Alfred Oswald Woodford
Alfred Woodford
Woodford as a student, c. 1910
Born(1890-02-27)February 27, 1890
Upland, California, US
DiedJune 29, 1990(1990-06-29) (aged 100)
Claremont, California, US
Alma materPomona College (B.A.)
University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D)
OccupationGeologist
EmployerPomona College
Spouse
Gwendolyn Green
​
​
(m. 1929; died 1982)​
[1][2]
Children2
Parents
  • Butler A. Woodford[3][4] (father)
  • Emma B. Harwood[4] (mother)

Alfred Oswald Woodford (February 27, 1890 – June 29, 1990) was an American geologist. He was the founding director of the geology department at Pomona College, where he taught for four decades.

He was nicknamed "Woody".[3]

Early life and education

Woodford was born in Upland, California, on February 27, 1890, to a family of successful citrus farmers.[1] He moved with his family to neighboring Claremont in 1909, and graduated from Pomona College (where he was editor of The Student Life[2]) with a degree in chemistry in 1913.[1][5][6] He subsequently pursued graduate work in soil chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, and received his doctorate in 1921.[1]

Career

Woodford joined the chemistry department at Pomona in 1915 or 1916, while he was pursuing his doctorate.[1][7][2] In 1919 or 1920, he began teaching geology, and he established the college's geology department in 1921 or 1922.[1][7][8] He was Pomona's sole geology professor for two decades, until his former student John Shelton joined him in 1941.[1] His academic specialties included California geology, stream hydraulics, and the history of geology.[3]

Woodford taught many students who went on to have notable careers, including Rollin Eckis, Roger Revelle, Charles A. Anderson, Mason Hill, and R. Dana Russell.[3][1][2] Several were involved in California's oil industry.[9] From 1920 to 1940, Pomona graduated more geologists on a per capita basis who became listed in American Men of Science than any other institution.[7]

In 1951, Woodford published a geology textbook with James Gilluly and Aaron C. Waters, Principles of Geology, which became the standard instruction for the subject.[7][1] He published a history of the field, Historical Geology, in 1965.[7]

Personal life

Woodford married Gwendolyn Green in 1929, a partnership that lasted until her death in 1982.[1][2] He had two daughters, Marjorie and Betsy.[1]

In his spare time, he played bridge and supported Pomona's athletics program.[7]

Retirement and death

Woodford retired from teaching in 1955,[3] although he continued to engage with students into his 90s.[1] In 1972, he served as president of the National Association of Geologists.[7]

A centenarian, he died on June 29, 1990, at Pilgrim Place,[7] a retirement community in Claremont.[3]

Recognition

Upon his retirement, Woodford was awarded the Neil A. Miner Award, the highest honor bestowed by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers.[3] In 1971, Pomona granted him an honorary doctorate.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Memorial to Alfred O. Woodford 1890-1990" (PDF). Geological Society of America. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Dr. Alfred Woodford Ends Career at P.C." Pomona Progress-Bulletin. May 31, 1955. p. 8. Retrieved February 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Alfred Woodford; Geology Teacher at Pomona College". Los Angeles Times. July 3, 1990. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Local Citrus Pioneer Dies in Claremont". Pomona Progress-Bulletin. October 22, 1941. p. 9. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  5. ↑ "1915". Pomona College Timeline. Pomona College. November 7, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Pomona Blue Calcites". Pomona College Magazine. Pomona College. July 3, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Zenger, D. H. (1991). "Memorial of Alfred Oswald Woodford". American Mineralogist. 76: 2027–2029. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  8. ↑ Stout, Dorothy LaLonde. "Alfred Oswald Woodford" (PDF). California Geology. California Department of Conservation (May 1989): 109–112. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Geologist Reflects on 40 Years in Southland Oil Business". Los Angeles Times. May 23, 1965. pp. 233, 236. Retrieved February 11, 2021.

Further reading

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