|
Marilyn Crandell Schleg Memorial Lecture
With
Lawrence Dow Taylor, Ph.D.
Professor of Geological Sciences, Emeritus, Albion College
The Outrageous
Hypothesis of Dr. J Harlen Bretz, '05:
A Perspective on the Life of a World Renowned Geologist &
Teacher
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
7:00
p.m.
Wendell Will Room
 |
|
The
Marilyn Crandell Schleg Memorial Lecture
is endowed by a gift
from the Schleg family in the name of Albion College Class
of 1958 alumna, Marilyn Crandell Schleg.
|
 |
In 1998, a love for libraries prompted
Marilyn to endow Albion College's Stockwell-Mudd Libraries
with a College Archivist position and a related
lectureship. The Marilyn Crandell Schleg Memorial
Lectureship provides visiting archivists,
preservationists, curators and historians the opportunity
to lecture on archival and library topics and work with
the Albion College community in preserving their legacy.
Marilyn Crandell Schleg was a medical
librarian with two Master's degrees, one in microbiology
from the University of Wisconsin and the other from the
University of Michigan in library science. Marilyn was
afflicted with Multiple System Atrophy, a form of
Parkinson's disease, for many years before her untimely
death in July of 2001.
"(My family and I) wanted to do something
for Albion because Albion did so much for me," Marilyn
stated.
Dr.
Lawrence D. Taylor, Professor of Geological Sciences,
Emeritus
 |
Education
-
B.A., Geology, Dartmouth College, 1954
-
M.A., Geology, Dartmouth College, 1958
-
Ph.D., Geology, Ohio State University, 1962
Thesis: Ice Structures, Burroughs Glacier,
Southeast Alaska
Interests
|
|
Publications
- 1959 Taylor, L.D. and LYons, J.B.
Ice Structures, Angiussaq Lake, northwest
Greenland. Air Force Cambridge Research
Center, Scientific Report No.1, 33p.
- 1963 Taylor, L.D. Structure
and fabric on the Burroughs Glacier, southeast
Alaska. Journal of Glaciology, v.4, no.36,
October, 1963, p.731-752.
- 1964 Taylor, L.D. and Gliozzi, J.
Distribution of particulate matter in a firn core
from Eights Station, Antarctica. Antarctic
Snow and Ice Studies, American Geophysical Union
Antarctic Research Series, v.2, p.267-277.
- 1965 Taylor, L.D. Glaciological studies
on the South Pole traverse, 1962-63.
Institute of Polar Studies, Report 17, Ohio State
University Research Foundation, 25p.
- 1971 Taylor, L.D. Glaciological studies on
the South Pole traverse, 1962-63.
Antarctic Snow and Ice Studies, American Geophysical
Union Antarctic Research Series, v.16, p.209-224.
- 1981 Evenson, E.B. and Taylor, L.D. The
Valders problem. Field Guide.
National Association of Geology Teachers, East
Central Section Conference, Grand Valley State
College, Allendale, MI, May 17, 1981, 57p.
- 1984 Taylor, L.D. Deglaciation of
southcentral Michigan as interpreted from ice
disintegration features and meltwater systems of
Calhoun and Jackson Counties. Field
Guides, National Association of Geology Teachers,
East Central Section Conference, Albion College,
Albion, MI, April 14-15, 1984, 41p.
- 1986 Taylor, L.D. Burroughs Glacier ablation,
velocity and ice structure studies. In: Observed
Processes of Glacial Deposition in Glacier Bay,
Alaska. Institute of Polar Studies Publication
236. Anderson, P.J., Goldthwait, R.P.,
McKenzie, G.D., Eds. For the International
Quaternary Association Field Conference, Glacier Bay
National Park and Preserve, Alaska. June.
- 1990 Taylor, L.D. Evidence for high
glacial-lake levels in the northeastern Lake
Michigan basin and their relationship to the
Glenwood and Calumet phases of Glacial Lake Chicago.
In: Geological Society of AMerica, Special Paper
251, Late Quaternary Society of the Lake Michigan
Basin. Schneider, A.F., Fraser, G.S., Eds.
- 2002 Sjogren, D.B., Fisher, T.G., Taylor, L.D.,
Jol, H.M., and Munro-Stasiuk, M.J. Incipient
tunnel channels. Quaternary International,
vol.90, issue 1, April 2002, p.41-56.
- 2002 Fisher, T.G. and Taylor, L.D.
Sedimentary and stratigraphic evidence for
subglacial flooding, South-central Michigan.
Quaternary International, vol.90, issue 1, April
2002, p.87-115.
- 2003 Fisher, T.G. and Taylor, L.D.
Boulder-gravel hummocks and basal till wave-form
contacts: Products of subglacial meltwater flow
beneath the Saginaw Lobe, South-central Michigan.
In press, Boreas.
Professional Achievements & Awards
- 1962-63 Chief glaciologist, South Pole to
Trans-Antarctic Mountains Ice Sheet Traverse,
Antarctica
- 1967 Taylor Hills, Antarctica, named in his
honor
- 1969 Fellow, Geological Society of America
- 1970 Outstanding Educator of America Award
- 1975 Science for Citizens Award from the State
of Michigan for directing the Calhoun County
Environmental Task Force on river protection
- 1978 Guest on J.P. McCarthy's "Focus" program,
WJR, AM radio, Detroit, a 40 minute interview
concerning ice ages and climate
- 1983 Founded a regional council of the National
Association of Geology Teachers representing
Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and western
Ontario
- 1984-85 President, National Association of
Geology Teachers, East Central Section
- 1986 Panel member on "Groundwater Pollution and
Public Policy Issues," Symposium, National
Association of Geology Teachers Conference, Ball
State University, September 27
- 1991-Present Member of Scientific Advisory Panel
for the Michigan Natural Areas Council
- 1992 Rotary Club "Spark Plug" award for
leadership in improving Albion's environment
- 1997 United Methodist Church Board of Higher
Education and Ministry Exemplary Teacher Award
- 1998 Michigan Campus Compact Community Service
Award
Professional Organizations
- Albion Rotary Club
- American Association for the Advancement of
Science
- American Association of University Professors
- American Polar Society
- American Quaternary Association
- Explorers Club, Fellow
- Geological Society of America, Fellow
- International Glaciological Society
- Michigan Basin Geological Society
- National Association of Geology Teachers
- Sigma Xi, scientific honorary
Albion
College
- 1964-85 Chair, Department of Geological Sciences
Established department and directed its development
- 1971-73 Director, Geology-Biology Field Station,
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
- 1977-78 Chair, Faculty Budgets, Salaries,
Benefits Committee
- 1977-80 Director, Geology Field Station,
Jamestown, Colorado
- 1983-84 Vice President, National Association of
Geology Teachers, East Central Section
Chaired and coordinated the NAGT regional conference
at Albion
- 1984-85 Chair, Faculty Steering Committee
- 1984-85 President, National Association of
Geology Teachers, East-Central Section
Established an NAGT regional council
Chaired and coordinated a regional planning
conference at Albion
- 1985 Coordinator/Host, Explorers Club Regional
meeting
- 1986 Coordinated and hosted Michigan Earth
Science Teachers annual conference at Albion
- 1991-92 Chair, Faculty Affairs Committee
- 1992 Directed and taught Regional Geology Field
Course in Iceland
- 1998 Directed and taught Regional Geology Field
Course in Alaska
|
The Outrageous Hypothesis of Dr.
J Harlen Bretz, '05
A Perspective on the Life of a World Renowned Geologist &
Teacher
This
year's Schleg Lecture will feature Dr. Lawrence D. Taylor,
Albion College Professor of Geological Sciences,
Emeritus. His lecture will
feature the life and work of geologist, J Harlen Bretz (no
period after the "J"), Albion Class of 1905.
 |
Bretz was born in 1882 in Saranac, Michigan and was
raised a Methodist, at one time planning to be a
missionary. He was one of 5 children of Oliver and
Rhoda Bretz. In addition to Harlen, 3 of his siblings
attended Albion, Bina, '09; Martha, '15; and Ernest,
'17. "Albion gave me my start - especially Professor
Barr," Bretz said, and The Pleiad, which
published his first geological paper. |
Bretz's primary interest was caves, and much of the
present scientific base of speleology rests on his
firsthand study of limestone caves in 17 states, Mexico
and Bermuda. Bretz is best known for his interpretation,
in 1923, of the cause of the Pacific Northwest scablands.
He claimed the landforms as evidence of moving water from
a single, catastrophic flood, that had lasted at most a
few days over 12,000 years ago. The scablands are 2,000
square miles of raw, peeled ground that stretches from
Spokane west to the Cascades and south to the Snake
River. Since a flood of that proportion had never been
seen, Bretz's interpretation of the cause of the scablands
was rejected as heresy by other geologists of his day.
But Bretz was correct. In 1942, thanks to the
research of Joseph T. Pardee, the source of the giant
flood was finally identified in Montana, an enormous
prehistoric ice-dammed lake, named Lake Missoula.
The
floodwaters from Glacial Lake Missoula were found to have
moved through eastern Washington on a 430-mile journey to
the Pacific, forever changing the landscape, carving an
immense channel system across the state.
In
1928, Bretz described the scene: "The popular name is an
expressive metaphor. The scablands are wounds only
partially healed...great wound in the epidermis of soil
with which Nature protects the underlying rock." Bretz's
research in this area was later used to hypothesize the
causes of certain similar Martian landforms.
In
1966, to launch the creation of the college's geology
department, Bretz donated his library, valued then at
$10,000, to Albion, including valuable reprints and
textbooks, many which bear the signatures of other world
famous geologists, such as Chamberlin, Dana, Gilbert and
Schuchert. The College Archives contains a collection
Bretz's impressive hand-drawn maps of the scablands,
atlases, books, papers and articles authored by Bretz and
used by him in his studies, and photographs documenting
his life's work. In 1970, Bretz donated his valuable
collection of boulders, from such places as the Arctic,
the top of Pike's Peak, Bermuda and Canada, were placed in
the courtyard of the Science Center complex.
In
1979, Bretz was honored for his life's achievements when
he received geology's highest honor, the Penrose medal.
Bretz was also the recipient of the Neil Miner Award for
Excellence in teaching geology and an Albion College
Distinguished Alumni Award. In 1971, Albion honored him
with the dedication of the J Harlen Bretz Laboratory
for Geomorphology and Sedimentation.
One
tourist site on the scablands has been dedicated to Bretz,
Dry Falls in Grand Coulee. A plaque there bears words
Bretz wrote in 1928: "Ideas without precedent are
generally looked upon with disfavor and men are shocked if
their conceptions of an orderly world are challenged."
Want more information
on our presenter, Dr. Larry Taylor?
|
|
|
|
|
