Charles Lathrop Pack

Born in Lexington, Michigan, in 1857, Charles Lathrop Pack came from a family deeply involved in the timber business. He studied forestry in Germany's Black Forest and spent time exploring forest regions in Canada, the Pacific Northwest, Louisiana, and Mississippi before building a career in lumber, banking, real estate, and finance.

Pack later became one of the best-known public champions of forestry in the United States. He supported conservation causes, helped found organizations connected to forest education, and used his wealth to back research, publications, and public outreach. His name also became closely linked with the movement for better-managed forests and with demonstration forests created for teaching and practice.

During World War I, he led the National War Garden Commission, encouraging Americans to grow food at home in what became widely known as war gardens or victory gardens. He also wrote on forestry and related subjects, combining practical business experience with a strong interest in public education. He died in 1937, remembered as both a wealthy timberman and an energetic advocate for conservation.