Brewster Rogerson

Brewster Rogerson, 94, a resident of the Tigard community passed away on Tuesday morning, May 26, 2015 at his home.

The Friends of the Rogerson Clematis collection will hold an event in his honor later this summer. Please watch their website, www.rogersonclematiscollection.org for further details.

Brewster was born on January 16, 1921 in Charlotte, NC He was one of two children born to Livingston and Clara (Smith) Rogerson. He was raised in Chapel Hill and graduated from Chapel Hill High School with the Class of 1938. He attended University of North Carolina and at the age of twenty he enrolled into Princeton University.

He graduated with a PHD in English Literature (specializing in literary criticism) in 1946 and began teaching at Berkley University from 1946 to 1950. In 1953 he was employed at Kansas State University and had worked there until his retirement in 1980. In 1971 Brewster purchased his first four clematis vines to enhance the house he had built for himself in Manhattan, Kansas. He began describing himself as a collector of the genus Clematis in 1975. Once retired, Brewster determined to move to a more amenable climate, the Pacific Northwest. In 1981 he brought his plants first to Eugene, OR and then to Hillsboro in 1986. In 2005 he moved again to Lake Oswego until his health forced him to move to Tigard in 2014. The Friends of the Rogerson Clematis Collection (FRCC) began the care of Brewster's clematis in 2005, and in partnership with the City of Lake Oswego, moved the clematis to Luscher Farm. The Rogerson Clematis Garden has been established there, and draws visitors from all over the world as North America's most comprehensive collection of clematis in a public garden.

Brewster became a renowned scholar of the genus and was considered the American expert in this field until the time of his passing. He was a founding member of the International Clematis Society, and wrote 100 entries in their Clematis of the Month feature, publishing his last plant description in March 2015. Brewster was generous with his plants as well as his knowledge.

From the Rogerson Clematis Collection website:

"We shall miss the rigor of his scholarship, the wit of his writing, the breadth of his vision, the firmness of his guidance, and the unique and not inconsiderable pleasure of his company. We are honored to carry his legacy forward."

He is survived by his sister; Kathryn Adams of Johnson City, TN and several nieces and nephews.

The family suggest donations in Brewster's name be made to the Friends of the Rogerson Clematis Collection, PO Box 734, Lake Oswego, OR 97034, or www.rogersonclematiscollection.org. All donations to FRCC are tax deductible. Questions may be directed to 971-777-4394.