George was born 168 years ago on March 23, 1845 in Albany to Geo W Senior and Mary Perry Watson, Rhode Islanders who moved to Albany and then further west to the territory of Wisconsin. There George Jr joined the Wisconsin Heavy Artillery during the Civil War after which he joined his sister Lila at Antioch College in Ohio. He pursued a law degree in Albany and later an MD at University of Michigan. He did not pursue either of these professions.
George was very interested in education and returned to Milwaukee to teach high school, later becoming an educational administrator, librarian and Library Director. He met and married Elizabeth "Bessie" Gifford, a Vassar science graduate who completed her masters there. They introduced Darwinian concepts into secondary eduction would jointly pursue a scientific fascination with wasps & spiders -- becoming world experts on the behavior of jumping spiders. The salticid genus Peckhamia is named in their honor, along with at least 20 species and one subspecie.
A very interesting fellow who clearly met the right mate with whom to share his intellectual endeavors. Bessie was also active in the women's suffragist movement as was George's beloved sister Lila. An interesting couple, married for 33 years until his 1914 death at age 68. Bessie outlived him by 26 years.
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