Charlton, David B., 1904-

David B. Charlton was born on January 26, 1904 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Shortly after graduating from the University of British Columbia in 1925 with a degree in chemistry, Charlton began his career in the Portland Bureau of Health as a laboratory technician. Upon receiving his doctorate from Iowa State University in 1933, he returned to Portland and soon founded Charlton Laboratories. His first important contract was a comprehensive survey of pollution in the Willamette River, covering the area between the Sellwood Bridge and the Columbia River. His original survey and findings illustrated the need for regulating and monitoring water quality in the region. Charlton devoted much of his professional and personal life toward educating the public about environmental issues.