Cope, Cope Gets to Go First

Edward Drinker Cope was born on the 28th of July 1840 in Philadelphia. His mum Hannah died when he was just three, and his dad remarried. He dropped out of school at 15 to become a farmer but stayed interested in natural history. In 1863 coke travelled to Europe to avoid being drafted into the Civil War. This is where he first met Othniel Charles Marsh who was also from New York State. The pair later became close friends before they married in 1864.