Lumina Cotton Riddle Smyth

Lumina Cotton Riddle (1871–1939) was an American botanist. She was a direct descendant of John Cotton.

Early life and education Born 18 March 1871, one of several children of Ida (nee Carlton) and George Riddle. Studied at Ohio State University where she received her BS in 1897, MS in 1898 and her doctorate in botany in 1905 - the first botany doctorate and the second doctorate of any kind awarded by the institution. She was taught by William Ashbrook Kellerman.

Life Riddle taught at the Akeley Institute, Michigan, from 1899 to 1900. In 1901 she was curator of natural history at Washburn College in Topeka. She then worked as a high school teacher at Altoona, Kansas, 1901–02, returning to Washburn College as curator from 1903 to 1904 and as Acting professor of zoology and physiology.

In 1906 Riddle married Bernard Bryan Smyth, curator of both the herbarium and ornithological collections at Kansas State Museum. The couple worked together on researching flora in Kansas.

Riddle was a member of the Agassiz Association, the AAAS, the Britton and Brown Botanical Club and both the Kansas and Ohio Academies of Science.

Riddle died in Cleveland, Ohio on 2 February 1939

Works

Occurrence of Podagrion Mantis in the Eggs of the Common Mantis. Trans. of the Kansas Academy of Sci. (1903-) 21: 178-179