William Tufts Brigham

William Tufts Brigham (1841–1926) was an American geologist, botanist, ethnologist and the first director of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu.

After finishing the Boston Latin School he attended the Harvard University and graduated with the degree Master of Arts in 1862.

In 1864 he studied Botany and from 1864 and 1865 he accompanied botanist Horace Mann Jr. on Botanical surveys to the Hawaiian Islands where they discovered many new plant taxa.

In 1867, Brigham was called to the bar after moving back to Boston to study law under the tutelage of his father.

Brigham authored 46 articles and monographs on Hawaiian botany, geology, and material culture such as mat weaving, tapa cloth, feather work, and stone and wood carvings.