James Allen Tower, 1905-1961

JAMES ALLEN TOWER, 1905-1961 J. Allen Tower Avas born at Northport, Washington, in 1905, and died at Birmingham, Alabama, on May 28, 1961. Tie received the ?.?. degrés at the University of Washington (Seattle) in 1928. Avith Phi Bela Kappa honors. After teaching at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, 1928-31, he returned to the University of Washington where he obtained the M.S. in geography in 1933 and the Ph.D. in 1936. Tn 1936, Dr. Tower joined the faculty of Birmingham Southern College, which position he never left except for war service. From 1948 until his sudden and untimely death at the age of fiftyfive he served with the rank of full professor. Tn 1947 he married the former Clara Elizabeth Ozley of Birmingham. Their two children are James Allen, Jr., and Ruth Elizabeth. Allen Tower's academic career was an active one. He was a member of the A.A.A.S. ; A.A.G. (Chairman of the Southeastern Division, 1947-48) ; American Geographical Society ; National Council of Geography Teachers (Executive Committee, 1941-47) ; Agricultural History Society; Middle East Institute; Association of Pacific Coast Geographers; Alabama Academy of Science (President, 1956-57), and the Alabama History Society. During World War TI he served in the IT. S. Air Force. His intimate knowledge of the Arab World caused his assignment to duty in Morocco, Avhere he served with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After the Avar he served in the Air Force ReserA'e, from which he retired in 1960 Avith the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In 1961, he received the Commendation AAvard for work as Chairman (1958-60) of the Training Guidance Staff, Birmingham Air Reserve Center. An eager scholar wTho was highly erudite but practical and in close touch with his students and colleagues, Allen Tower Avas both a superb teacher of geography and a productiA7e researcher. He earned membership in Sigma Xi early in his career. He enjoyed research and his numerous writings, some of them monograph length, reflected long weeks of truly original research. His writings appeared in Economic Geography, the Annals of the A.A.O., the Geographical Revieiv, Education , the Journal of the Alabama Academy of Science, The Alabama Review, the Yearbook of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers, the Memorandum Folio, and the monograph series of Birmingham 50 Southern College. In addition, he wrote on Near East topics for two leading encyclopedias and on the South for three encyclopedias. In recognition of the value of his research, ToAver received two A.A.A.S. grants-in-aid and a Rosenwald Fellowship grant for research on the geography and agriculture of Alabama. J. Allen ToAver Avas among the founders of the organization from Avhich our Southeastern Division of the A.A.G. has developed, and he was, I believe, in effect our first Chairman. Later, in 1947-48, he served as a regularly elected Chairman of the Division. During the past several years he has furnished stimulating leadership to the important Southern Studies Committee. Through the years he was constantly active in our organization, serAÛng on various committees, contributing papers, and giving valuable leadership with sound ideas and unselfish effort to further the work of the Division and the advancement of geography Avithin the Southeast. J. Allen ToAver was a good man, a good husband and father, and a good geographer. He had many friends among us and no enemies. We shall miss him sorely. —Wlliam H. Pierson 51 ...