Gisborne, Harry Thomas, 1893-1949

Harry T. Gisborne was born in Montpelier, Vermont, on September 11, 1893. Soon after receiving a B.S. degree in forestry from University of Michigan in 1917, he served two years in France as a corporal with the forestry outfit of the 10th Engineers. After discharge in early 1919 he served in a number of administrative and research positions in the U.S. Forest Service in Washington and Oregon, receiving his permanent appointment in April 1920.

In April, 1922, he was assigned to the Priest River Experiment Station, Missoula, Montana, as the first known full-time forest fire researcher. His research leadership developed the first fire danger rating system with meters, fuel moisture sticks and inexpensive instruments; more accurate fire weather forecasting, and many studies in fire behavior and fire control planning, much of it cooperatively with National Forest administrators; cloud seeding and aerial water bombing cooperative projects. Gisborne was a councilman of Society of American Foresters, president of Northwest Scientific Association, and member of several other resource-oriented organizations. He was, in 1947, the first recipient from his area to receive the USDA Superior Service Award. He authored about 100 published and about 60 unpublished manuscripts.

He and his wife Alice raised two children, T. U. (Tug) Gisborne and Virginia Jacobson. Harry Gisborne died of a heart attack on November 9, 1949 while investigating the Mann Gulch fire near Helena, Montana.

From the guide to the Harry Thomas Gisborne Papers, 1899-1949, (Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections)