James Edward Church, Jr. (February 15, 1869 - August 5, 1959) is best known for having developed the Mount Rose snow sampler (1906), the first instrument for measuring snow water content. It is still in use today. He was also active in promoting the then nascent sciences of snow hydrology

Hydrology

Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...

 and water supply forecasting.

Dr. Church, who received his Ph.D from the University of Munich, was born in Holly, Michigan

Holly, Michigan

Holly is a village in north Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,086 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Holly Township. It is about south of Flint and northwest of Detroit.- Demographics :...

 on February 15, 1869. He taught Latin, German and fine arts at the University of Nevada, Reno

University of Nevada, Reno

The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...

 from 1892 - 1939 and was the first person of European descent to ascend Mount Rose

Mount Rose (Washoe County, Nevada)

Mount Rose is a mountain located in the Carson Range east of the California-Nevada border and is within the Mount Rose Wilderness. An extinct volcano, the mountain is located between Lake Tahoe and Reno;...

 (1896). Dr. Church died in Reno, Nevada

Reno, Nevada

Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...

, on August 5, 1959. The Church Fine Arts Complex on the University of Nevada, Reno campus—which opened in 1962, 3 years after his death—is named after him.

External links

• A Guide to the Papers of James Edward Church (includes a biography of Church and a biography his wife, Florence).