Charles C. Deam

Charles C. Deam
Charles C. Deam
Born	August 30, 1865 Wells County, Indiana
Died	May 29, 1953 Bluffton, Indiana
Occupation	pharmacist, small business owner surveyor, botanist, American conservationist, forester
Spouse(s)	Stella Mullins
Children	Roberta Ortenburger

Charles Clemon Deam was the first state forester of Indiana. He was born on August 30, 1865 on the family farm near Bluffton in Wells County, Indiana. Deam grew up on the family farm, where his father taught him about the plants on the farm before attending DePauw University for two years before leaving due to the cost of tuition. He was an avid amateur botanist who worked in a pharmacy, which he had partial ownership in until his death. His work as a clerk in a pharmacy led him to botany in an indirect way. Long work days of up to 14 hours caused stress. His doctor recommended that he take walks to reduce the stress. It was on those walks that Deam indulged his interest in botany, a hobby that would eventually lead him to a career in forestry for the state of Indiana. Deam's work as a forester has been honored by both the United States government and the state of Indiana. Two protected areas, Charles C. Deam Wilderness, part of the Hoosier National Forest and Deam Lake State Recreation Area an Indiana state park are named for him. In 1947, he was awarded the Mary Soper Pope Memorial Award in botany.

Deam collected many different plants on his walks and established an herbarium. His collection of 78,000 plants is now housed at Indiana University in Bloomington and is one of the largest private collections of plants in the state. Deam became a member of the Academy of Sciences in Indiana. Deam's work in botany caught the attention of Indiana Governor Thomas R. Marshall, who established the Indiana State Board of Forestry in 1909. Deam was appointed state forester by Marshall soon after. As part of his job, he moved to Clark State Forest in Clark County. Deam held the position until 1913 when Samuel M. Ralston was elected governor. Charles Deam was reappointed state forester in 1917 with the election of James P. Goodrich and held the job until 1928.