Mather, John Russell (1923–2003)

John Russell (“Russ”) Mather was an accomplished geographical climatologist whose career spanned the second half of the 20th century. Mather's work is relevant because it helped establish the climatic water budget and the linkages between climate and water resources as major themes within modern climate science and geography. This entry recalls Mather's work at the Laboratory of Climatology in New Jersey and at the University of Delaware (UD). His contributions to American geography—especially to the Association of American Geographers (AAG) and the American Geographical Society (AGS)—are summarized as well.

Mather was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 9, 1923. He began his career in 1948 at the Laboratory of Climatology—after completing his BS and MS degrees in meteorology at MIT—and worked there full-time until 1961. He ...