John Mather

Age 79, a worldrenowned climatologist, ever-popular professor, mentor, and long-time chairman of the Department of Geography at the University of Delaware died Friday, 3 January 2003. He was a 40-year resident of Daretown, NJ. Dr. Mather began his career in climatology following his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1951. He was Professor of Climatology at Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia from 1957-1960, and was president of C.W. Thornthwaite Associates/Laboratory of Climatology of Centerton, NJ from 1963- 1972. During this same time he became a professor of geography at the University of Delaware where he built, and for 25 years, chaired the geography department there, providing graduate training to several generations of the United States’ leading climatologists. He personally taught physical geography to more than 12,000 students in his thirty-five years at the university. During his distinguished career, Dr. Mather authored several books on applied climatology and water resources, and was U.S. editor on a joint U.S.- U.S.S.R. book on global change. He was president of the American Association of Geographers in 1991 and recipient of the Association’s Lifetime Achievement award in 1998, and the American Geographical Society’s Charles P. Daly Medal in 1999. He was Delaware’s State Climatologist for many years. Born in Boston, MA on 9 October 1923, son of Brigadier General John Mather and wife Mabelle. Dr. Mather was husband of the late Amy N. Mather of Daretown, and Sandra F. Mather of Avondale, PA, where he resided for the past 5 years. In addition to his wife Sandra, he is survived by his 3 children, Susan Brennan of Orlando, FL, Dr. Thomas Mather of Wakefield, RI, and Dr. Ellen Mihaich of Durham, NC, and 6 grandchildren; and a sister, Anne Jenkins, of Cotuit, MA. Besides teaching, Dr. Mather enjoyed many interests including watching football and spending summers on Cape Cod. He was a member of the Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church in Daretown, where he taught adult Sunday School for over 40 years. A memorial service celebrating the life of Dr. Mather was held at the Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church in Daretown, NJ at 3 pm on Saturday, 11 January 2003. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the John R. Mather Scholarship, Department of Geography, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 or the Russ and Amy Mather Sunday School Award at the Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church, 312 Daretown Rd., Elmer, NJ 08318.

John “Russ” Mather (Necrology). 2003. AAG Newsletter 38 (2): 20

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E. Willard Miller

E. Willard (Will) Miller, 87, the son of the late Archie H. and Tessie B. Master Miller, Turkey City, Pa, passed away 15 November 15 2002. He married Ruby Skinner (Miller) 27 June 27 1941, who survives.

Will received a B.S. degree from Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 1937; an M.A. from the University of Nebraska in 1939; and a Ph.D. from Ohio State in 1942. He was a long time member of St. John’s United Church of Christ, Boalsburg, where he served on the consistory and financial committees.

E. Willard Miller will be remembered for many things: consummate adventurer, competent administrator, and engaging teacher, but three accomplishments stand out, he helped create the Association of American Geographers out of two rival organizations, he established the nation’s number one department of geography at Penn State, and he founded the Pennsylvania Geographical Society for public school teachers and Teachers Colleges, now Universities.

Will began his teaching career at Case Western University. In 1944, Will and Ruby were recruited as geographers by the Office of Strategic Services in Washington D.C. Will received an award of merit for his services in the war effort. In 1945, Dean Edward Steidle of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Penn State, recruited Will to be a member of the college, as head of the department of geography. In 1964, he was appointed Assistant Dean for Resident Instruction and in 1972 was named Associate Dean for Resident Instruction, a position he held until his retirement in 1980.

An avid explorer, Will conducted research projects in the Arctic and Alaska, Canada and Siberia, and undertook fieldwork in Central and South America as the U.S. representative to the Pan American Institute for Geography and History. Numerous travel grants and invitations supported his research on the mineral resources of the world.

A consummate scholar, Will wrote countless textbooks, bibliographies, and reference books, professional magazines and book chapters. He collaborated with his wife Ruby on more than 100 reference bibliographies. Key publications include The History of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, A History of the American Society for Professional Geographers, An Economic Atlas of Pennsylvania, A Social and Economic Atlas of Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania: A Keystone to Progress. He also was the book editor for the Pennsylvania Academy of Science. Will received the Roy Hughes Whitbeck Award for the outstanding article in the field of economic geography in the Journal of Geography, 1950. In 2001, he received the George Miller Award of the National Council for Geographic Education as Distinguished Mentor for Graduate Level Education.

Will was an institution builder. At the end of World War II, the professional association of geographers, the Association of American Geographers (AAG), of which Will was a member, was research oriented and exclusive. As secretary and then president of the newly established and more inclusive American Society of Professional Geographers (ASPG), in 1948 Will oversaw the creation of a national organization representing all geographers through the amalgamation of the AAG and the ASPG. Concurrently, Will helped build the Department of Geography at Penn State. Will’s goal was nothing less than the creation of a world-class department. Emphasizing economic geography and research, the program expanded into graduate training with the first M.S. awarded in 1948 and the first Ph.D. awarded in 1949. In 1995, the National Research Council ranked Penn State’s Geography program number one in the nation. In 1952, Will founded the Pennsylvania Geographical Society (PGS), and in 1962 served as president of the society, remaining Permanent Counselor until his death. He served in many other professional capacities including Honorary Chair of the 21st Century Fund, National Council for Geographic Education.

Countless awards attest to his contributions to society. He was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Explorers Club, and received numerous citations for meritorious service to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from the Governor, and others. He was the President of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science and received the Distinguished Service Award from the Academy for his contributions. Will and Ruby were awarded the Honorary Alumni award from Penn State, and Will received the Distinguished Alumnus award from Clarion University. Will also received honorary doctorates from Clarion University and the Ohio State University. Professionally, Will received the Honors Award from the AAG, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the PGS, and the Founder’s Award of Penn State’s Department of Geography.

The Millers established fellowships and awards for undergraduate and graduate students at the Clarion, Ohio State, and Pennsylvania State Universities. Will and Ruby also were contributing members of: the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Obelisk Society; the Mount Nittany and Atherton Societies of Penn State; the Galileo Society (American Geographical Society); and the President’s Club at Penn State and Ohio State Universities. They also belonged to the Centre County Historical Society, Boalsburg Village Conservancy, Centre Community Hospital Auxiliary, and the Boalsburg Heritage Museum. Will is survived by his wife of 61 years, Ruby S. Miller and two nieces Jane Hemmings of Chicago and Bernice Krapf of Myrtle Beach. Burial was in the Mausoleum at the Centre County Memorial Cemetery, State College, Pennsylvania, Rev. Allen Heckman officiated and Koch Funeral Home presided. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the E. Willard (Will) Miller Scholarship Fund, Penn State Development Office, One Old Main, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa. 16802.

Originally published in the Centre Daily Times, 25 November 2002.

Willard E Miller (Necrology). 2003. AAG Newsletter 38(1): 16

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Bilal Ahmad

Bilal Ahmad died at home in Iowa City, Iowa, the morning of September 1, 2002, sixteen months after being diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Ahmad earned his graduate degree from the University of Liverpool in England, then taught at the University of Karachi in Pakistan before moving to the University of Iowa.

Bilal Ahmad (Necrology). 2004. AAG Newsletter 39(8): 25.

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Melvin G. Marcus

On Sunday, March 2, 1997, Melvin G. Marcus, geographer, climatologist, and glacial geomorphologist, died of a heart attack under the clear skies, in the dazzling snows of the San Juan Mountains of Colorado at 11,000 feet. Mel died with his snowshoes on; he was found lying in the snow with his dog, Sushi, curled up beside him.

At 6’6″, Melvin Marcus was a big man, and he lived a big life. He climbed mountains, studied glaciers, flew airplanes, and roamed the world. He kept the fires of physical geography burning at a time when studies of human use of the landscape dominated the field, was instrumental in the formation of AAG specialty groups, attracted hordes of field-oriented students to the discipline of geography, was a beacon for geographic education and outreach, and lived life with gusto and élan. Never one to separate his work from family, friends, and personal interests, Mel lived a multidimensional life in which his wife and children were intimately engaged in his research and teaching, his students became lifelong friends, and his personal interests in exploration, sport, literature, art, food, and music were intertwined into a broad, all encompassing view of geography.

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To cite this article: William Graf, Patricia Gober & Anthony J. Brazel (2001) Melvin G. Marcus, 1929–1997, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 91:4, 724-733, DOI: 10.1111/0004-5608.00271

To link to this article: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/0004-5608.00271

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Lauren Chester Post

Lauren Post was born on his father’s farm a few miles west of the town of Rayne, Louisiana.  His father was William Whitfield Post from Bay St. Louis, MS, and his mother was Harriet Raines Davis, a “mail-order bride” from up-state New York.  His father homesteaded on the prairies of SW Louisiana, immediately next to his uncle, B. K. Whitfield.  These two families were the only English-speakers in the area (though the children eventually also spoke French).  He described himself as an Anglo living in a “sea of Cajuns.”  Living as an outsider allowed him to recognize the uniqueness of the larger culture, and became the topic of his doctoral dissertation.

Lauren joined the Navy during WWI and served as a radio electrician on the USS Whipple (DD-15, a torpedo boat destroyer), stationed off the coast of France.  Upon discharge, he moved to California, worked for two years at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, and then enrolled at the University of California at Berkeley.  He quickly came under the influence of Prof. Carl Sauer.  In 1931 he completed his M.A. thesis, “The Spokane Valley: a study in Regional Geography,” and then in 1936 his dissertation, “The Cultural Geography of the Prairies of Southwest Louisiana,” both under the direction of Dr. Sauer.  Upon completion of his dissertation, Lauren accepted a position at San Diego State College, and remained there for the rest of his career (1937-1969), retiring at age 70.

During WWII, much of his teaching was aimed at helping in the war effort.  He taught map-reading skills, and climatology and atmospheric science to young aviators.  He taught many students, and began a correspondence with them.  Soon he was writing “The Aztec News Letter,” and sending them to former students who were now in uniform (by the end of the war to 3000 Aztecs).  In these monthly newsletters, he encouraged the ex-students to write to him, and in great numbers they responded, beginning with the salutation, “Dear Doc,” and then describing their adventures in training, combat, and the like.  Some went so far as to send memorabilia, such as Nazi flags, sand from Iwo Jima, and the like.  Others wrote from POW camps telling of other Aztecs.  He always tried to pass news on to family members through phone calls and letters.  He had help (fraternity members, typing classes, volunteers, etc.) in excerpting the letters, raising money for stamps, and working on the newsletter.  Following strict government instructions, he carefully censured anything that might help the enemy should the newsletter fall into enemy hands (some obviously did, as he received letters from German POW camps).  Lauren continued sending newsletters until March, 1946, at which time he had mailed 48 issues.   For years afterward, former servicemen and women would drop by his office to thank him for keeping them in contact with others, and for offering support and encouragement from the home front.  It meant a great deal to them, and to Lauren, who described some of these meetings, often between complete strangers, as “very emotional.”  A book based on these newsletters, titled No Forgotten Fronts: From Classrooms to Combat, authored by Lisa Shapiro, will be published by Naval Institute Press in April, 2018.

Lauren’s major research interests and publications were on Cajuns, cattle, and California.  His interests were very broad however, and he published on many esoteric topics (such as bees, Red River carts, music, and Molokan Russians).  He is best remembered for his book Cajun Sketches (which won the Louisiana Library Association’s literary award for 1962), as well as an edited book, Louisiana as it is.  A listing of his publications can be found in The California Geographer, Vol. 16 (1976), pp. 85-88.

Dr. Post was considered an excellent and inspiring teacher, and highly respected by his students.  Lauren was particularly well-known for a ten-day summer field course in a bus touring California (he was always proud of how it went, and all that the students learned about the state).  Dr. Post was always concerned with the teaching of geography in California.  As a result, he was one of the founders of the California Council for Geographic Education, was president for a year, and was the first editor of the newsletter that was to grow into The California Geographer.

Lauren married Valeria Postnikova (1903-1993).  She was born in Russia, the daughter of a Colonel in Czar Nicholas II’s balloon corps.  During the Russian revolution, the family fled from Vladivostok, and settled in California.  Valeria and Lauren met at Berkeley, where she graduated in Chemistry.  She later became very involved in singing, and opera in general, in both San Francisco and San Diego. They were married 49 years, and had no children.

—Malcolm Comeaux

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