Edward Alphonso Goldman

Who was Edward Alphonso Goldman?

Edward Alphonso Goldman was an American zoologist. He worked extensively in Mexico with Edward William Nelson and described and revised many groups of mammals.

He was born Edward Alphonso Goltman in Mount Carroll, Illinois, on July 7, 1873, to French-German American parents Jacob H. and Laura C. Goltman. They were originally from Pennsylvania before moving to Illinois, then to Nebraska, where Jacob changed the surname to Goldman, and finally California. There, Jacob, who had an interest in natural history, met naturalist Edward William Nelson, who was looking for an assistant, around 1891. Young Edward became this assistant, beginning a friendship and professional relationship with Nelson that was to last until the latter's death. Goldman did well on their first joint collecting trip in California, which ended in January 1892, and then set out for Mexico with Nelson for a three-month trip. In fact, they stayed for four years, beginning an acquaintance with Mexico that would take them to almost every corner of the country and result in the collection of over 20,000 mammal specimens. He met Emma May Chase in 1901, and married her the next year, the marriage producing three sons.