José Correia de Serra ( 1750 - 1823 )

Birth: Serpa, Alentejo, Portugal (1750) Death: Rainha, Portugal (05 June 1823) Profession: Diplomat Research Field: Botany Education: Rome, holy orders Career: Founder and Secretary, Portuguese Academy of Sciences, Lisbon (1779); accused by the Portuguese Inquisition due to his scientiifc publications and fled to Paris (1786); returned to Portugal after the death of Pedro III; secretary to the Portuguese embassy in London (1799); settled in Philadelphia (1813) where he delivered lectures on botany at the University of Pennsylvania; resided in Paris (1802-1813); Portuguese Ambassador to the United Sates (1816-1820); Finance Minister, Portugal (1820-1823) Memberships: Foreign Member of Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences; American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1815) Membership: Fellow Election Date: 3/03/1796.