Jean-Henri Fabre was born at Saint-Léons, southern France, on December 22, 1823. He received little education in school, and taught himself several subjects as a trainee teacher in Avignon. For this, he received a diploma, and found low-paying jobs as a schoolteacher. He married Marie Villard, another teacher. Now, he devoted his free time to studying insects. This gained him no recognition from his employers, but brought him attention from scientists. He was recognized in Paris, and given a high award: the Légion d’ Honneur medal. Relations with his employers worsened and, in 1870, when he admitted girls to his science classes, he was fired. An English economist, philosopher and friend, John Stuart Mill, lent him money. Royalties from his numerous popular books on scientific subjects, and his teaching of evening classes, allowed him to live with his family, repay Mill, and even buy a small house on a plot of land. In 1879 he retired from teaching, and went to live in that house, and...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Favret F (1999) Jean-Henri Fabre: his life experiences and predisposition against Darwin. Am Entomol 45:38–48
Teale EW (1949) The insect world of J. Henri Fabre. Dodd, Mead & Co, New York, xvi + 333 pp
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this entry
Cite this entry
(2008). Fabre, Jean-Henri Casimir. In: Capinera, J.L. (eds) Encyclopedia of Entomology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6359-6_3731
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6359-6_3731
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-6242-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-6359-6
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences