recognized authority on all of the native flora and bird life, and gives his boys much valuable information about insects and plant life.  He teaches them to enjoy, protect, and preserve both the wild flowers and all bird life in any form.”  Collins & McMillan. 1915. Kalamazoo Normal Record (1910-1918). Western Michigan University.
  • Roy Struven (1925-1999) was the planetarium technician and taught Celestial Navigation, Electronic Math, and Acclimatization Workshop at Muskegon Community College during 1975- 1988. He collected many plant specimens during his tenure.
  • Theresa Van Veelen, with field assistance from MCC student Barbara Grob, collected over 500 plant specimens for the herbarium and course materials during her first sabbatical in 2010. Theresa graduated from Grand Valley State University in 1993, with a biology degree and an emphasis in botany and later completed a Master’s degree in Zoology from Michigan State University in 1999.  She has been teaching full time in MCC’s Life Sciences Department since 1999.  During the Fall 2016, she categorized and imaged all herbarium sheets for digital viewing on the Consortium of Midwest Herbaria