R. Gordon Wasson

Robert Gordon Wasson (September 22, 1898 – December 23, 1986) was an American author, ethnomycologist, and Vice President for Public Relations at J.P. Morgan & Co. Wasson made contributions to the fields of ethnobotany, botany, and anthropology, and is credited with a major role in the modern popularization of "magic mushrooms". In May 1957, Life magazine published Wasson's photo essay "Seeking the Magic Mushroom" describing his experience taking psilocybin mushrooms, introducing psychoactive mushrooms to a wide audience for the first time.