Albert Ernest Radford

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Albert Ernest Radford
Born January 25, 1918
Augusta, Georgia, United States
Died April 12, 2006
Columbia, Missouri
Residence Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Nationality American
Fields Botany
Institutions University of North Carolina
Alma mater Furman University
Doctoral advisor Henry Roland Totten
Known for plant taxonomy, ecology
Author abbreviation (botany) Radford

Albert Ernest Radford (January 25, 1918 – April 12, 2006) was an American botanist active in the Southeastern United States. He was best known for his work as senior author of Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas, the definitive flora for North Carolina and South Carolina.

He was born in Augusta, Georgia to Albert and Eloise Moseley Radford, one of nine children. He was educated at Junior College of Augusta, Furman University (B.S., 1939) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Ph.D., 1948). He served in the 51st Engineer Combat Battalion of the United States Army during World War II, and saw action in North Africa and Europe, including the Battle of the Bulge.

He and his wife (married 1941), Laurie Stewart Radford (1910–2004), had three children, David, John, and Linda. Albert was Professor of Botany at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for forty years and director of the University of North Carolina Herbarium for 23 years.

Professionally, he served as President of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society and of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Club. Besides his academic work in botany, he was active in conservation of natural areas in the Southeastern United States. One of his most significant accomplishments was the discovery of an unusual plant community which has since become protected as Steven's Creek Heritage Preserve.


Professor and Mrs. Radford - 1988 Studio Portrait

[edit] Works by Albert E. Radford

  • Albert Radford, H.E. Ahles, and C. R. Bell (1968). Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 0-8078-1087-8.
  • Vascular Plant Systematics (1974). New York: Harper and Row.
  • Fundamentals of Plant Systematics (1986). New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 0-06-350594-0.
  • Natural Heritage: Classification, Inventory, and Information (1981). Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 0-8078-1463-6.
  • Unbroken Line: the 51st Engineer Combat Battalion from Normandy to Munich (2002); with Laurie S. Radford and John S. Radford. CrossMountain Publishing, Woodside, CA. ISBN: 0971763801 [1]

[edit] References

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