About the Mathers
John Russell Mather
A world renowned climatologist, ever-popular professor, mentor, and long-time chairman of the Department of Geography at the University of Delaware, Dr. Mather began his studies in meteorology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), earning a B.S. there in 1947 and an M.S. in 1948. He followed with a Ph.D. in Geography-Climatology from Johns Hopkins University in 1951. Mather was a long-time active member of the Association of American Geographers, serving the AAG in many capacities, including as AAG President (1991-1992). He received numerous awards and recognitions from the AAG for his scholarship and contributions to the discipline.
Mather joined the Johns Hopkins University Laboratory of Climatology in 1948, after completing his Master’s degree at MIT. He worked full-time at the Laboratory until 1961, when he began teaching part-time at the University of Delaware. In 1954, the Laboratory became affiliated with the Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia, later becoming the C.W. Thornthwaite Associates Laboratory of Climatology. Mather’s work at the Laboratory focused on climactic water budget, especially its uses in practical situations.
In the early 1960s, Mather accepted a full-time position as Professor of Geography at the University of Delaware. In 1966, the University established a Geography Department and appointed Mather as its Chair. He would steer the department for the next 25 years, providing training and mentorship to several generations of the leading U.S. climatologists, in one of the country’s leading PhD-granting Programs in this field. During his distinguished career, Dr. Mather authored several books on applied climatology and water resources, numerous monographs, journal articles, book chapters and books. He was one of the editors on a co-edited U.S. - Soviet volume on global change entitled, Global Change: Geographical Perspectives.