Regina M Olson (Hughes) (1895-1993) Scientific Illustrator—botany “I guess I do the best that I can---angels can do no more” ---Regina Olson (Hughes)

[photo left from Deaf Women (1989); photo right from Buff and Blue (1918)] Born: 1 February 1895 Herman, Nebraska Died: 12 August 1993 Washington, DC Buried: Holy Cross Cemetery Blair, Nebraska

Family of origin: Father Gilbert Olson (1862-1936) was a farmer/real estate salesman/grain company worker and mother was Johanna Sullivan (1866-1954). Paternal grandparents were from Norway and maternal grandparents from Ireland. Second oldest of five children. Regina became Deaf by age 14. Schooling: Attended local public schools in Herman, Nebraska Private tutoring in Art Art school in Omaha, Neb. 1914-1918: BA Gallaudet 1920: MA Gallaudet 1967: Honorary doctorate from Gallaudet Activities at Gallaudet: Wrote poetry and prose for literary Buff and Blue also involved with OWLS sorority Professional experience: Teacher, Mississippi School for the Deaf War Risk Insurance Bureau clerk US Department of State (translator-French, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese) US Department of Agriculture (research clerk and scientific illustrator) Freelance Illustrator for Smithsonian (department of Botany) One-Woman shows: 1968: US National Arboretum 1972: National Agricultural Library

1982?: National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution Personal Information: Married Frederick Hughes 1 Feb 1923 Washington Dc [Below from (1923, February) Buff and Blue, Vol. 31 (4), pg. 255.]

Honors and Contributions to the Deaf community: 1962: US Department of Agriculture Superior Service Award 1980: Artist of the Year, National League of American Pen Women 1981: Amos Kendall Award from Gallaudet 1970: Phi Kappa Zeta Woman of the Year at Gallaudet 1970/1971 Who’s Who of American Women Her paintings in the permanent collections at Smithsonian and Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation. Examples of artworks see http://art-botanical.org/BioHughes.html http://art-botanical.org/Gallery_Gentry/galleryGentry.html Plants named in her honor: Billbegia reginae (species of bromeliad) and Hughesia reginae (Peruvian plant) Publications containing her illustrations: Correll, D.S. & Correll, H.B. (1972). Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Southwestern US. Gentry, H. S. (1978). Agaves of Baja California. Reed, C., (1971). Common Weeds of the United States USDA. (1927). Economically Important Foreign Weeds: Potential Problems in the United States . Wurdack, J. J. (1980). Flora of Ecuador. (1983, January-February). Journal of the Bromeliad Society, 33 (1), Cover art. USDA Technical Bulletin (various issues)

References: Crammatte, F. (1978). "Hughes, Regina Olson (1895- )." In John V. Van Cleve (ed.), Gallaudet Encyclopedia of Deaf People and Deafness, vol. 2, pp. 77-79. McGraw-Hill Professional. Gale Virtual Reference Library, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GVRL&sw=w&u=roch82189&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CCX3475600266&it=r&asid=c9ffb80c5c4f3e690ba82b26b31b4033. Accessed 27 Apr. 2017. Gannon, Jack. (1980). Deaf Heritage. Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf. Holcomb, Marjoriebell S. and Wood, Sharon K. (1989). Deaf Women: A Parade Through the Decades. San Diego, CA: DawnSign Press. Lang, Harry G., and Meath-Lang, Bonnie (1995). Deaf Persons in the Arts and Sciences. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group. Artists represented in the Smithsonian Catalog of Illustrations: Regina O Hughes http://botany.si.edu/botart/hughes.htm (with examples) Sonoran Desert Florilegium Program, http://art-botanical.org/BioHughes.html Smithstonian archives page: https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/regina-hughes

Below from (1934, Nov. 15), Buff and Blue. 43 (3) (pg. 1)

Below from Buff and Blue (1918? June?)