Donald Carroll Erwin

Donald Carroll Erwin, a Professor Emeritus of Plant Pathology at UC Riverside, passed away on February 22, 2014, at the age of 93.

Donald was born in Concord, Nebraska, on November 24, 1920 to Carol and Robert Erwin. He attended Wayne College, Nebraska, from 1939 to 1940. He then served during World War II as a Tech 3 in the US Army 129th General Hospital in Wales from 1942 to 1946. 

After his service in WWII, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy in 1949 and an MA degree in Plant Pathology in 1950, both from the University of Nebraska. He then studied at the University of California, Davis, where he received his Ph. D. in Plant Pathology in 1953. That same year, Donald joined the Citrus Experiment Station in Riverside as a Junior Plant Pathologist. He was promoted to Professor of Plant Pathology in 1966. He also served as Chair of the Department of Plant Pathology (1977-1980). He retired as Professor Emeritus of Plant Pathology in 1992.

Donald’s research specialties involved the causes and control of diseases that affect alfalfa, flax, cotton and other crops. He was known internationally as an expert on the biology of Phytophthora, a cause of many plant diseases, and published extensively on that and other topics. He edited a book on Phytophthora (1982) and was senior author of Phytophthora Diseases Worldwide (1966).

In addition to his service as Chair of the Department of Plant Pathology, he served on the steering committee of the interdepartmental Master’s degree program on Pest Management, from which several students received Master’s degrees under his direction. Twelve students received their Ph.D. degrees in Plant Pathology under his direction. He participated in team-taught advanced Plant Pathology courses and organized the course Diagnosis of Plant Diseases (1975-1986).

In recognition of his research accomplishments, Dr. Erwin was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1959.  Additional achievement awards included Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society, Mycological Association of America, and Sigma Xi, and he was an Honorary Member of the North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference.  In 1997, Dr. Erwin received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pacific Division of the American Phytopathological Society.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Veora E. Erwin; son J. Donald Erwin; daughter Myriam A. Casey; and five grandchildren. Dr. Erwin was buried at Riverside National Cemetery.

From the Observer-Advocate, with editing by Dallas Rabenstein.