John Richard Parmeter

John Richard Parmeter was a Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of California, Berkeley until his retirement in 1991. His research focused on forest pathology, particularly dwarf mistletoes of pines and firs, air pollution effects on pines, bark beetle-pathogen interactions, and root diseases. Parmeter was a world authority on the root pathogen Rhizoctonia solani.

He earned his B.S. in Botany and Plant Pathology from Oregon State College (1951) and PhD from the University of Wisconsin (1955) with a dissertation on oak wilt development. Parmeter joined UC Berkeley in 1957 and mentored graduate students including Bob Scharpf (Forest Service research pathologist) and Mark Schultz (Forest Service entomologist).

Key research contributions included studies on smoke effects on fungi, root pathogens in Yosemite Valley forests, and collaborative work on dwarf mistletoe management. He retired in 1991 and passed away in 2010.