James E. Church

Who was James E. Church?

James Edward Church, Jr. is best known for having developed the Mount Rose snow sampler, the first instrument for measuring snow water content. It is still in use today. He was also active in promoting the then nascent sciences of snow hydrology and water supply forecasting.

Dr. Church, who received his Ph.D from the University of Munich, was born in Holly, Michigan on February 15, 1869. He taught Latin, German and fine arts at the University of Nevada, Reno from 1892 - 1939 and was the first person of European descent to ascend Mount Rose. Dr. Church died in Reno, Nevada, on August 5, 1959. The Church Fine Arts Complex on the University of Nevada, Reno campus—which opened in 1962, 3 years after his death—is named after him.