John E. Sunder

John E. Sunder (1928-2011) (a.k.a. Jack Sunder) was an American historian, specializing in the early American West, and a naturalist and birdwatcher.

Personal and professional life John Edward Sunder was born in St. Louis, Missouri on October 10, 1928. He graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in 1949, Master of Arts in 1950 and Ph.D. in history in 1954 from Washington University in St. Louis. He joined the United States Army and served in Korea for two years. After returning from Korea, he moved to Austin, Texas in 1956. Sunder started birdwatching in the 1960s.

Nature writing & birding Sunder would become an active birder, in Central Texas, in the 1960s. He co-founded the American Birding Association. He participated in the Christmas Bird Count and was a frequent visitor to Pedernales Falls State Park, Bastrop State Park, McKinney Falls State Park, and Barton Springs. The University of Alaska Anchorage holds a collection of his photographic slides from trips to Alaska, British Columbia and the Yukon.

He is buried at Austin Memorial Park Cemetery, Austin, Texas.