T. Gilbert Pearson

Thomas Gilbert Pearson (1873–1943) was an American conservationist and one of the first faculty members at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He co-founded the National Association of Audubon Societies, later known as the National Audubon Society. He was also a founder of the International Committee for Bird Protection.

Life

Pearson grew up in the woods of central Florida after moving there at the age of 9 from Dublin, Indiana. He lived in a log cabin with his parents and six siblings- 3 brothers and 3 sisters. The Pearsons were members of the Society of Friends. Encouraged by an older friend, Pearson began egg collecting. This hobby caused him to play truant from school, which was one of the reasons for his bad school record.

At 13, he bought a gun, which he had long desired to own. He learned that he could earn 90 cents to $1.25 by killing egrets and selling their plumes. He also made money by selling many birds' eggs.

After learning how to mount birds, he gathered quite a collection. He wrote to many schools and colleges, hoping to secure admission and pay for his education with his collection. At the age of 18, in 1891, President Lyndon Hobbs of Guilford College accepted Pearson's offer. In return, Pearson received board and tuition for two years if he would also collect and mount birds for the college. After two years of college, Pearson received a scholarship to continue his studies at Guilford. During his time at Guilford, he served as editor of the college magazine, president of his literary society, manager of the baseball team, and was also captain of the football team.