UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and the Penn State community mourn the loss of Charles L. Hosler, for whom the Hosler Building on the University Park campus and the Hosler Oak at the Penn State Arboretum are named. Hosler died on Sunday, Oct. 29. He was 99 years old.
Hosler left his mark on Penn State, having spent his entire professional career at the University. He joined the Penn State faculty as an assistant professor of meteorology in 1951. He served as head of the Department of Meteorology from 1961 to 1965; as dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences from 1965 to 1985; as senior vice president for research and dean of the Graduate School from 1985 to 1992; and as acting executive vice president and provost from 1990 to 1991 before retiring in 1992.
Hosler is credited with accelerating the transition of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences from its longtime mineral extraction and processing focus to one including all aspects of the entire Earth system.
When Hosler became dean in 1965, the now named College of Earth and Mineral Sciences was known as the College of Mineral Industries. One of Hosler’s earliest acts was to support the redesignation of the college as Earth and Mineral Sciences to reflect the importance of the earth-related sciences within the college, with focused attention on its diversity and distinctive blend of disciplines.
“Charlie was dean of the college for 20 years, during a period of tremendous growth and accomplishment,” said John Dutton, dean emeritus and professor emeritus of meteorology. “During his tenure, the college's identity as an internationally recognized center of advanced study and research in earth, material, mineral and atmospheric sciences matured. Today, Earth and Mineral Sciences is international in outlook and global in its interests, and the college's alumni hold significant positions in all parts of the world. The college's reputation for quality in instruction and research is unquestioned and is a central part of Charlie’s legacy.”
In a previous interview, Hosler said that a great university is only great so long as the creation of new knowledge accompanies the educational process.
“The excitement experienced by faculty on the frontiers of knowledge and creativity is transmitted to students,” said Hosler. “The single most important factor in the quality of teaching is the teacher's enthusiasm. Enthusiasm and the excitement of hearing new ideas from someone who helped form them motivates students. This excitement is generated by being part of the creative process.”
Lee Kump, John Leone Dean in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, said Hosler’s thoughts on the value of integrating research and education helped shape his own career.
“Charlie always made the point that you can't separate research from education,” said Kump. “As Penn State became established as one of the nation’s top research universities, that relationship became even more critical. It is important to provide experiences for students in conducting state-of-the-art research, whether it is in a laboratory setting or field setting. I think by providing that research experience for our students, the college has supported Hosler’s vision of an integrated educational and research mission.”
Hosler was one of the early titans of weather forecasting. He created one of the first television weather shows when he started broadcasting weather forecasts from Penn State in 1957 with the goal of providing more accurate forecasts for Pennsylvanians. The forecasts were transmitted by microwave from the Penn State University Park campus to a local TV station. From there, Hosler’s first forecast blossomed into a larger weather program, known as “Weather World,” — a 15-minute all-weather program available today on WPSU and on the Pennsylvania Cable Network that includes longer-range forecasts and nightly features demonstrating how the weather works and its role in everyday life.
Hosler received numerous awards for his research and administrative excellence. He was named a distinguished alumnus of Penn State and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. He held three presidential appointments in Washington, D.C., and served on the National Science Board for nine years. He was past president and an honorary member of the American Meteorological Society and was elected as a fellow. He chaired many AMS committees as well as for other scientific and engineering organizations including the World Meteorological Organization.
During World War II, Hosler served for three years in the U.S. Navy (1943-1946). He spent one year in the Pacific Asiatic Theatre on various ships as a weather forecaster at Pearl Harbor, Guam and Okinawa and as the observer on typhoon reconnaissance aircraft. After 20 years in the Naval Reserve, he retired with the rank of lieutenant commander.
Hosler was born in Honey Brook, Pennsylvania, in 1924. He attended Bucknell University, MIT and Penn State. He earned his bachelor of science, master of science and doctoral degrees in meteorology from Penn State.
To learn more about Hosler and his career, visit the links below.
- Remembering Dr. Charles Hosler (Weather World)
- Take Note: Charlie Hosler, A Titan Of Weather Forecasting, On His 75-Year Career At Penn State (WPSU)
- Dean emeritus Charles Hosler says biggest legacy was helping others succeed (Penn State News)
- Celebrating 60 years of Penn State TV weather broadcasts (Penn State News)
- Part 1: Interview with Dr. Charles Hosler (Weather World)
- Part 2: Interview with Dr. Charles Hosler (Weather World)