William Dandridge Peck

William Dandridge Peck (May 8, 1763 Boston – October 8, 1822 Cambridge, MA) was a botanist, and America ’s first native entomologist. He was a professor at Harvard College. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1793. Dandridge was also a founding member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1812, and served as the society's first vice-president from 1812-1816.His pioneering entomological article was "The Description and History of the Canker Worm", describing the species as Phalaena vernata, the spring cankerworm.