Dagfin John Cederstrom

Dagfin John Cederstrom, also referenced as D. John Cederstrom and D.J. Cederstrom, did not ordinarily use his first name, Dagfin. He was born in Norway in
1908, and was brought to America while a small child. He received his B.S. in
chemistry from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, and his Ph.D. in geology from the
University of Arizona in Tucson. John, or "Seedy" as he was known to friends, was
internationally recognized as an authority, teacher, and writer on groundwater
hydrology. He spent 38 years with the U.S. Geological Survey as a groundwater
hydrologist, two of which as a visiting professor at the University of Rio de Janeiro
in Brazil, where he taught graduate groundwater hydrology in Brazilian Portugese.
In addition to Brazilian Portugese he also read, wrote and spoke French, Italian,
Spanish, German, and Norwegian. He practiced his profession in various parts of the
United States, including the Virgin Islands and Alaska, and overseas in Libya from
1955-1957 (foreign aid), and in Okinawa, Brazil, and Yemen.

Dr. Cederstrom was awarded a Bronze Star for his work as a civilian specialist with the "Seabees" (Construction Battalion) in the spring of 1944 during the American
invasion of Okinawa. He worked immediately behind the front lines locating well sites
and mapping coral limestone deposits for the construction of airfields.

Dr. Cederstrom's major publications are listed in this Public Library. He was married and had three children. He enjoyed poetry, music, history, stamp collecting, horticulture, photography, and intellectual discussion on various topics. He was an
ardent steam train buff and would spend considerable time and effort chasing down
and photographing them, both in the United States and overseas. He died in 1997.