William Embry Wrather
| William Embry Wrather | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
20 January 1883 Brandenburg, Kentucky, USA |
| Died | 28 November 1963 (aged 80) Washington, DC, USA |
| Nationality | United States |
| Fields | Petrography, Geology |
| Institutions | US Geological Survey |
| Alma mater | University of Chicago |
| 6th Director of the United States Geological Survey | |
|
In office 1943 – 1956 |
|
| Preceded by | Walter Curran Mendenhall |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Brennan Nolan |
William Embry Wrather (January 20, 1883 – November 28, 1963) was an American geologist.
He was born on a farm near Brandenburg in Meade County, Kentucky on January 20, 1883. He died in his home in Washington, DC on Thursday, November 28, 1963. He was the only son of Richard Anselm and Glovy Washington (Munford) Wrather. Wrather moved to Chicago at the age of 14 to live with relatives and to attend South Chicago High School. Wrather entered the University of Chicago in 1902 and received his ph.B. in Geology in 1907. During the summer of 1907, Wrather was a field assistant on a US Geological Survey party in the mountains of western Montana. Wrather worked temporarily in clerical positions before going to work for Guffey Petroleum from 1908-1916. On December 30, 1910, he married his high school sweetheart, Alice Mildred Dolling in Chicago, Illinois. In 1916, Wrather resigned to search for new oil fields. In 1918 his efforts contributed to the identification of the Desdemona field in Comanche County, Texas. Wrather's interest in the Desdemona field amounted to three quarters of a million dollars.
Wrather then moved to Dallas an opened an office as a consulting geologist. On the recommendation of the National Research Council, Wrather was appointed United States delegate to successive International Geological Congresses in Spain, South Africa, Russia, the Netherlands, and Algeria. Wrather was a founding member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. He served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1918 and as Chairman of the Research Committee from 1923 to 1933. He was a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Chicago World's Fair in 1933. He also served as President of the Texas State Historical Association for seven years.
In 1940, Wrather was selected General Chairman for the Dallas annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, of which he became a member in 1917 and a Fellow in 1925. In 1943, he was appointed Treasurer of the Association and he served in that capacity of 11 years. Wrather was also a First Vice President of the Geological Society of America and a President (1934) of the Society of Economic Geologists. He served as president of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers in 1948. In 1951, he was chosen to be a Life Trustee of the National Geographic Society.
...
Wikipedia