Albert Ernest Radford

Infobox_Scientist
name = Albert Ernest Radford


image_width =
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birth_date = January 25, 1918
birth_place = Augusta, Georgia, United States
death_date = April 12, 2006
death_place = Columbia, Missouri
residence = Chapel Hill, North Carolina
citizenship =
nationality = American
ethnicity =
field = Botany
work_institution = University of North Carolina
alma_mater = Furman University
doctoral_advisor = Henry Roland Totten
doctoral_students =
known_for = plant taxonomy, ecology
author_abbreviation_bot = Radford
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prizes =
religion =
footnotes =

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.

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 [http://www.51st-engineers.com/index.htm]

References

* Burk, William R. and Alan S. Weakley (2006). Albert E. Radford-A Tribute. "Castanea", September, 2006 (available from [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4060/is_200609/ai_n17196168 FindArticles] ).
* [http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/Collectors/radford.htm UNC Herbarium] --article on Albert Radford, accessed 4 May 2006
* [http://herbarium.unc.edu/Collectors/Stewart.htm UNC Herbarium] --article on Laurie Stewart Radford, accessed 4 May 2006
* [http://ncbg.unc.edu/pages/81/ North Carolina Botanical Garden] --accessed 4 May 2006
* [http://columbiamissourian.com/obits/obit.php?ID=2452 Columbia, Missouri, "Missourian"] --obituary, accessed 4 May 2006