Читать книгу Rocknocker: A Geologist’s Memoir - George Devries Klein - Страница 5

Preface

Since my days as an undergraduate geology student, I read many memoirs and biographies about geologists, both the pioneers of the early days of this science, as well as those I met. The ones I recall in order of their being read are:

Fenton, Carol L, 1952, Giants of geology.

Youngquist, W. L., 1966, Over the Hill and Down the Creek: Caldwell, ID, Caxton Printers, 322 p.

Pettijohn, F.J., 1984, Memoirs of an unrepentant field geologist: Univ. of Chicago Press

Scott, H.W., 1986, The Sugar Creek Saga: Ann Arbor, MI, Cushing Malloy, 308 p.

Rodgers, John, 1999, The company I kept: The autobiography of a geologist: Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences. DuBar, J.R., 2004, Never piss into the wind: Baltimore, MD, Publish America, 343 p.

Friedman, G.M., 2006, Saxa Loquntur (Rocks Speak): The Life and Times of the Geologist: SEPM Foundation Publication.

I also read Dan Merriam’s well written and informative biography of Raymond C. Moore, one of my professors at the University of Kansas:

Merriam, D.F., 2007, Raymond Cecil Moore: Legendary Scholar and Scientist: Univ. of Kansas Dept. of Geology and Paleontological Institute Spec. Pub. 5.

Perhaps the most compelling and the best geological memoir I ever read is by a fellow-graduate student at the University of Kansas where I earned my M.A in geology in 1957. It is:

Fisher, W.L., 2008, Leaning Forward: A Memoir: Texas Bureau of Economic Geology.

It details Bill’s life from humble origins, to army service, to graduate education, and a distinguished career in scientific research, science administration, and a sub-cabinet appointment. It was, in fact, Bill Fisher who suggested I write my memoirs because as he wrote, “You have a few good tales to tell also.”

My approach to this Memoir differs slightly from other memoirs. First, each chapter ends with a section on Lessons Learned. One reviewer, Gerald J. Kuecher, recommended including such a section. Second, I added postscripts at the end of some of the chapters. These items are relevant to that chapter and provide additional context.

Because I am writing this book from memory, some details may be sketchy, and some names forgotten or misspelled. Nearly all the dialog and quotes are accurate because some quotes one never forgets. I made an honest effort to be as accurate as I could.

In this memoir, whenever I introduce a person, I add information about their degrees and a brief career description. I do so to provide perspective about them. Again, this information comes from memory so details may be incomplete.

This Memoir is organized into two parts. Part I provides a chronological autobiography. Part II treats several topics that could not be blended successfully into Part I but deserve inclusion.

I thank Robert Isham Auler, William L. Fisher and Gerald J. Kuecher for reading parts or all of an earlier manuscript version of this book and helping improve it. However, all errors and omissions are solely my responsibility. I also thank Peter C. Patton of Wesleyan University for providing critical information about the early history of the Wesleyan University Department of Geology some of which is included herein.