Years: 

1893–1975

Year Hutchinson Medal awarded:

1972

May Theilgaard Watts was a pioneering American naturalist, horticultural educator, writer, and illustrator whose work helped shape public understanding of ecology and native landscapes in the Midwest and beyond. Her work bridged science, art, and education, inspiring generations to appreciate and protect native landscapes.

Career highlights:

• Began teaching in public schools at age 18; taught in Midlothian, Arlington Heights, Wilmette, and Chicago.
• Joined the Morton Arboretum in 1940 as a staff naturalist and worked for 20 years educating the public on native plants, ecology, and conservation.
• Wrote and illustrated popular field guides still in use today: Tree Finder (1939), Flower Finder (1955), Reading the Landscape of America (1957), and Reading the Landscape of Europe (1971).
• Wrote nature columns for the Chicago Tribune and hosted educational programs on public television.
• In 1963, Watts proposed converting abandoned railways into public trails; her advocacy led to the creation of the Illinois Prairie Path, one of the first rails-to-trails projects in the U.S.
• Collaborated with Jens Jensen and other conservationists to preserve native habitats through Friends of Our Native Landscape.

Legacy:

• Honored with May T. Watts Nature Park in Highland Park, May Watts Elementary School in Naperville, and the May Theilgaard Watts Reading Garden at the Morton Arboretum.
• Her Highland Park home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.