Involvement
Awards
Sherman A. Minton Jr.
Award
The Hoosier Herpetological Society is proud to offer a $400 award in honor of Sherman A. Minton Jr. to support outstanding herpetological research projects. This annual award is open to students from Indiana-based academic institutions, with research topics welcomed from anywhere in the world.
The recipient will be invited to present their research at a 2025 Hoosier Herpetological Society meeting, held on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 PM at Holliday Park (6363 Spring Mill Rd, Indianapolis, IN).
Application Details:
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Submit a one-page or less description of your research topic.
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Be sure to include details on:
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Why this research is important
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How and why you chose this topic
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Where your research might lead in the future
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Include your contact information.
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Applications are due by April 1, 2025.
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Email materials to treasurer@hoosierherpsociety.org or sign up below.
For more information, visit: www.hoosierherpsociety.org/sherman-a-minton-jr-student-presentation-scholarship.
We look forward to supporting and showcasing innovative herpetological research!
About Sherman A. Minton Jr.
Sherman A Minton, Jr. was a renowned herpetologist, physician, and World War II veteran from New Albany, Indiana, which is situated at the convergence of the Ohio River and the “Knobs” region in southern Indiana. It was in this area that he spent his youth developing an appreciation of natural history, especially the amphibians and reptiles. He subsequently attended Indiana University in Bloomington where he earned a degree in Zoology. Minton continued his education at Indiana University Medical School from which he graduated with his MD in 1942. Sherman served in World War II as a medical office on a converted World War 1 destroyer outfitted to carry frog men and underwater demolition team in the South Pacific. After the war he pursued interests in herpetology and microbiology in graduate school at the University of Michigan. As testament to his outstanding contributions Sherman served as president of both the International Society of Toxicology and the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. He published more than 150 papers and books. Two popular books of note are Giant Reptiles (1973) and Venomous Reptiles (1969). Both were co-authored by his wife, Madge Rutherford Minton. Other books of note are Venom Diseases (1974), A Contribution to the Herpetology of West Pakistan (1966), and Life, Love, and Reptiles (an autobiography) 2001, and Amphibians & Reptiles of Indiana (2001). No one has contributed more to our knowledge of Indiana amphibians and reptiles than Minton.
Reference:
Minton Jr., Sherman. Amphibians & Reptiles of Indiana, Indiana Academy of Science, 2001
