Known as the Father of American Mycology, Lewis David Von Schweinitz made significant advances to the U.S. school of botany during the early 19th Century. Over the course of his life, Von Schweinitz classified over 1,000 new species of American fungi. Written publications of Von Schweinitz compose the foundation of the American school of mycology, or study of fungi.
Born in the famed Gemeinhaus near the heart of Moravian Bethlehem, Von Schweinitz was the grandson of Benigna Von Zinzendorf, founder of the Moravian Seminary for Young Ladies. During his life, Von Schweinitz served as a Moravian bishop in Bethlehem as well as headmaster of the Moravian Seminary for a time. A dedicated scientist, religious leader, and educator of youth, Von Schweinitz brought Bethlehem to the front lines of scientific discovery and innovation, a position the city would hold for centuries to come.
