Archbold Biological Station
P.O. Box 2057
Lake
Placid, Florida 33862 USA
Phone: 863-465-2571
FAX:
863-699-1927
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RICHARD ARCHBOLD: Patron of science Richard Archbold was born in 1907 in New York City. Heir to early fortunes of the Standard Oil Company, Archbold became an internationally renowned aviator and explorer. During 1929-1939, in affiliation with the American Museum of Natural History, he organized, supported, and led four biological expeditions, first to Madagascar and then three to interior New Guinea. These expeditions are still famous for their comprehensiveness and significance to science. They included the discovery of a major human civilization in the New Guinea highlands, previously unknown to the outside world. In 1941, he moved to Lake Placid to fulfill a dream. He established a permanent biological research station on a 1,000-acre preserve, where scientists could live, explore, and conduct research on animals and plants in their native settings. Following World War II, Archbold continued to support biological explorations in New Guinea and Australia, but he remained in Lake Placid the rest of his life. Living at the Station, he became an active member of the Lake Placid community, assisting countless service organizations. He helped bring electricity to the rural regions of Highlands County. He worked constantly at improving the Station's facilities, collections, and library, and personally supported the research and living costs of every scientific visitor. In 1973, he added 3,000 acres of adjacent native habitat to the Station. Richard Archbold died of cancer on August 1, 1976. He left his estate, Archbold Expeditions, to provide permanent core funding for the unique biological station that bears his name. See also:
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