Warder Clyde Allee, a renowned ecologist from

Chicago
Chicago has long been known not only for its architectural wonders,

cultural diversity and thriving urban landscape but also for its great people.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, a remarkable figure emerged

among this urban diversity who left an unforgettable print on the field of

ecology and zoology. Warder Clyde Allee was a brilliant scientist who spent

his life in Chicago researching ecology. He devoted his life to studying and

preserving the delicate balance in the natural world. Through his efforts and

groundbreaking research, Allee established himself as a leader in this area.

He was undoubtedly the greatest environmentalist of the 20th century.

Learn more at chicagoname.

The story of ecologist Warder Allee

Warder Clyde Allee was born in Bloomingdale, Indiana, in 1885. Alley was
not a native of Chicago, but he spent most of his life there studying zoology
and ecology.

From an early age, Allee had a deep interest in the natural world. He
enjoyed exploring the local parks of Bloomingdale, wandering in the woods
and observing wildlife. This early experience served as the foundation for
his later efforts as an ecologist.

Allee was educated at an ordinary one-room country school in

Bloomingdale. He was an excellent student. When he entered

Bloomingdale's Academy, he was once again one of the best students in

his class. Before that, in his final year, he won an oratorical contest. At the

age of 17, Allee started working. In particular, he taught at a country

school. Also, for a year, he worked as a teacher in the fifth and sixth grades

of Bloomingdale's elementary school.

At the age of 19, Allee enrolled in Earlham College. Additionally, Allee grew
up in the Society of Friends and married Marjorie Hill, who was also a
member. His marriage and his strong Quaker beliefs, specifically, were
very influential in his environmental research and later career.

What brought Allee to Chicago?

Allee's passion for knowledge drove him to Chicago. He wanted to learn
more about zoology and ecology, so after graduating from Earlham College
in 1908, he came to Chicago and enrolled at the University of Chicago. It
was there that he gained a thorough understanding of these sciences as
well as a Ph.D. with honors. It should be emphasized that Allee made the
largest contribution to the research and development of ecology and
zoology during his time in Chicago. During his studies, he paid much
attention to thorough study and research, writing scientific articles and
entire manuals.

Contribution to ecology
The majority of Allee's life was devoted to researching the preferences of
organisms that interact with each other rather than exist separately. For
many years, he observed entire groups of living organisms and discovered
that their correlation is beneficial and vital in nature. The scientist called this
discovery the Alley effect. In this study, he described in detail the positive
correlation between population density and individual fitness of a
population or species.

Allee's research, however, did not stop there, throughout his life, he wrote
more than two hundred scientific papers and published twelve books. His
primary area of interest was studies of animal sociology. He conducted
extensive research on zoology, as well as the interaction of animals with
each other and with humans.

Illness and the final years of life

To advance his career, Allee had to move from Chicago. He actively

taught, conducted research and published scientific articles. But soon after,
the outstanding scientist was caught off guard by an illness, a spinal tumor

that resulted in paralysis. From year 1935, Allee was in a wheelchair. The

sickness, however, did not deter him from conducting new research in the

fields of ecology and zoology. He continued to do what he loved until he

died in 1955.

Allee had a significant impact on ecology and zoology in the 20th century,

both in Chicago and well beyond. Allee's scientific work is still being studied

and discussed in the 21st century, as many scientists are interested in the

ideas underlying the Allee effect.