Charles A. Rowles was born in 1915 and earned his BSA and MSc from the University of Saskatchewan and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He joined UBCʹs Department of Agronomy in 1946 as Associate Professor of Soils, after working as an instructor at the University of Saskatchewan and as Associate Professor at Ontario Agricultural College. He was promoted to full professor in 1955. That same year, the Faculty of Agriculture was re‐organized, and Rowles joined the Department of Soil Science. The following year, he became head of the Department, replacing D.G. Laird; he remained in that position until his retirement in 1980.
During his tenure, both Rowles and the Department of Soil Science were involved in various initiatives at the provincial and federal levels regarding the study, classification, and conservation of soils in British Columbia and Canada. Among these were the BC Soil Science Lead Committee (one of several committees struck in the 1960ʹs to advise the provincial government on scientific matters); the BC. Lime Committee; the federal Agricultural Rehabilitation and Development Act (1961); and the National Soil Survey. At UBC, Rowles was also involved in several committees, particularly the Menʹs Athletic Committee and the Winter Sports Centre Management Committee.