Gallery Exhibit: Two Hundred Years of Geology at Williams

 

In conjunction with its commemoration of the Bicentennial of the teaching of Geology at Williams, the Geosciences Department will present an exhibition of early works by and about its founding fathers in the Steven Schow Special Collections Gallery in Sawyer Library. Running February through August, “Celebrating 200 Years of Geology at Williams” recognizes four nineteenth century professors who were pioneers in the study of the local area and in the pedagogy of their emerging science. All were multi-disciplinary scientists and educators, sometimes teaching four or five different fields at a time. Beginning with the teaching of Amos Eaton (Williams Class of 1799), in 1817, their students “learned by doing”; they went on field trips, ran experiments, and gave lectures while learning the applications of science and its place in a liberal arts education.

The exhibition was prepared by Geosciences Professor Bud Wobus and Martin Keenan ’17 with assistance from College Archivist Katie Nash.