Graffiti on the statue of Matthew Fontaine Maury on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia. Photo credit: Adam H. Domby
Dr. Penelope Hardy, a historian of science and technology who studies technologies of science, ocean science, and ocean exploration, has co-authored with me a piece on Matthew Fontaine Maury exploring links between his accomplishments, including his science, and his racist ideology. It appears on the blog of the International Commission for the History of Oceanography: https://oceansciencehistory.wordpress.com/2020/06/16/reckoning-with-a-racist-legacy-in-ocean-science/