Dates

• Existence: 1886 - 1951

Biographical Note

Louis Blackmer Puffer was born on July 24, 1886, the son of Norman Martin Puffer and Olive F. Blackmer Puffer of Bennington, Vermont. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1909 with a degree in civil engineering. Soon after Puffer became a lecturer in mathematics at his alma mater, where he worked until 1920. In 1921 he joined the faculty at the University of Vermont, and in 1937 he was named head of the UVM Department of Civil Engineering. Puffer was a member of the American Society of Engineers, ASEE, the American Geophysics Union, and the Vermont Society of Engineers. He belonged to Tau Beta Pi fraternity and was a member of Sigma Xi. A lifelong outdoorsman, Puffer was also an accomplished amateur photographer. His favorite subjects were wilderness trails, outdoor scenery, covered bridges, and the people and organizations in his life. He was a member of the Green Mountain Club, serving as president of the Burlington Section and of the main club; he also served as trustee of the latter for many years. He edited the club's two major publications, The Long Trail News and The Guide Book. He was the 50th person to become an Adirondack 46er, having climbed all 46 four-thousand foot peaks in the range. Puffer married Ruth Bascom Resseguie in 1912 with whom he had three children, Olive Louise, Helen Blackmer, and Norman Mearns. He died on October 11, 1951.

Found in 1 Collection or Record: