Kirtley F. Mather
| Kirtley Fletcher Mather | |
|---|---|
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|
| Born |
February 13, 1888 Chicago, Illinois |
| Died | May 5, 1978 (aged 90) Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Resting place | Maple Grove Cemetery, Granville, Ohio |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | South Chicago High School |
| Alma mater | Denison University, University of Chicago |
| Occupation | Geologist, educator, social activist |
| Employer | Harvard University |
| Partner(s) | Marie Porter Mather, Muriel Williams Mather |
| Awards | Cullum Geographical Medal, 1964 Edison Award for the best science book for young people, 1964 Book Award of the Geographic Society of Chicago |
Kirtley Fletcher Mather (February 13, 1888 – May 5, 1978) was an American geologist and faculty member at Harvard University. An expert on petroleum geology and mineralogy, Mather was a prominent scholar, advocate for academic freedom, social activist, and critic of McCarthyism. He is known for his efforts to harmonize the dialogue between science and religion, his role in the Scopes "Monkey Trial", his faith-based liberal activism, and his advocacy for adult education programs.
Kirtley Mather was the second of six children born to William Green Mather (1855–1937) and Julia Sabrina King (1860–1938). William Mather was the son of a Baptist minister. Mather is related to Increase and Cotton Mather, well known New England Puritan ministers. They are all directly descended from Rev. Richard Mather. The family’s religious heritage would be significant in forming young Mather’s social conscience.
Mather was born and grew up in Chicago, Illinois and graduated from South Chicago High School in 1904. After completing his first two years of undergraduate studies at the University of Chicago, he transferred to Denison University, where the school had a strong Baptist heritage and his older brother was a student. After graduating from Denison in 1909, he returned to the University of Chicago, where he completed his Ph.D. degree in 1915.
As an academic scientist, Mather's areas of expertise were in the fields of petroleum geology and mineralogy. His teaching career began at the University of Arkansas (1911–1914), while he was still in his doctoral program. After completing his graduate studies, he held faculty positions at Queen's University (1915–1918) and Denison University (1918–1924), before beginning a 30-year teaching career at Harvard University in 1924. For a period of time during his tenure at Harvard, he served as chairman of the geology department. In addition to his teaching duties at Harvard, he served as the Director of the Harvard Summer School from 1933 through 1938. During his retirement in Albuquerque, he served as a visiting faculty member at the University of New Mexico.
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