Joseph Richard Slevin ( September 13 , 1881 – February 17 , 1957 ) was an American herpetologist and the second curator of herpetology at the California Academy of Sciences , with which he was affiliated for over 50 years . He collected reptile and amphibian specimens from around the world , notably in the Galápagos Islands in a 17-month expedition , and was largely responsible for re-growing the Academy 's herpetological collection following its destruction in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake . He wrote or co-wrote nearly 60 scientific papers , and is commemorated in the scientific names of over a dozen species or subspecies of animals and plants . Slevin was born in San Francisco , California , and attended St. Ignatius High School . His father , Thomas E. Slevin , was an amateur ornithologist and member of the California Academy of Sciences . Joseph studied classical languages at Saint Mary 's College in Kansas , then enlisted in the United States Navy . By 1904 he had served his term and completed around 20 voyages with the Oceanic Steamship Company , a shipping company that operated between San Francisco , Hawaii , and Australia
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Joseph Richard Slevin