Charles Wachsmuth (September 13, 1829 – February 7, 1896) was a German-American paleontologist and businessman. After emigrating to the United States, he became a renowned expert on the Paleozoic fossil animals known as crinoids. He and his collaborator, Frank Springer, published numerous articles on the subject and built an exceptional collection of crinoid fossils. The culmination of his work was the two-volume "Monograph of the North American Crinoidea Camerata", coauthored with Springer and published posthumously in 1897. Early life Wachsmuth was born on September 13, 1829, in Hanover, Germany. His father, Christian Wachsmuth, was a lawyer and member of the Frankfurt parliament who intended his son to follow him in the legal profession. However, ill health forced Charles to leave school at age sixteen. His physician recommended a career in business. In 1852, he emigrated to the United States and worked in New York as an agent for a Hamburg shipping firm until 1854. The climate in New York did not agree with Wachsmuth and after recovering from a severe attack of pneumonia he moved west in 1855 and settled in Burlington, Iowa. That same year he married Bernandina Lorenz and opened a grocery store. Paleontology Poor health continued to plague Wachsmuth. His doctor recommended outdoor exercise and suggested fossil hunting as a pleasant and healthy pastime. Wachsmuth soon found that the local limestone formations held an extensive array of the Paleozoic fossil animals known as crinoids. Eventually, the region would be recognized as one of the world's richest sources of these fossils. Wachsmuth became an enthusiastic collector and student of crinoid fossils. His health finally improved and he turned over the operation of his business to his wife so that he could devote all his time to his new passion. Over the next few years, the collection grew to the point where it began to attract the attention of scientists across the country. Geologists Amos Worthen and Fielding Meek borrowed specimens while preparing their geological survey of Illinois. In 1864, Louis Agassiz came to Burlington to meet Wachsmuth and view his collection. By 1865, the grocery business had made Wachsmuth financially independent. He and his wife traveled first to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to visit Agassiz and the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Next, the Wachsmuths continued on to Europe where they examined museum collections and collected fossils to take home. His last stop was the British Museum in London where he