Obituary: Charlotte Berkley Reed Ward

Charlotte Berkley Reed Ward, 93, died Jan. 30 in Auburn, Alabama.

“Charlotte was truly a Renaissance woman and a pioneer. She earned her bachelor’s degree, her Phi Beta Kappa key, and a master’s degree in chemistry at the University of Kentucky, where she also met the love of her life. Charlotte married Curtis Ward, a fellow chemist, in 1951. She earned her PhD in physical chemistry at Purdue University in 1956. Charlotte taught science for grade school students on Alabama’s first educational television network (1958–1967), long before her own family owned a television. She was on the faculty and taught in the Physics Department at Auburn University for nearly 30 years, and was a founding faculty member of the Ascent of Man curriculum, which brought together faculty and students from across the liberal arts and sciences for a truly integrated and novel curriculum.”—Ward family

Most recent title: Professor, Auburn University

Education: BS, chemistry, 1949, and MS, chemistry, 1951, University of Kentucky; PhD, physical chemistry, Purdue University, 1956

Survivors: Children, Emma Ward Morris, Bess, Mark, and Matthew; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren

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