Beaver's most famous representative in the world of
science was W. E. Clyde Todd, who came here in 1877 and remained
until his death in 1969. He had his first paper published at the
age of 13, and was Curator of Ornithology at Carnegie Museum from
1899 until 1945, and Curator Emeritus until 1969. In addition
to his many books, he organized more than 25 trips to Northern
Canada for the Museum and was the first man to cross the Northern
Labrador peninsulas on foot. A Fellow of the prestigious American
Ornithologists Union, he twice won its highest honor, the Brewster
Medal, for outstanding contributions to ornithology in the Western
Hemisphere. In a special exhibition of his work by the Museum
in 1974, this tribute appears:
"His legacy to the Carnegie Museum was not only the collection of specimens he assembled, but the tradition of scrupulous accuracy and painstaking care in both curatorial work and research"
He commuted by train for nearly 70 years and was a familiar sight in the fields and woods of Beaver County. The Beaver Area Chamber of Commerce named him its Man Of The Year in 1969.