Dr. Donald J. Belcher

Obituary
DR. DONALD J. BELCHER
ITHACA - Dr. Donald J. Belcher, Professor Emeritus, Cornell University School of Civil Engineering, a civil engineer, educator, and leading pioneer in the science of remote sensing, passed away peacefully in Papa'loa, Hawaii, February 8, 2005. He was 93.Born in Chicago, Illinois, on February 11, 1911, he was the son of the late Ova Clarence and Helen Edson Jenks Belcher. He earned a Doctorate in Civil Engineering from Purdue University in 1946. During this period he began a lifelong exploration of the practical engineering applications of aerial photography - a discipline that became known as aerial photographic interpretation and more recently, remote sensing.Dr. Belcher joined Cornell University's School of Civil Engineering in 1946 where he founded and directed the Center for Aerial Photographic Studies until his retirement in 1976. In a storied career that spanned 50 years, Dr. Belcher distinguished himself as an educator, scholar, and innovator. During World War II, Dr. Belcher served as a civilian consultant under General Douglas MacArthur to improve the military's intelligence of battlefield conditions. Following the conflict, he used his skills in aerial photographic interpretation to locate landmines in Western Europe, and performed a wide variety of consulting assignments for U.S. military and civilian agencies and foreign governments.In addition to Dr. Belcher's noted scholarly achievements, he was credited with locating the site for Brazil's capital city, Brasilia, as well as the site for the world's largest radio telescope at Arecibo, Puerto Rico. As the exploration of space advanced, he helped interpret surface conditions on both the moon and Mars and used air photos to identify sources of industrial pollution. At the dawn of the information age, Belcher also pioneered a computer-based land use and natural resource inventory system that was adopted by New York State, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Australia, and Venezuela.Donald Belcher is preceded in death by his wife, Nancy Foote Belcher; and daughter, Helen Stacy Belcher. He is survived by daughters, Marilyn Kay (Gerald) Whisman of Goddard, Kansas, Candace Brann of Hiram, Ohio; and sons, Dr. Mathew Belcher and his wife, Dr. Emily Claspell of Kamuela, Hawaii, Mark Belcher and his wife, Anne Marie Thurber, of Washington, D.C., and Neil Belcher, and his wife, Ailish of Ithaca, N.Y. He is also survived by eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Cornell University Donald J. Belcher Master of Engineering Fellowship in Civil and Environmental Engineering.