Joseph Rothrock
| Joseph Rothrock | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Commissioner of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters | |
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In office 1895–1904 |
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| President of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 9, 1839 McVeytown, Pennsylvania |
| Died | June 2, 1922 (aged 83) West Chester, Pennsylvania |
| Political party | Republican |
| Profession | explorer, surgeon, botanist, and professor |
| Religion | Episcopal |
Joseph Trimble Rothrock (April 9, 1839 – June 2, 1922) was an American environmentalist, recognized as the "Father of Forestry" in Pennsylvania. In 1895, Rothrock was appointed the first forestry commissioner to lead the newly formed Division of Forestry in the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Two of his major accomplishments as commissioner were his land acquisition program and the creation of a forest academy to train foresters for state service.
Joseph Rothrock was born in McVeytown in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania in the United States to a German farming family. He was often ill as a child and spent many hours hiking the woods of Mifflin County for exercise to combat his illnesses. It was while on these walks that Rothrock developed a love for the outdoors. He went on to become a pioneering environmentalist in Pennsylvania, helping preserve and re-establish the forests that he so loved.
Joseph Rothrock studied under Asa Gray, a renowned botanist at Harvard University. Rothrock received a bachelor of science in botany from Harvard in 1862 (possibly 1864). He enlisted in the Union Army the following year, saw action during the American Civil War and was seriously wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Rothrock was discharged from the Army on June 6, 1864, having reached the rank of captain in the 20th Pennsylvania Cavalry. He furthered his education at the University of Pennsylvania, receiving a doctor of medicine degree in 1867.
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