Ralph Emerson (1912–1979) was an American botanist, academic, and professor at the University of California, Berkeley who made contributions to the fields of botany, biology, and mycology through his years of research and emphasis on aquatic and thermophilic fungi.
Emerson spent his early life in New York City before attending Harvard University to obtain his bachelor's degree, Masters, and PhD successively.
Following his PhD, Emerson spent two years as a National Research Council fellow, one year back at Harvard as a research fellow, and in 1940 he began his career as a professor at the University of California – Berkeley.
He remained at UC Berkeley for mostly the rest of his academic career, minus the two sabbaticals to Costa Rica.
Throughout his life, Emerson contributed greatly to the scientific community, as well as through his dedicated and passionate teaching efforts before passing away after a year-long battle with cancer.