Clarence Korstian (June 26, 1889 – February 22, 1968) was an influential professor of forestry and the founding dean of the Duke University School of Forestry in 1938. Korstian was one of the leaders in North Carolina forestry during the nearly half century he lived in the state.

Early life and education

Clarence Ferdinand Korstian was born June 26, 1889, in Saline County, Nebraska. He earned a B.S.F. degree from the University of Nebraska in 1911, and a M.F. degree from Nebraska in 1913. He received a M.A. degree from Southeastern Christian College in 1924. He served as a research fellow at Yale University from 1925 to 1926, earning a PhD. in forestry from Yale in 1926.

Career

Korstian began his two decade career with the

U.S. Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...

in 1910 as a field assistant. From 1922 to 1930 he worked at the Appalachian Forest Experiment Station in Asheville, North Carolina. In 1930 he accepted the directorship of the Duke University Research and Demonstration Forest. In 1938 he was named founding dean and professor of silviculture to the newly created School of Forestry at Duke University. He was instrumental in developing one of the nation's leading forestry programs during his tenure, while also managing and expanding

Duke Forest Duke Forest is a forest managed by Duke University for research, teaching, and recreation. It is located in the edge of the Piedmont (United States) in Durham County, Orange County, and Alamance County in North Carolina. Four of its six divisi ...

. Korstian retired from Duke in June 1959. During his career Korstian served on the executive council of the

Society of American Foresters The Society of American Foresters (SAF) is a professional organization representing the forestry industry in the United States. Its mission statement declares that it seeks to "advance the science, education, and practice of forestry; to enhance t ...

from 1932 to 1935, and as the Society's president from 1938 to 1941. He helped establish the Southern Appalachian Section of the Society of American Foresters in 1921. Korstian also served as vice president of the

American Forestry Association American Forests is a 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation organization, established in 1875, and dedicated to protecting and restoring healthy forest ecosystems. The current headquarters are in Washington, D.C. Activities The mission of American ...

from 1939 to 1941, president of the North Carolina Forestry Association from 1943 to 1947, chairman of the North Carolina Forestry Council from 1949 to 1951, and president of the North Carolina Academy of Science from 1949 to 1950.

Legacy

Following his retirement in 1959, one of the major divisions of Duke Forest was named in his honor.

References

External links

Clarence F. Korstian: Forty Years of Forestry
(1959

Forest History Society The Forest History Society is an American non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of forest and conservation history."Forest History Society." Echo Project. Center for History and New Media, George Mason University. http://echo.gmu. ...

Oral History Interview)
Duke University School of Forestry Lantern Slide Collection

{{DEFAULTSORT:Korstian, Clarence 1889 births 1968 deaths Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies alumni Duke University faculty Forestry researchers American foresters Forestry academics History of forestry in the United States History of forestry education