Bigleaf Magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla var. ashei)
Ashes Magnolia, also known as Bigleaf Magnolia, has both the largest leaves and largest flowers of any plant native to North America. It is found growing wild primarily in the Florida Panhandle and has been introduced to other parts of the Southeast. A showstopper in the forest and a prize for anyone lucky enough to have it in their landscape, it is typically found growing in good soil with high organic matter. It fares best in USDA hardiness zones 6 to 9.
William Sumner Logan
WILLIAM SUMNER LOGAN M.D.
“Look for me among the sticks and stones.” – WSL
This Bigleaf Magnolia at the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens is dedicated in memory
of Dr. William Sumner Logan, beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend, physician,
and avid advocate and protector of Charlotte’s beautiful trees.
Bill had a childhood love of minerals, trees and the natural world, which led him to
explore and learn all his life. The respect and awe he felt for the trees of North Carolina
inspired him to plant every tree native to the state on his mountain land, which was
already considered a climax forest. He strapped gallons of water on his back, carried a
shovel and dragged many a sapling down the mountainside for planting, actions which
he referred to as “carrying coals to Newcastle.”
Bill served as the original chairman of the Mecklenburg Country Treasure Tree
Committee in the 1990s and early 2000s. As chairman, he identified numerous trees in
Charlotte as Treasure Trees, or trees of notable size. Some of the trees that Bill
identified include a Dawn Redwood (1990), Chinkapin Oak (1991), Swamp Chestnut
Oak (1992), Willow Oak (#027,1992), Willow Oak (#030, 1992), Kentucky Yellowwood
(1992), American Hornbeam (1992), Bur Oak (1992), Umbrella Magnolia (1992), Big
Leaf Magnolia (1992), Paw Paw (1992), Deodar Cedar (1992), European Sweet
Chestnut (1995), Post Oak (1996), Laurel Oak (1996), Japanese Zelkova (1997), Tree
of Heaven (1997), and a Northern Red Oak (2000). (Source: TreesCharlotte.org).
Bill’s largest contribution to the tree community of North Carolina came in 1998, when
he nominated a Willow Oak (#031) in Charlotte’s Myers Park neighborhood to the
National Register of Big Trees. This massive Willow Oak, which had a circumference of
27 feet, was named a World Champion on March 16, 1999, by the National Register of
Big Trees and was designated the largest known Willow Oak in the world at the time.
Bill’s friendship with Dr. Larry Mellichamp of UNC Charlotte led to his involvement with
UNCC’s Botanical Gardens. For 10 years, Bill was a member of the Board of Advisors
for the Botanical Gardens. He also wrote several essays on N.C. trees for botanical
journals.
In addition to his dedication to trees, Bill also loved minerals. His wonder at the beauty
and intricacies of minerals led him into a field study and collection of crystalline
minerals, sculpting art objects out of stone and participating in gem and mineral shows.
He created his company, Spectrum Minerals, to share his love of minerals with others
and later was inspired to write what became the authoritative book on rhodochrosite, a
popular collectible and decorative mineral. Through this book and his comprehensive
collection of the species, Bill became known as one of the world’s experts on
rhodochrosite.
His curiosity and love of science resulted in his teaching many courses at the
Shepherd’s Center in Charlotte, ranging from “The History of Natural History” and “Six
Theories that Changed the World” to “General Relativity and Quantum Physics” and
“The Truth of Alchemy,” culminating with a course reconciling “Science and Religion.”
He wrote many books for his grandchildren on these and other subjects in hopes of
encouraging their amazement and curiosity about the world.
Bill’s inquisitive mind and love of learning extended to exploring other countries and
cultures. He especially enjoyed his trips to Kenya and Alaska where he had close
encounters with a musk ox, baboons and bush babies and even survived a herd of
hippos running through his tented encampment. Always ready to make the most of his
experiences, he read volumes on the art of Florence and the Hermitage before his trips
to Italy and the Baltic. But perhaps his favorite trip was with his friend and mentor to the
Western National Parks for a once-in-a-lifetime exploration of the canyons, deserts,
rivers, flora and fauna there, including a Dipper (bird), the Western Red Cedar and
many other firsts.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Bill grew up in Lakeland, Florida, the oldest son of Dr. William
P. and Bette Logan. He attended Davidson College in North Carolina, was in the Phi
Beta Kappa Honor Society and graduated cum laude in 1964. He met his future wife,
Sandra, at Queens College. They married two weeks after their college graduations and
were married for 60 years. After so many decades of marriage, he often was told he
was a “Master of Marriage” as he employed his humor and kindness to smooth the way.
Bill attended Duke University School of Medicine, was a member of the Alpha Omega
Alpha Honor Medical Society and graduated in 1968 as valedictorian of his class. After
a medical internship at Duke University Medical Center, Bill completed a dermatology
residency and fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. There he earned a
master’s degree in Dermatologic Research in addition to board certification as a
specialist in dermatology. Despite his love of research, Bill decided to focus on patients
and helping people. He joined the Nalle Clinic in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1973. Bill
established the Dermatology Department at the Nalle Clinic and served as department
chair for 28 years. Throughout his career, he received many honors, including being
listed in the “Best Doctors in America” and the Physician’s Recognition Award from the
American Medical Association. He was founder of the Dermatology Indigent Clinic,
where he volunteered for 25 years, at Carolinas Medical Center, and served as clinical
professor of dermatology with the UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine and as a
member of the Nalle Clinic Foundation Board. But his greatest award was the
appreciation of his patients and the privilege to be able to help them.
Bill passed away on Dec. 3, 2024, surrounded by his loving family. Bill bequeaths to us
the experience of a life lived fully with continuous learning, wonder and courage and the
gift of love, humility and laughter. Thank you, beloved Bill. We carry you forward,
forever, in our hearts. Godspeed.
Bill is survived by his loving wife, Sandra; daughter Rheta Whittington and her husband,
Eric, of Greensboro, North Carolina; son William “Billy” Logan and his wife, Laura, of
Darien, Connecticut; grandchildren Katie and Luke Whittington, and Jack and Lucy
Logan; brother Kempton Logan and his wife, Joni, of Fort Myers, Florida; and niece
Kimberly Wholley and her husband, Brian, and their children, Robert and Logan
Wholley, all of Suwanee, Georgia.
