Philotheus Boehner

Fr. Philotheus Boehner, O.F.M. (1901-1955) was a German-born Franciscan friar and academic. He held a professorship in philosophy at a Franciscan school in Saxonia from 1933 to 1939 and later became Director of the Franciscan Institute at St. Bonaventure University in the U.S. His academic roles included service in the biology department as a bryologist. Boehner specialized in botany and plant physiology, particularly in the study of mosses (bryology) and thermonastic floral movements.

Education: Earned a doctorate in biology from the University of Münster (1929–1933). Research Interests: Focused on bryophyte taxonomy in Cattaraugus County, New York, including Sphagna and Hepaticae species. His work also explored plant movement behaviors like thermonasty in crocus and tulip flowers. Publications spanned Zeitschrift der Botanik and Science Studies.

Boehner’s legacy includes founding the Franciscan Institute, fostering interdisciplinary scholarship in theology, philosophy, and science. Though no formal awards are cited, his contributions to regional flora documentation and Franciscan academic institutions are notable. No grants or student advisees are documented in available texts.