Robert K. Winters (1902-1999) had a long and impactful career in the world of forestry. While he ended his career as a leading figure in international forestry, his early years were spent trudging through the swamps of Louisiana. A selection of photographs taken by Winters during his time surveying the Deep South in the 1930s has been recently digitized and added to the FHS Image Database.

Born in Douglas, Michigan, Winters remained in his home state for his education, earning a BS (1924), MS (1925), and PhD (1930) in forestry, all from the University of Michigan. While in school he began working for the U.S. Forest Service during his summers. In 1923 he worked as a member of a timber reconnaissance party in California; in 1925, on timber sales in the Wenatchee National Forest; in 1926, mapping timber stands in cut-over areas on the Whitman and Wallowa Forests; and the summers of 1928 and 1929 were spent at the Central States Forest Experiment Station in Ohio. After finishing his PhD, he was assigned to the Southern Forest Experiment Station in New Orleans, beginning work there in September 1930. He would work out of New Orleans for the next decade before moving west in 1939 to become the director of the Forest Survey of the Northern Rocky Mountain Region in Missoula, Montana.

Staff of Southern Forest Experiment Station, New Orleans, 1932. Robert Winters is in the third row far left. (FHS9314)

During his decade in the South, Winters was part of numerous regional forest surveys sponsored by the Southern Forest Experiment Station. He was in charge of the growth and yield study of the Delta hardwood region of the Mississippi River, and later served as assistant to the director of the Forest Survey of the South. One of his other duties during this time period was serving as an official Forest Service photographer. Winters took hundreds of photos depicting forest surveys, tree types, logging practices, forest management, and other things of interest throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, and other locations in the southern U.S. These photos provide a great visual record of forest conditions in the region during the 1930s, and the work of USFS foresters. Many of the photos are found at FHS in the Robert K. Winters Photograph Collection. Recently a selection of more than 200 photos from the collection were digitized and added to the FHS Image Database. You can browse the Winters photos via the database online and view a few highlights in the slideshow below.

The awe and appreciation Winters had for the Louisiana environment was evident in an article he wrote on "the magic and mystery of the cypress swamp" for the February 1939 issue of American Forests magazine, which included some of his own photos.

The later parts of Winters career were spent in the world of international forestry, for which he would become most known. He retired in 1967 as director of the Forest Service's international forestry staff. After retirement, Winters continued as a consultant on international forestry with the Society of American Foresters through the 1970s. His 1974 book, The Forest and Man, in which he examined the impact of the forest and its products on human civilization for a general audience, brought together his expertise in forestry and his strong interest in history. More information on his life and career can be found in the following resources:

"'There Are Advantages All Ways': Choosing a Career in Forestry in the 1920" by Margaret W. Andrews,
Forest History Today, Spring/Fall 2021.

Robert K. Winters 1986 oral history interview on international forestry.

Robert Kirby Winters Papers at the Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan.