Thomas Addison Heberlein

MADISON - Thomas Addison Heberlein, a scholar, outdoorsman, and champion of rural life, died of prostate cancer on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, at home in Madison, Wis., with his wife, Betty, by his side. Professor Heberlein taught and conducted research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Rural Sociology (now Community and Environmental Sociology) from 1972 to 2001.

Tom was born May 6, 1945, in Portage, Wis., to Charles Addison Heberlein and Margaret Jean (Ferrie) Heberlein. As a teenager, he worked at his father’s gasoline station. Tom was an Eagle Scout, a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow, staff member at Camp Castle Rock, and one of two Wisconsin representatives selected in 1962 to attend Boys Nation in Washington, DC.

Tom graduated with honors from Portage High School in 1963 and attended the University of Chicago with support from the Small School Talent Search program. He received a B.A. in Sociology in 1967. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he completed an M.A. (1969) and a Ph.D. (1971) in Sociology.  

He was appointed assistant professor of sociology at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1971, and was soon recruited to UW-Madison’s Rural Sociology department in 1972, serving       as department chair from 1991 to 1995. He also served as director of the Center for Resource Policy Studies and Programs in UW-Madison’s School of Natural Resources from 1985 to 1991.  To better conduct field experiments, Tom co-founded and ran a private research firm (HBRS) from 1983 to 1991. He retired from UW-Madison in 2001 at age 55 to write, travel and spend more time outdoors.

Tom Heberlein was a creative, dedicated researcher known for innovative, rigorous methods. He investigated littering and norm activation for his doctoral dissertation. He later wrote some of the formative articles on environmental attitudes and how they influence environmental behavior. His field experiments, for example, revealed how households consume energy and consumers’ willingness to switch to lead-free gasoline. His capstone book, "Navigating Environmental Attitudes" (Oxford University Press, 2012), is an entertaining and reflective review of successes and failures in trying to change environmental behavior.

Tom was also well known for his research into America’s hunting culture and hunter behavior. He teamed with fellow hunter and resource economist Richard Bishop to assess the true value of free lottery-allocated hunting permits. The study was designated a contribution of lasting merit by the Society of Environmental Economists. Tom also studied the effects of crowding on outdoor recreation, including deer hunting in Wisconsin and rafting in the Grand Canyon. He initiated what would become a 30-year study of recreational crowding at the newly established Apostle Island National Lakeshore in Lake Superior.  He was also a leading researcher in the human dimensions of wildlife, especially attitudes toward wolves. His research was recognized by an Award of Merit from the Natural Resources Group of the Rural Sociological Society.

Tom expanded his career to Sweden in 1993 as a guest professor in the Department of Tourism Studies at MidSweden University (Östersund). He and Betty spent 1995-96 on sabbatical in Stockholm. After Betty was recruited in 2004 to Stockholm University, Tom joined colleagues at the Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Umeå). In 2005, he organized an international meeting in Östersund, and served as scientific adjutant for the King of Sweden. When Betty was elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, he delightedly accompanied her to several Nobel ceremonies and banquets.

Tom and Betty lived for many years in rural Lodi, Wis., where he was active in the Rotary Club, Lodi Opportunity Development Inc., and the Presbyterian Church. He was a frequent diner at the Downtown Cafe, where, as the token professor, he swapped stories with Lodi area farmers and entrepreneurs. In 1995 he founded Friends of Scenic Lodi Valley, a local environmental group, and in 2000 established Lodi Reads Leopold, a weekend-long celebration of conservationist Aldo Leopold and his famous book, "A Sand County Almanac." The event grew in popularity, and in 2004 the Wisconsin Legislature established the first weekend of March as Aldo Leopold Weekend. Celebrations and readings now occur annually in over 20 Wisconsin communities and across the United States.

Tom Heberlein was a committed hunter and casual angler, especially in Wisconsin. He loved Wisconsin’s wildlife and their diverse habitats.  In the 1970s, Tom took over his father’s hunting camp, Old Tamarack, in Ashland County, Wis. He often organized his teaching and other duties so he could spend many weeks at Old T each fall. Over the years, dozens and dozens of hunters, anglers, hikers, snowshoers, cross-country skiers, and even wild-rice harvesters have visited and written in Old T’s camp logs.

Tom was a gracious, if exacting, “camp boss,” often inviting colleagues and friends from Sweden, New York, Ohio, California, Colorado (as well as Wisconsin) and elsewhere to hunt at Old T for deer, ruffed grouse, waterfowl, and turkeys on his 40 acres and the surrounding Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. When hunting seasons were not open, he learned to enjoy fishing for muskies or listening to birds and wolves. Whenever possible, he drove to nearby Cayuga, Mellen, or Clam Lake to visit friends at tavern/restaurants and enjoy a Friday night fish fry while sampling and critiquing each establishment’s brandy old-fashioneds.

Despite his many interests and professional obligations, Tom was deeply committed to his family. He was an equal and fun-loving partner to Betty, whether they were in Lodi or Stockholm, exploring Wisconsin or spending a month at Betty’s family cabin (Priest Lake, Idaho), or adding side-trips to their many professional meetings around the world. As Papa Tom, he was the proud cheerleader to his grandsons, all three achieving the rank of Eagle Scout like their Papa Tom. He led hikes and Christmas-tree harvests; told “Smiling Jack” stories; and taught shooting, fire-building, rope tying, hunting basics, and Dutch-oven cooking. And as Uncle Tom, he introduced great nephews to deer hunting and prairie burning, kept pace with younger hikers, and joyfully participated in every adventure, whether it was riding in a steam engine or learning to cook paella. He especially liked preparing and serving his father’s famous buttermilk pancakes for the whole family.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Margaret Heberlein; his sister, Bonnie Jean Hilberg; a niece, Kristina Hilberg, and her daughter, Nicole. He is survived by his wife and partner of 40 years, Elizabeth “Betty” Thomson; a stepson, Earl “Skip” Hilton (Maria); and three grandsons, Henry, Peter, and David Hilton, all of Menlo Park, Calif. He is also survived by a niece, Kathy MacFarlane (Thom); and their sons, T.J. MacFarlane (Britlyn, with Tenley and Brooks) of San Diego, Calif., and Matthew MacFarlane (Michael) of Los Angeles, Calif.

Tom’s remains were buried at Old Tamarack. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at 2 p.m., at FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, 1609 University Ave., Madison. In lieu of flowers, please plant a tree or carry out an act to sustain our environment. Any further gifts could be directed toward organizations that help sustain Wisconsin’s or the world’s natural environments.

Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson East

Funeral & Cremation Care

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