Woodbridge METCALF

Woody Metcalf sailed in the Star class at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, alongside William Waterhouse. They represented the Richmond Yacht Club. Metcalf attended the University of Michigan, where he studied forestry as both an undergrad and graduate student. In 1914, his mentor there, Walter Mulford, was called to U Cal Berkeley to start a forestry department, and he brought Metcalf along with him, as his star protégé.

That began a 58-year career with U Cal Berkeley working in forestry. He taught a number of courses in forest biology including dendrology and silviculture. Metcalf became an expert on management of eucalyptus as an exotic species, and was appointed as a liaison officer to the FAO Second World Eucalyptus Conference in Brazil in 1961. He also became an honorary life member of the Western Shade Tree Conference. Metcalf helped organize many local fire fighting groups, which led to the formation of the California Division of Forestry to help control rural forest fires.

In 1926 Metcalf transferred his appointment at Berkeley to the Agricultural Extension Service, where he again worked with Waterhouse. Metcalf stayed in that role until his retirement. He was pre-eminent in conservation and was President of the California Conservation Council for several years. He won the Nash Merit Award Certificate in Conservation and in 1953 was elected a fellow of the Society of American Foresters.