Education
Graphic by Sharon
E. O. Wilson thought he did not have the financial capability to attend a university, so he tried enlisting in the United States Army, such that he could get financial support from the government. Unfortunately, he did not pass the Army medical examination because of his impaired eyesight. Thankfully, he managed to pool together enough money to enroll himself in the University of Alabama. He got his B.S. in 1949, and his M. S. in 1950. 2 years after getting his M. S., he transferred to Harvard University.
He was appointed to the Harvard Society of Fellows, where he could travel overseas to collect ant species from many different countries, such as Sri Lanka, Mexico, Australia, and Fiji. In 1955, he received a doctorate in biology from Harvard University. That was the year he married his spouse, Irene Kelley as well.
From 1956 to 1957, he became a member of the biology and zoology faculties in Harvard, and continued being a professor there till 1997.