Stuart Weller

Stuart Weller (26 December 1870, Maine, New York – 1927) was an American paleontologist and geologist.

Weller studied geology and paleontology at Cornell University with bachelor's degree in 1894 and at Yale University with Ph.D. in 1901. Beginning in 1895 he worked at the University of Chicago, where in 1897–1900 he was a research associate, and became in 1900 Instructor, in 1902 Assistant Professor, in 1908 Associate Professor and in 1915 Professor of Paleontology and Geology. It is noteworthy to mention that Weller supervised Grace Anne Stewart, the first Canadian female to earn a B.A. majoring in geology, as she earned her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Weller's professional career was devoted largely to Paleozoic faunas of the Mississippi Valley, with particular emphasis on Mississippian strata. Field research for his studies was conducted during an annual summer field course in the Ste. Genevieve region of Missouri. Other research was made possible by Weller's long association with state and national geological surveys. From 1889 to 1907, Weller served as a paleontologist with the New Jersey Geological Survey, and from 1891 to 1927 as a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. His most important connection was with the Illinois State Geological Survey from 1906 to 1927, during which period he acted as the principal consultant on paleontological problems and produced a number of significant maps and stratigraphic reports. After 1920, he also expanded his studies of Missouri geology with fieldwork conducted under the auspices of the Kentucky Geological Survey.

He assembled and published the first geological map of Illinois under the new Survey in 1906, a second edition in 1907, and another provisional geological map of Illinois in 1912. In 1914, Weller was the first to detail the Ste. Genevieve fault. As a result of this work, Weller established the Ste. Genevieve field camp that attracted many students over the years. The camp no longer exists. His efforts in field mapping were focused on the Mississippian System, leading to a large number of mapped quadrangles mainly in Illinois. His son, J. Marvin, who became his field assistant, reported that the early fieldwork was done from tent camps that were moved from time to time by farm wagon.

In 1897 he married; the marriage produced three sons.

From 1919 until his death, in addition to his professorship, he was the director of the Walker Museum at the University of Chicago. In 1926 he was the president of the Paleontological Society.

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