George Frederick Blackburn ’26

FRED BLACKBURN, mathematician and outdoorsman, died in his sleep at a nursing home near Bethesda, Md., Oct. 5, 1990, at age 88. At Princeton Fred majored in mathematics and went on to earn an M.A. He moved to Washington in 1929, when he became a mathematician with the Bureau of Standards, which he served until retirement in 1963. In 1930, Fred married Ruth Miller, and with her raised a family and as well was able to pursue his hobbies of photography and the outdoors.

Fred grew up in central Penn. An active backpacker and hiker, he was an early supporter and user of the Appalachian Trail. He served for nine years as secretary of the Appalachian Trail Conference and was a 60year member of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. In 1983 a cabin near the trail, in northern Va., was dedicated in Fred's honor as the Blackburn Trail Center.

Fred is survived by Ruth and their sons, Frederick and William, by five grandchildren, and three great-grandsons, and by a sister, Helen Kniseley, to all of whom we extend our sympathy.

The Class of 1926