Elizabeth C. Crosby

Elizabeth Caroline Crosby (October 25, 1888 – July 28, 1983) was an American neuroanatomist. Crosby received the National Medal of Science from President Jimmy Carter in 1979 "for outstanding contributions to comparative and human neuroanatomy and for the synthesis and transmission of knowledge of the entire nervous system of the vertebrate phylum." Her "careful descriptions" of vertebrate brains – especially reptiles – helped "outline evolutionary history" and her work as a clinical diagnostic assistant to neurosurgeons resulted in "the correlation of anatomy and surgery."

Education and career

Elizabeth C. Crosby was born to Lewis Frederick and Francis Kreps Crosby in Petersburg, Michigan in 1888.

She eventually became professor emeritus of Anatomy and Consultant of Neurosurgery before leaving the University of Michigan for University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1963, where she again became professor emeritus of Anatomy. Crosby's excellence in teaching was officially recognized in 1957 when the Galens Society of the University of Michigan Medical School established the Elizabeth C. Crosby annual award for the best preclinical teaching in the school. 1957, the Elizabeth C. Crosby award for best preclinical teaching was established by the University of Michigan Medical School's Galens Society 1969, Karl Spencer Lashley Award 1970, the Honorary Doctorate of Sciences from the University of Michigan 1972, the Henry Gray Award of the American Association of Anatomists 1980, Distinguished Faculty Lecturer from the University of Alabama Birmingham 1980, National Medal of Science presented by President Jimmy Carter

Selected works 1917, "The forebrain of alligator mississippiensis", Journal of Comparative Neurology, 79 (1):1-14. 1936, with Cornelius Ubbo Ariëns Kappers and G. Carl Huber, The Comparative Anatomy of the Nervous System of Vertebrates, including Man: vol. 1, vol. 2. New York: Hafner Publishing Company. OCLC 560551865. 1955, with Kahn, Edgar A.; Basset, Robert; Schbeider, Richard C., "Correlative neurosurgery": , Springfield: Charles C. Thomas. A 2nd edition in 1969, last 3rd edition in 1982. 1960, with Herrick, C. Judson (Charles Judson), "A Laboratory outline of neurology": .Philadelphia, W. B. Saunders. 1962, with Tryphena Humphrey Correlative Anatomy of the Nervous System. New York: Macmillan. OCLC 557246. 1976, with Augustine, J., "The functional significance of certain duplicate motor patterns on the cerebral cortex in primates including man", Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery,79(1):1-14 . 1982, with H. N. Schnitzlein, "Comparative correlative neuroanatomy of the vertebrate telencephalon": . New York, McMillan.