William Emerson Ritter | |
|---|---|
.jpg) William E. Ritter | |
| Born | November 21, 1856 Hampden Township, Columbia County, Wisconsin |
| Died | January 10, 1944 (aged 87) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California, San Diego |
William Emerson Ritter (November 21, 1856 – January 10, 1944) was an American biologist.
Ritter initiated and shaped the Marine Biological Association of San Diego (now Scripps Institution of Oceanography of UC San Diego) and the American Society for the Dissemination of Science (now the Society for Science and the Public and Science News). Innovative and entrepreneurial, with a deep desire for human service, he worked tirelessly to educate people in scientific thinking. He was the first biologist to propose a theory of systems, and seems to be the originator of the term organicism for biological purposes.