Wilhelm Philipp Daniel Schlich facts for kids
Sir William Schlich (born Wilhelm Philipp Daniel Schlich on February 28, 1840, in Flonheim, Germany) was a very important forester. He worked a lot in India for the British government. He was also a professor at Cooper's Hill. He helped shape how forests were managed in many British colonies. His most famous work was a five-book series called Manual of Forestry. He passed away on September 28, 1925, in Oxford, England.
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Early Life and Education
William Schlich was born to Daniel Schlich and Charlotte Frank. His parents were from Hesse, a region in Germany. His father, Daniel, was a Lutheran pastor. William went to school in Flonheim and other towns in Hesse as his family moved. He attended the Gymnasium (a type of high school) in Darmstadt in 1851.
In 1855, he started studying at the University of Giessen. He studied forestry under a famous teacher named Gustav Heyer. William finished his studies in 1862. He then joined the Hesse forestry service. In 1865, he became an Oberförster, which is a chief forester, in Homberg. He earned his doctoral degree from Giessen in 1867.
Working in India
The Austro-Prussian War in 1866 caused William to move. His teacher, Gustav Heyer, suggested he join the British Imperial Indian Forest Service. William arrived in India in February 1867. His first job was in Burma. He later worked in Sindh and then Bengal.
He became a Conservator of Forests in 1871. This meant he was in charge of protecting and managing forests. In 1883, he became the Inspector-General of Forests. This was a very high position, and he took over from his mentor, Dietrich Brandis. William spent 19 years in India. He helped create new ways to manage forests and train foresters. He also helped start the Indian Forester journal in 1874. He was its first honorary editor. He also helped open a forestry school in Dehradun in 1877.
Teaching in England
In 1885, William Schlich moved to England. He became the first Professor of Forestry at the Royal Indian Engineering College at Cooper's Hill. This was the first official forestry course in England. He became a British citizen in 1886.
In 1905, the college at Cooper's Hill closed. William then moved to Oxford to start Oxford's own forestry program. He retired on January 1, 1920. He continued to live in Oxford until he passed away on September 28, 1925. He is buried at Wolvercote Cemetery.
Awards and Recognition
William Schlich was a friend and mentor to Gifford Pinchot. Pinchot was a very important American forester. In 1901, William Schlich became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists. In 1909, he was made a Knight Commander of the Indian Empire. He was also an Honorary Fellow of St John's College, Oxford.
After William Schlich died, a special fund was created. This fund was used to create an award in his name. The Society of American Foresters (SAF) now gives out the Sir William Schlich Memorial Award. This award recognizes people who have made great contributions to forestry. The first award was given to Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935. The second was given to Gifford Pinchot in 1940.
His Important Books
William Schlich wrote a famous five-book series called Manual of Forestry. These books were published between 1889 and 1896. The first two books were about silviculture, which is the art and science of growing trees. The other books covered forest management, how to protect forests, and how to use forest resources. His Manual became the main textbook for forestry students for many years.
In 1904, he also wrote Forestry in the United Kingdom. Other books he wrote included The Outlook of the World's Timber Supply and Afforestation in Great Britain and Ireland. These books showed his deep knowledge of forests and their importance.
Family Life
William Schlich married Mary Margaret Smith in 1874. She was English, and her father was the famous writer William Smith. In 1874, William changed the spelling of his first name from Wilhelm to William. He and Mary had one son, who died young, and one daughter, Gertrude.
After his first wife died in 1878, he married Adèle Emilie Mathilde Marsily. They had a son and three daughters. William Schlich is buried in Wolvercote Cemetery in Oxford.
See also
- List of members of German student corps
