{{Short description|American botanist (1918–2020)}} {{Infobox scientist | name = William Alfred Weber | image = | birth_date = {{birth date|1918|11|16}} | birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2020|3|18|1918|11|16}} | death_place = Longmont, Colorado, U.S. | field = Botany<br>Lichenology | work_institutions = University of Colorado Boulder<br>University of Colorado Museum of Natural History | alma_mater = Iowa State (B.S. of Botany 1940, M.A. of Botany 1942)<br>Washington State (PhD. 1946) | known_for = collecting flowering plants, mosses, and lichens from every continent except Africa<ref>{{cite news|author=Strain, Daniel|title=Faculty in Focus: At 99, botanist's love of lichens still going strong|newspaper=CU Boulder Today|date=September 17, 2018|publisher=University of Colorado Boulder|url=https://www.colorado.edu/today/2018/09/17/faculty-focus-99-botanists-love-lichens-still-going-strong}}</ref> | doctoral_students = D. D. Awasthi | author_abbrev_bot = W.A.Weber }}

'''William Alfred Weber''' (November 16, 1918 – March 18, 2020) was an American botanist and lichenologist. He was Professor Emeritus at the University of Colorado at Boulder and former curator of the University of Colorado Museum Herbarium (Index Herbariorum designation COLO).

== Biography == William Alfred Weber was born on November 16, 1918, and grew up in New York City.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.anbg.gov.au/biography/weber-william-alfred.html|title=Weber, William Alfred - biography|website=www.anbg.gov.au|language=en|access-date=2019-01-21}}</ref>

He earned his master's in 1942 and PhD in 1945, both at Washington State University and began teaching at Colorado in 1946.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ikfoundation.org/ilinnaeus/istories/williamweber.php|title=Impressions of the Linnaeus Apostles' Achievements|publisher=IK Foundation|access-date=January 19, 2015}}</ref><ref>Mary Jane Campbell, “[https://artsandsciences.colorado.edu/mag-old/2014/10/naturalist-weber-honored-for-lifetime-achievements/ Naturalist Weber Honored for Lifetime Achievement],” University of Colorado, October 30, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2017.</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Monograph Series - Latin American Studies Center, Michigan State University|date=1977|publisher=Latin American Studies Center, Michigan State University}}</ref> Weber was well known for editing the exsiccata series ''Lichenes exsiccati distributed by the University of Colorado Museum, William A. Weber, Curator'' (1961–1988).<ref>{{cite web |title=Lichenes exsiccati distributed by the University of Colorado Museum, William A. Weber, Curator: IndExs ExsiccataID=174322843 |website=IndExs – Index of Exsiccatae |publisher=Botanische Staatssammlung München |url=https://www.botanischestaatssammlung.de/DatabaseClients/IndExs/Exsiccatae_IndExs_Details.jsp?ExsiccataID=174322843 |access-date=23 September 2024}}</ref>

In 2018 he was awarded a lifetime achievement award from the American Bryological and Lichenological Society (ABLS).<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Tripp|first1=Erin A.|last2=Hogan|first2=Timothy M.|date=October 2018|title=William A. Weber Receives ABLS Lifetime Achievement Awards|url=https://complete.bioone.org/journals/Evansia/volume-35/issue-3/0747-9859-35.3.106/William-A-Weber-Receives-ABLS-Lifetime-Achievement-Awards/10.1639/0747-9859-35.3.106.full|journal=Evansia|volume=35|issue=3|pages=106–109|doi=10.1639/0747-9859-35.3.106|s2cid=189599622 |issn=0747-9859|url-access=subscription}}</ref> He died on March 18, 2020, in Longmont, Colorado.<ref>{{cite web |title=Obituary – William A Weber – Official Website |url=http://williamaweber.com/obituary/ |access-date=31 March 2020 |language=en-CA}}</ref>

{{botanist|W.A.Weber|Weber, Alfred Weber|border=0}}

==Honors and awards== * 2018 Acharius Medal of the International Association for Lichenology<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lichenology.org/index.html?/Awards/AchariusMedallists.html|title=Acharius Medallists|publisher=International Association for Lichenology|access-date=17 September 2019|archive-date=24 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624065615/http://www.lichenology.org/index.html?%2FAwards%2FAchariusMedallists.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> *2018 Elizabeth Britton Award for Lifetime Achievement in Bryology and the Chicita Culberson Award for Lifetime Achievement in Lichenology of the American Bryological and Lichenological Society.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://williamaweber.com/acharius-award-and-abls-lifetime-achievement-awards/|title=Acharius Award and ABLS Lifetime Achievement Awards|date=14 November 2018 |access-date=18 September 2019}}</ref>

The New Guinean lichen species ''Peltigera weberi'' {{au|Sérus., Goffinet, Miądl. & Vitik.}} was named in his honour in 2009.<ref Name="Serusiaux et al. 2009">{{cite journal |last1=Sérusiaux |first1=E. |last2=Goffinet |first2=B. |last3=Miadlikowska |first3=J. |last4=Vitikainen |first4=O. |year=2009 |title=Taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of the lichen genus ''Peltigera'' in Papua New Guinea |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228638924 |journal=Fungal Diversity |volume=38 |issue=1 |pages=185–224}}</ref>

==Selected publications== * Weber, W. A. 1946. A taxonomic and cytological study of the ''Wyethia'', family Compositae, with notes on the related genus ''Balsamorhiza''. Amer. Midl. Nat. 35:400-452. * Weber, W. A. 1950. Recent additions to the flora of Colorado. Univ. Colorado Stud., Ser. Biol. 1:46-50. * Weber, W. A. 1958. Rediscovery of ''Neoparrya''. Rhodora 60:265-271. * Weber, W. A. 1959. Some features of the distribution of Arctic relicts at their austral limits. Proc. IX Internat. Bot. Congr. 2:425-426. * Weber, W. A. 1962. Environmental modifications and the taxonomy of the crustose lichens. Sv. Bot. Tidskr. 56:293-333. * Weber, W. A. 1963. Additions to the bryophyte flora of Colorado. Bryologist 66:192-200. * Weber, W. A. 1967. A synopsis of the North American species of ''Cyphelium''. Bryologist 70:197-203. * Weber, W. A. 1976. Rocky Mountain Flora. 5th edition. Colorado Assoc., Univ. Press. * Weber, W. A. and G. Argus. 1986. ''Salix lanata'' ssp. ''calcicola'' in Colorado. Madroño 33:148-149.. * Weber, W. A. 1987B. Colorado Flora: Western Slope. Colorado Assoc. Univ. Press. * Weber, W. A. 1987. Noteworthy collections, Colorado. ''Bryum blindii'' BSG. Madroño 29:246. * Weber, W. A. Lichenes Exsiccati distributed by the University of Colorado Museum, Fasc. 17-18, Nos. 641-700. *{{cite book|last1=Weber|first1=W. A.|title=King of Colorado Botany: Charles Christopher Parry, 1823-1890|date=1997|publisher=Univ. Press of Colorado|location=Niwot, CO|isbn=0-87081-431-1}} *Colbridge, J. N., and W. A. Weber. 1998. ''A Rocky Mountain Lichen Primer''. University Press of Colorado, Niwot, Colorado.

==See also== * :Category:Taxa named by William Alfred Weber

==References== {{reflist}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20030823152009/http://spot.colorado.edu/~weberw/cv.htm Curriculum Vitae] at the University of Colorado *[http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/instruct/esslinge/chcklst/chcklst7.htm North America check list of lichens]

{{Presidents of the American Bryological and Lichenological Society|state=collapsed}} {{Recipients of the Acharius Medal}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weber, William A.}} Category:1918 births Category:2020 deaths Category:20th-century American botanists Category:American men centenarians Category:American taxonomists Category:American lichenologists Category:Botanists from Colorado Category:University of Colorado Boulder faculty Category:Washington State University alumni Category:Acharius Medal recipients