Roy Chapman Andrews

Roy Chapman Andrews (born January 26, 1884, died 1960) was a colorful American mammologist? who rose from a menial job at the [American Museum of Natural History]? to the directorship. He is primarily known for leading a series of expeditions through the fragmented China of the early 20th Century into the [Gobi Desert]? and Mongolia. The expeditions made important discoveries including returning the first known fossil dinosaur eggs to the Museum.

Andrews was primarily a naturalist and an organizer of expeditions. His life was a long series of travels and explorations of desert islands, raging seas, remote mountains and deserts. Numerous encounters -- many well documented -- are reported with everything from angry whales and hungry sharks, through pythons to several brushes with armed Chinese bandits. He was erroneously reported dead at least once.

Andrews was married in 1914 and divorced in 1930. He had one child, a son.

Andrews is said to have been one of the models for movie legend Indiana Jones.