Frank R(attray) Lillie

Embryologist, born in Toronto, Canada. He went to the USA to complete his graduate studies (1891), and then taught and performed research at the University of Michigan (1894–9), Vassar College (1899–1900), and the University of Chicago (1900–35). He concurrently served the Woods Hole (Massachusetts) Marine Biology Laboratory as a researcher and administrator (1893–1942), developed the Oceanographic Institution there, and became its first director (1930–9). His major contributions include studies of fertilization in ova of marine organisms, classical investigations of chick embryo morphogenesis, definitive explanations of the development of hormonally-induced freemartinism in heterosexual cattle twins, and developmental research on feather regeneration in poultry. He was the only person to hold simultaneously the presidencies of the National Academy of Science and the National Research Council (1935–6).

Frank Rattray Lillie (1870 - 1947) was an early American zoologist.

Graduated in 1891 from University of Toronto and became a fellow in zoology at Clark University. Between 1899-1900 he was Professor of Biology at Vassar College but in 1900 he was called back to Chicago as Assistant Professor of Zoology.

From 1935 to 1935 he was served in the joint positions of President of the National Academy of Sciences and Chairman of the United States National Research Council.

He was Director of the Marine Biological Laboratory from 1908-1939(?).

He founded and was first President (1930-1939) of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

His most important academic work--as distinct from his considerable contributions to the institutions of science in America--included experiments on the phenomenon of freemartin in cattle, which led to his discovery of the existence, and analysis of, the operation of the male hormone.

Sources: "Addresses at the Lillie Memorial Meeting, Woods Hole, August 11, 1948" Biological Bulletin, Vol 95, No2, 151-162, October 1948;