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A History of the Calvert Award for Insect-Related Study for Young Entomologists 1987 – 2009

In March 1986, following the 125th anniversary of the American Entomological Society, the Executive Council of the American Entomological Society formed an Education Committee. The objectives of this committee were to explore ways in which the Society could promote interests in insects among young people and to involve more young people in the activities of the Society. In April 1987, the Executive Council approved a proposal to offer an annual award to a young person who displays unusual accomplishments and interest in the area of entomology or insect-related study. The award, to be presented annually to an outstanding young entomologist of the Delaware Valley, was named the Calvert Award in honor of Dr. Philip P. Calvert. Calvert displayed unusual accomplishments as a young entomologist and illustrator in Philadelphia a century ago. He had a 74-year association with the Society and held the office of president from 1900-1915. In 1890 at the age of 18, he contributed to the first issue of Entomological News and continued on as Associate Editor and Editor through 1943 . As a member of the Society, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and as a professor of biology at the University of Pennsylvania, Philip P. Calvert was committed to entomological education. It was therefore appropriate that the award to an outstanding young entomologist commemorates one of the outstanding entomologists of the early 20th century. A short biography of Calvert as a young entomologist was published in Entomological News 95(4): 155-162 (1984). The Council limited eligibility for this award to precollege students of the greater Delaware Valley who demonstrate outstanding accomplishments in insect-related study, had not previously received the award and were not related to current AES Council members. Over time, the practice came to make the award to the student with the best insect-related project at the annual Delaware Valley Science Fairs but other types of excellence were occasionally honored. Because many science projects involved commercially-obtained insects such as fruit flies, ants, cockroaches, and crickets as a matter of expediency to avoid dealing with regulations on animal experimentation, the Council felt the award needed to go beyond insect-related study and include the motivation of the student scientists involved. Thus, projects using Drosophila or other commercially available insects were considered for the award, but preference was given to projects relating to local species, locally obtained, and projects demonstrating genuine interest in entomology. Because student projects displayed at the Delaware Valley Science Fairs must have received honors at other "feeder" fairs to be entered, some worthy insect-related projects might not be encountered by the judges. Therefore, members of the Society could nominate students with projects such as insect collections for consideration.