John Walter Thomson

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John Walter Thomson (9 July 1913 – 20 Feb 2009), American lichenologist.

University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Honored with an Acharius Medal in 1992

IPNI standard form: J.W.Thomson

Taxon names authored

(List may be incomplete)

Lichen species named after John W. Thomson:

Lecanora thomsonii H.Magn. Acta Hort. Gotoburg. 19(2): 47 (1952)
Cladonia thomsonii Ahti, Bryologist 81: 334 (1978)
Porpidia thomsonii Gowan, Bryologist 92: 54 (1989)
Physconia thomsonii Essl., Mycotaxon 51: 97 (1994)
Fuscidea thomsonii Brodo & V.Wirth Lichenographia Thomsoniana, 156–60 (1998)

Tribute to John W. Thomson

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  • Glen, M. G., Harris, R. C., Dirig, R., & Cole, M. S. (eds.) (1998). Lichenographia Thomsoniana: North American Lichenology in Honor of John W. Thomson. Mycotaxon, Ltd., Ithaca, NY, 445 pp.
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Obituary from Lichen-L Listserver

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3–1-09 Wisconsin State Journal:

John Walter Thomson, age 95, died peacefully Friday, Feb. 20, 2009, at his rural Mount Horeb home. Born July 9, 1913, in Cockenzie Scotland, he was the son of Elizabeth (Gillis) and John W. Thomson. John, as he was known familiarly by his family and many friends and colleagues, was a loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather, a world-renowned botanist and lichenologist, and an inspiring and dedicated teacher and conservationist. What started as a youthful fascination with Cladonia lichens led to John's lifelong pursuit of improving knowledge of Arctic and other lichens. Educated at Columbia University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as a student and young scientist, he was strongly influenced by Raymond Torrey, Norman Fassett and Aldo Leopold. After teaching first at Superior State Teachers College in 1944, he returned to UW-Madison to join the Department of Botany faculty. Until retiring four decades later, his popular course in plant taxonomy greatly influenced at least two generations of students in biology and conservation including many professionals presently working in organizations like Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources, as well as uncounted hundreds of volunteers who continue to contribute their time to organizations involved in natural area preservation. Referred to as the "Dean of North American Lichens," his Arctic explorations, research, papers and five books led the science for more than 60 years. His last two volume set on lichens of the Arctic was completed after retiring in 1984 from the UW. John and Olive's passionate interests in and dedication to education, ecology and conservation led to more than seven decades of leadership in organizations like the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, Citizen's Natural Resources Association, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and The Prairie Enthusiasts (TPE). Southwestern Wisconsin now has 636 acres of prairie lands recognized with the family name, the TNC "Thomson Memorial" and TPE "Schurch-Thomson" prairies, respectively. Surviving family include his wife of nearly 72 years, Olive (Sherman); son, Dennis (Joan Schurch) and their children, Erik (Sarah Weiss) and Heather; son, Norman (Rose Jepkorir Chepyator) and their children, Jonathan, Patrick and Robert; son, Roderic (Linda Heine) and their children, Casandra (Brian Pomerantz) and Kyle; and daughter, Elizabeth (Dean Danielson). A son, Douglas; and two sisters, Sheila Feustel and E. Jean Thomson predeceased him. At John's request no service is presently planned. His family suggests that friends wishing to express remembrance please consider an organization dedicated to wildlife or environmental protection.

List of Publications by John W. Thomson

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  • 1. Thomson, John W. (1960). Agrestia cyphellata, a new genus and species of lichen in the Usneaceae. The Bryologist 63 (4): 246–250.
  • 2. Thomson, John W. (1960). Lichens of Arctic America. IV. Lichens collected mainly by A. Innes-Taylor in Greenland and the Canadian Archipelago. The Bryologist 63 (3): 181–188.
  • 3. Thomson, John W. (1960). Evolution in the lichen genus Physcia. In Recent Advances in Botany, pp. 268–271. University of Toronto Press.
  • 4. Thomson, John W. (1961). Lichens collected in Oklahoma at the time of the American Bryological Society meetings. The Bryologist 64 (2 & 3): 255–262.
  • 5. Thomson, John W. (1961). The 1960 foray of the American Bryological Society in Oklahoma. The Bryologist 64 (2 & 3): 252- 255.
  • 6. Thomson, John W. & George W. Scotter (1961). Lichens of Northern Saskatchewan. The Bryologist 64 (2 & 3): 240–247.
  • 7. Thomson, John W. (1963). I. Modern species concepts: Lichens. The Bryologist 66 (3): 94–100.
  • 8. Thomson, John W. (1963). The Lichen Genus Physcia in North America. 172 pps. Verlag von J. Cramer, Weinheim.
  • 9. Redfearn, Jr., Paul L. & Thomson, John W. (1965). The 1963 foray of the American Bryological Society in New York. The Bryologist 68 (1): 119–124.
  • 10. Thomson, John W. (1965). Must the name Cladonia sylvatica (L.) Hoffm. be abandoned? by Ahti. A review in Taxon 14 (7): 228–231.
  • 11. Thomson, John W. (1965). The Collected Lichenological Papers of Edward Tuckerman by Edward Tuckerman. A review in the The Bryologist 68 (1): 134–135.
  • 12. Thomson, Jr., John W., Darnell, Rezneat M., Courtenay, Bentley, Hickey, Joseph J., Kruse, Harold, Loucks, Ole L., Welty, Carl, Whitford, Philip B., & Zimmerman, James H. (1965). Natural Areas Use and Management. 1964–65 Report to the Governor 9–11. Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.
  • 13. Thomson, John W. (1965). The relationship of Baeomyces fuscorufescens Vainio and B. careus (Retz.) Floerke. Memoranda Societatis pro Fauna et Flora Fennica 42: 49–53.
  • 14. Scotter, George W. & Thomson, John W. (1966). Lichens of the Thelon River and Kaminuriak Lake Regions, Northwest Territories. The Bryologist 69 (4): 497–502.
  • 15. Thomson, John W. (1967). Notes on Rhizocarpon in the Arctic. In Nova Hedwigia, pp. 421–481, Verlag von J. Cramer, Germany.
  • 16. Thomson, John W. (1967). The lichen genus Baeomyces in North America north of Mexico. The Bryologist 70 (3): 285–288.
  • 17. Thomson, John W. (1968). Haematomma lapponicum Räsänen in North America. The Journal of Japanese Botany 43 (10–11): 305–310.
  • 18. Thomson, John W. (1968). The macrolichens of Alaska by Hildur Krog. A review in The Bryologist 71 (3): 294–295.
  • 19. Thomson, John W. & Iltis, H. H. (1968). A Fog-induced Lichen Community in the Coastal Desert of Southern Peru. The Bryologist 71 (1): 31–34.
  • 20. Thomson, John W. (1969). A Catalogue of Lichens of the State of Washington. For the Lichenological Field Trip of XI International Botanical Congress, Seattle, WA.
  • 21. Thomson, John W. (1969). Green Power: The influence of Plants on Civilization. Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters 57: 1–8.
  • 22. Thomson, John W. (1969). Letharia Californica is Letharia Columbiana (Lichenes). Taxon 18 (5): 535–537.
  • 23. Thomson, John W., Stotter, George W., & Ahti, Teuvo (1969). Lichens of the Great Slave Lake Region, Northwest Territories, Canada. The Bryologist 72 (2): 137–177.
  • 24. Thomson, John W. (1970). Baeomyces weberi, a new species from New Guinea. The Bryologist 73 (3): 632–634.
  • 25. Thomson, John W. (1970). De Nederlandse Cladonia's (Lichenes). A review in The Bryologist 73 (1): 170–171.
  • 26. Thomson, John W. (1970). How to Know the Lichens by Mason E. Hale. A review in The Bryologist 73 (1): 166–167.
  • 27. Thomson, John W. (1970). Lichens from the vicinity of Coppermine, Northwest Territories. The Canadian Field-Naturalist 84 (2): 155–164.
  • 28. Hoefs, Manfred and Thomson, John W. (1972). Lichens from the Kluane Game Sanctuary, S.W. Yukon Territory. The Canadian Field-Naturalist 86: 249–252.
  • 29. Thomson, John W. (1972). Distribution patterns of American Arctic lichens. Canadian Journal of Botany 50 (5): 1135–1156.
  • 30. Thomson, John W. (1972). Two new species of Lecidea and one of Lecanora from the North Slope of Alaska. The Bryologist 75 (3): 354–359.
  • 31. Thomson, John W. (1973). Lichens out of Wisconsin's past. Wisconsin Academy Review 19 (4): 20–24.
  • 32. Thomson, John W. (1973). Macrolichens, of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden by Eilif Dahl and Hildur Krog. A review in The Bryologist 76 (4): 589.
  • 33. Thomson, John W. (1973). Notes on American Arctic species of Candelariella. Separata da Revista da Faculdade de Ciéncias de Lisboa 17: 747–759.
  • 34. Thomson, John W. (1974). Lichenology in North America, 1947–1972. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 62 (1): 45–55.
  • 35. Barrett, Paul E. and Thomson, John W. (1975). Lichens from a High Arctic Coastal Lowland, Devon Island, N.W.T. The Bryologist 78 (2): 160–167.
  • 36. Weber, William A. and Thomson, John W. (1975). Physcia duplicorticata. Mycotaxon III (1): 102–104.
  • 37. Thomson, John W. (1976). Cladonia asahinae sp. nov. from western North America. The Journal of Japanese Botany 51 (12): 360–364.
  • 38. Thomson, John W. and Nash III, Thomas H. (1976). Three new lichens from the Southwest: Xanthoria concinna sp. nov., Lecanora collatolica sp. nov. and Toninia conglomerata. The Bryologist 79 (3): 350–353.
  • 39. Thomson, John W. (1978). Lichens from the Carey Islands in the North Water Polynya in Northern Baffin Bay. The Bryologist 81 (3): 460–463).
  • 40. Thomson, John W. and Bird, C.D. (1978). The lichen genus Dactylina in North America. Canadian Journal of Botany 56 (14): 1602–1624.
  • 41. Moser, Thomas J., Nash III, Thomas H., & Thomson, John W. (1979). Lichens of Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska, with emphasis on the impact of caribou grazing. The Bryologist 82 (2): 393–408.
  • 42. Bird, Charles D.;, Thomson, John W., Marsh, Alfred H., Scotter, George W., & Wong, Pak Yau (1980). Lichens from the area drained by the Peel and Mackenzie Rivers, Yukon and Northwest Territories, Canada. I. Macrolichens. Canadian Journal of Botany 58 (18): 1947–1985.
  • 43. Bird, Charles D., Thomson, John W., Marsh, Alfred H., Scotter, George W., & Wong, Pak Yau (1981). Lichens from the area drained by the Peel and Mackenzie Rivers, Yukon and Northwest Territories, Canada. II. Microlichens. Canadian Journal of Botany 59 (7): 1231–1252.
  • 44. Thomson, John W. (1982). A further note on Caloplaca tominii Savicz in the Americas. The Bryologist 85 (2): 251.
  • 45. Thomson, John W. (1982). Lichen vegetation and ecological patterns in the high Arctic. Journ. Hattori Bot. Lab. 53: 361–364.
  • 46. Thomson, John W. and Scotter, George W. (1983). Lichens from Bathurst Inlet Region, Northwest Territories, Canada. The Bryologist 86 (1): 14–22.
  • 47. Thomson, John W. and Scotter, George W. (1984). Lichens of Bylot and Northern Baffin Islands, Northwest Territories, Canada. The Bryologist 87 (3): 228–232.
  • 48. Thomson, Norman F. and Thomson, John W. (1984). Spore ornamentation in the lichen genus Solorina. The Bryologist 87 (2): 151–153.
  • 49. Thomson, John W. (1987). The lichen genera Catapyrenium and Placidiopsis in North America. The Bryologist 90 (1): 27–39.
  • 50. Thomson, John W. and Murray, Barbara M. (1988). Staurothele discedens and Gyalidea lecideopsis var. convarians rediscovered in Alaska, together with Polyblastia cucurbitula, sp. nova. The Bryologist 91 (2): 86–90.
  • 51. Thomson, John W. and Sowl, LeRoy W. (1989). Additional records of lichens from Amchitka Island, Alaska. Evansia 6 (1): 7–32.
  • 52. Thomson, John W. (1989). Additions and a revised key to Catapyrenium in North America. The Bryologist 92 (2): 190–193.
  • 53. Thomson, John W. (1990). Ramalina unifolia sp. nov. from North America. The Bryologist 93 (3): 341–342)
  • 54. Thomson, John W. (1990). Lichens in old-growth woods in Wisconsin. The Bulletin (of the Botanical Club of Wisconsin) 22 (1): 7–10.
  • 55. Thomson, John W. (1990). Lichens in the Canadian Arctic Islands. Canada's Missing Dimension (1): 385–420 (Ed. C.R. Harington Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa.)
  • 56. Thomson, John W. (1991). The lichen genus Staurothele in North America. The Bryologist 94 (4): 351–367.
  • 57. Thomson, John W. and Weber, William A. (1992). Lichens collected on the Arctic Excursion of the 9th International Botanical Congress (Montreal) in 1959. The Bryologist 95 (4): 392–405.
  • 58. Talbot, Stephen S., Talbot, Sandra Looman, & Thomson, John W. (1992). Lichenes of Tuxedni Wilderness Area, Alaska. The Bryologist 95 (1): 20–30
  • 59. Thomson, John W. and Scotter, George W. (1992). Lichens of the Cape Parry and Melville Hills Regions, Northwest Territories. The Canadian Field-Naturalist 106 (1): 105–111.
  • 60. Thomson, John W. (1993). Lichens collected on the 10th Midwest Bryological and Lichenological Foray on the Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan. Evansia 10 (2): 47–49.
  • 61. Thomson, John W. (1993). A key to Xanthoparmelia in North America, extracted from the World Keys of Hale 1990. The Bryologist 96 (3): 342–344.
  • 62. Thomson, John W. (1994). Lichens collected on an Alaska Highway Expedition in Alaska and Canada. The Bryologist 97 (2): 138–157.
  • 63. Thomson, John W. (1994). Memories of Arctic lichen searches. British Lichen Society Bulletin 74: 1–8.
  • 64. Thomson, John W. (1994). American Arctic Lichens, II. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, WI 53715–1199.
  • 65. Thomson, John W. (1995). The distribution of Arctic lichens and thoughts concerning their origin. The Lichenologist 27 (6): 411–416.
  • 66. Thomson, John W. (1995). Dacampia hookeri new to the American Arctic. The Bryologist 98 (1): 50–51.
  • 67. Thomson, John W. & Scotter, George W. (1995). Some lichens from Melville, Bathurst, and Monroe Islands in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Evansia 12 (3): 117–120.
  • 68. Talbot, Stephen S., Talbot, Sandra Looman, Thomson, John W., & Schofield, Wilfred B. (1997). Lichens of Adak Island, Central Aleutian Islands, Alaska. The Bryologist 100(2): 241–250.
  • 69. Thomson, John W. (1998). Two Wisconsin lichen collections over 100 years old. Evansia 15 (2): 84–90.
  • 70. Thomson, John W. (2000). Using the ascus apex in lichen identification. Evansia 17 (2): 41–43.
  • 71. Talbot, Stephen S., Talbot, Sandra Looman, Thomson, John W., & Schofield, Wilfred B. (2000). Lichens of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Westernmost Alaska Peninsula. The Bryologist 103 (2): 379–389.
  • 72. Talbot, Stephen S., Talbot, Sandra Looman, Thomson, John W., & Schofield, Wilfred B. (2000). Lichens from St. Matthew and St. Paul Islands, Bering Sea, Alaska. The Bryologist 104 (1): 47–58.

List compiled by James P. Bennett, University ofWisconsin-Madison
( https://web.archive.org/web/20100612193556/https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/jpbennet/web/abls/jwt/jwtpubs.pdf ) (accessed 28 Sep 2009)