Remembering Botanist Katherine Esau and her Fables

June 4, 1997

On this day, the German-American botanist Katherine Esau died.

She received the National Medal of Science for her outstanding work on plant anatomy.

When researching Katherine Esau, I discovered she was born in Ekaterinoslav, Ukraine.

Both she and her hometown were named after Catherine the Great. 

A former student described Katherine as having a stately, elegant demeanor reminiscent of Ingrid Bergman's in Anastasia's film.

Although she came across as very dignified, she was very relatable and funny.

The witty side of Katherine contrasts fabulously with her work studying plant viruses.

Katherine once gave a lecture titled "The Saga of Vladimir-the-Virus and the Sad Fate of Norman-the-Nucleus."

And here's something I found particularly charming about Katherine Esau.

Many of her lectures began with her signature opening, "Once upon a time..."

Her students referred to these stories as Esau's Fables.