Carl Robert Eklund (January 27, 1909 – November 3, 1962) was a leading American specialist in ornithology and geographic research in both the north and south polar regions. He was appointed as the first Scientific Station Leader of the

Wilkes Station Wilkes Station was an Antarctic research station established 29 January 1957 by the United States as one of seven U.S. stations established for the International Geophysical Year (IGY) program in Antarctica. It was taken over by Australia on ...

, Antarctica.

Biography

Carl Robert Eklund was born in

Tomahawk, Wisconsin Tomahawk is a city in Lincoln County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,346 at the 2010 census. The city is located to the northeast of the Town of Tomahawk and is not contiguous with it. History Before 1837, the land where Tomaha ...

. His father immigrated from Sweden in 1888. His brother was Wisconsin journalist Laurence C. Eklund. He attended

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

and received his B.A. degree in 1932 from

Carleton College Carleton College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. Founded in 1866, it had 2,105 undergraduate students and 269 faculty members in fall 2016. The 200-acre main campus is between Northfield and the 800-acre Cowling ...

. He earned his M.S. degree in 1938 at

Oregon State College Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering col ...

. In 1959, the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...

awarded him a Ph.D. in zoology and geography. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

he served as a major in the

U.S. Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

. From 1939 to 1941 he served as ornithologist at the East Base of the

U.S. Antarctic Service The United States Antarctic Program (or USAP; formerly known as the United States Antarctic Research Program or USARP and the United States Antarctic Service or USAS) is an organization of the United States government which has presence in the A ...

. This was the first modern US. Government-sponsored expedition to Antarctica, and the third of Rear Admiral

Richard E. Byrd Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an American naval officer and explorer. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor for valor given by the United States, and was a pioneering American aviator, p ...

's Antarctic commands. In addition to his collection of animal life for the Department of the Interior,

Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

, Eklund made one of the longest Antarctic dog sled journeys in history, accompanying

Finn Ronne Finn Ronne (December 20, 1899 – January 12, 1980) was a Norwegian-born U.S. citizen and Antarctic explorer. Background Finn Ronne was born in Horten, in Vestfold county, Norway. His father, Martin Rønne (1861–1932), was a polar explorer w ...

. The islands sighted near the turning point of this journey were named the

Eklund Islands The Eklund Islands () are a group of islands which rise through the ice near the southwest end of George VI Sound towards the south of the Antarctic Peninsula. The largest island, in extent and rising to , was discovered in December 1940 by Fin ...

in his honour by the Board of Geographical Names.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Eklund, Carl R 1909 births 1962 deaths People from Tomahawk, Wisconsin Carleton College alumni University of Maryland, College Park alumni American ornithologists Explorers of Antarctica 20th-century American zoologists American people of Swedish descent 20th-century American geologists

Biography

See also

References

Further reading

External links