William Louis Culberson Explained

William Louis Culberson
Birth Date:5 April 1929
Birth Place:Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Death Place:Durham, North Carolina, United States
Fields:Lichenology
Workplaces:Duke University
Alma Mater:University of Cincinnati, University of Paris, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Doctoral Advisor:John Walter Thomson
Awards:Acharius Medal (1992)
Spouse:Chicita F. Forman (m. 1953)

William Louis "Bill" Culberson (April 5, 1929 in Indianapolis, Indiana – February 8, 2003 in Durham, North Carolina) was an American lichenologist.

Professional history

Culberson earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Cincinnati, where he was influenced by E. Lucy Braun;[1] he subsequently attended the University of Paris and the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

In 1955, Culberson joined the botany department at Duke University; he subsequently managed Duke's acquisition of the lichen-centric herbaria of Julien Harmand and Johan Havaas. He served as the Hugo L. Blomquist Professor.[2] In 2010, the lichen collection was officially named the William Louis & Chicita F. Culberson Lichen Herbarium & Library.

He served as president of the Botanical Society of America and the American Bryological and Lichenological Society[3] and as director of the Sarah P. Duke Gardens.[4] He was the first editor-in-chief of the journal Systematic Botany.[5] In 1992, he became one of the first modern recipients of the Acharius Medal.[6]

In 2000, botanist Theodore Esslinger circumscribed Culbersonia, which is a fungal genus in the family Caliciaceae and named in Bill Culberson and Chicita F. Culberson's honour, his "longtime friends and mentors".[7] [8]

Personal life

In 1953,[9] Dr. Culberson married fellow lichenologist Chicita F. Forman.

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ben303.html WILLIAM LOUIS CULBERSON (1929-2003)
  2. Web site: Pariahs of the Fungal World, Lichens Finally Get Some Respect . June 13, 1995 . Yoon, Carol Kaesuk . The New York Times.
  3. Elix . John A. . Nash III . Thomas H. . 2003 . A tribute to William Louis Culberson . The Lichenologist . 35 . 2. 93–95 . 10.1016/S0024-2829(03)00025-2 . 86322587 .
  4. http://www.lichenology-jp.org/files/9513/4908/1058/nl21.pdf Obituary: Dr. William Louis Culberson (1929 - 2003)
  5. http://www.botany.org/plantsciencebulletin/psb-1975-21-4.php PLANT SCIENCE BULLETIN: A Publication of the Botanical Society of America
  6. http://www.lichenology.org/index.html?/Awards/AchariusMedallists.html Acharius Medallists
  7. Esslinger . Theodore L. . Culbersonia americana, a rare new lichen (Ascomycota) from Western America . The Bryologist . 103 . 4 . 2000 . 771–773 . 10.1639/0007-2745(2000)103[0771:CAARNL]2.0.CO;2. 86045065 .
  8. Book: Burkhardt, Lotte . Eine Enzyklopädie zu eponymischen Pflanzennamen . Encyclopedia of eponymic plant names . Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum, Freie Universität Berlin . 2022 . 978-3-946292-41-8 . pdf . German . Berlin . 10.3372/epolist2022 . 246307410 . January 27, 2022.
  9. http://www.lichenology.org/Awards/Acharius_CulbersonWL.html Acharius Medallists: William Louis Culberson