Thomas Eisner (June 25, 1929 – March 25, 2011) was a world authority on animal behavior, ecology, and evolution, and, together with his Cornell colleague, Jerrold Meinwald, is one of the pioneers of chemical ecology, the discipline dealing with the chemical interactions of organisms. He is author or co-author of some 400 scientific articles and 7 books.
He served on the Board of Directors of the National Audubon Society, and the National Scientific Council of the Nature Conservancy, and the World Resources Institute Council. He is a past president of the American Society of Natualists, and former chairman of the Biology Section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He played a key role in initiating the Congressional Fellow Program in Washington, and in efforts to preserve wilderness areas in Florida and Texas.
A member of Sigma Xi, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society, he has received numerous honors, including the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, the Harvard Centennial Medal, the National Medal of Science and the Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about Science (2005) and holds honorary degrees from Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, and the United States. He is a foreign fellow of The Royal Society, and a member of the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina and Academia Europaea. He received the National Medal of Science in 1994. He is a well-known nature photographer, and has helped make award-winning film documentaries. He is an avid pianist and occasional conductor. He grew up in Uruguay, is a naturalized American citizen, and received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University.
Thomas Eisner was the son of Hans Eisner, a noted chemist who escaped Germany (to Uruguay) before Nazi persecution.