Dr Joseph William Blankinship (23 February 1862–2 July 1938)

American botanist. Born in Illinois, United States of America. Educated at Drury College near Springfield, Missouri, he graduated in 1889 with a BA in classical and scientific studies. His postgraduate study in botany was undertaken at Berkley, California. He collected widely and extensively in North America but failed to obtain his postgraduate degree. He moved east and obtained his doctorate from Harvard in 1898 becoming Assistant in Botany at Harvard University.