Walter Ferdinand Loehwing was born in Chicago on November 25, 1896. He graduated from Englewood High School in 1914. Mr. Loehwing served in the U.S. Army as Major in Field Artillery, 1917 to1920, after which he returned to Chicago. He earned his B.S. in 1920, M.S. in 1921, and Ph.D. in 1925 - all at the University of Chicago. He was professor and head of the Department of Chemistry and dean at Oklahoma State School of Mines from 1920 until 1923.

Dr. Loehwing joined the faculty at the University of Iowa in 1925 as assistant professor of Botany, and was promoted to associate professor in 1928. He was made full professor in 1930. Loehwing?s area of research was plant physiology. He was made head of the Department of Botany in 1940, and Dean of the Graduate College in 1950. Dean Loehwing was president of the Iowa Academy of Science, 1956-1957. Loehwing married Helen Cromer in February 1936. Walter Loehwing died August 1, 1960.