 Larry D. Woodfork |
2008 AGI Medal in Memory of Ian Campbell
Presented to Larry D. Woodfork
Citation by Ernest A. Mancini
On behalf of the American Geological Institute and its Member Societies, it is an honor and privilege to be the citationist for Larry D. Woodfork, the 2008 Ian Campbell Medalist. Larry was born on 30 May 1939 in Vincennes, Indiana and was educated in the public schools in Vincennes. He received an associate degree in engineering sciences from Vincennes University, undergraduate and graduate degrees in geology from the Indiana University at Bloomington, and completed additional postgraduate studies in statistics and petroleum engineering at West Virginia University.
Larry’s diverse and very productive professional career in the geosciences has spanned more than four decades and includes education, research, service, administrative, management, and leadership positions and experiences in government, industry, academia, and professional geoscience organizations. He began his career as a summer field geologist studying Devonian strata in Montana for the California Company (Chevron) in 1962. After graduation from Indiana University, he accepted a position at Humble Oil and Refining Company in its South Texas Division (Exxon) as a petroleum exploration geologist. In 1968, he joined the West Virginia Geologic and Economic Survey (WVGES) as a staff geologist in its Oil and Gas Section, and in 1989 he was appointed State Geologist and Director of the agency. During his tenure at the Survey, he concurrently held appointments as Adjunct Professor in the Department of Geology & Geography and the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University. In that capacity, he served on graduate student research committees, mentored students, and provided advice to University leadership on the mineral rights holdings of the institution. He has authored or edited scores of publications on energy resources and the application of geology in addressing societal needs. For his contributions to academia, Larry was awarded a Distinguished Service Award by the Department of Geology & Geography at West Virginia University and the Richard Owen Memorial Award as the most distinguished alumnus of the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Indiana.
Larry served the State of West Virginia and the WVEGS with distinction for 34 years. He provided the insight and vision required to build and maintain the geological research and public outreach service programs of the Survey in a cost-effective manner. Through his efforts, the WVEGS is an effective and scientifically respected state geological survey. During his tenure as State Geologist, Larry served on a host of state, regional, and national committees, boards, councils and commissions. His outstanding and timely service contributions were recognized by the Governors of West Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana by each awarding him the highest honor bestowed on citizens: the Distinguished West Virginian Award, Commission as a Kentucky Colonel, and Appointment as a Sagamore of the Wabash.
Larry’s dedication and commitment to geoscience professional organizations are legendary. He has served as President of the American Geological Institute (AGI), the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG), and the Association of American State Geologists (AASG). He was Chair of the House of Delegates of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and is a Senior Fellow of the Geological Society of America. For his distinguished service, accomplishments, and leadership to these national societies, he has received the following high honors and prestigious awards: AIPG Ben H. Parker Medal, AIPG Martin Van Couvering Memorial Medal, AIPG Honorary Membership, AAPG Honorary Membership, AASG Honorary Membership, and Eastern Section of AAPG John T. Galey Memorial Medal.
In 2000, Larry assumed leadership positions in the international geoscience community. He has served as an official United States voting delegate for the 31st and 32nd International Geological Congresses. He is a champion of the effort to establish the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE), which is an initiative of UNESCO and the International Union of Geological Sciences. Larry is serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Officers of the Corporation of IYPE.
The Medal in Memory of Ian Campbell is awarded in recognition of an individual’s performance and contributions to the geoscience profession. Clearly, Larry D. Woodfork’s many and significant contributions and long record of distinguished service to the geoscience community and profession, and his exceptional achievements and visionary leadership unequivocally qualify him as an excellent selection for the 2008 Ian Campbell Medal.
2008 AGI Medal in Memory of Ian Campbell — Response by Larry D. Woodfork
Thank you, Ernie, for serving as my citationist and for your gracious and generous commentary this evening. But, Ernie, I am even far more grateful for your friendship and support over the years. I also want to express my appreciation to all of the others involved in my selection for the 2008 Campbell Medal. The selection process is long, involving a number of organizations, individuals and sequential steps.
Over the course of my professional career, now approaching five decades, I have been extremely fortunate. I had many fine teachers during my undergraduate and graduate university education. Throughout my subsequent professional career in industry, government, and academia I was similarly fortunate to have many exceptional, remarkable, accomplished and influential individuals who generously mentored me. Throughout my career I’ve also had many talented supportive colleagues, collaborators, associates and friends. The list is far too long to recite this evening, but a number of you are in the audience. You know who you are and you can be assured that I haven’t forgotten your contributions to whatever accomplishments, achievements, and good works that have been attributed to me. Thank you all.
I‘ve also been privileged and honored to serve and hold office in numerous influential national and international professional, scientific and other organizations. I’ve received many honors, awards, commendations, and other recognitions from those same professional and scientific organizations, governmental bodies, academic institutions, industry and environmental groups, and the like.
Today I have the great honor, privilege, and pleasure to receive AGI’s most prestigious award, the Ian Campbell Memorial Medal. That award has very special meaning to me and that merits a bit of explanatory background information.
Although my professional life has encompassed stints of varying (although sometimes overlapping) lengths in industry, government, and academia, my 34-year career with the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey was the phase in which I matured most professionally and expanded my understanding and appreciation of the many diverse, although often interrelated, facets of geoscience enterprise. It was as a result of my experiences during that period that I came to more fully appreciate the importance and great potential of the geosciences to serve all of humanity and contribute in an very important major way to making our planet and society safer, healthier and more prosperous.
Although I never had the privilege nor pleasure of personally knowing Ian Campbell (1899–1978) well, it was during my years with the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, and my involvement in the Association of American State Geologists, that I became acquainted with the man’s career, accomplishments, achievements, and character and thus came to greatly admire him. He was truly a giant of his generation in the geological profession and was most certainly a role model for the subsequent generation(s) of American State Geologists. Today Ian Campbell remains a highly respected, revered, even iconic figure among the current generation of State Geologists.
Ian Campbell was a most uncommon man of remarkable accomplishment and widespread influence. In his long and exceptionally productive career as a geologist, educator, administrator, and public servant, he was noted for his candor and integrity. In memory of and in tribute to him the Association of American State Geologists, the Geological Society of America, and the Mineralogical Society of America commissioned the Ian Campbell Medal to be bestowed under the aegis and imprimatur of the American Geological Institute (Campbell was a past president of all four organizations. That in itself is noteworthy and most remarkable)!
The Campbell Medal is bestowed in recognition of singular performance in and contributions to the geological profession. Candidates for the award are measured against the distinguished career of Ian Campbell, whose service to the profession touched virtually every facet of the geosciences. The first Ian Campbell Medal was awarded in 1981.
The 26 recipients of the Campbell Medal since then comprise a most impressive and distinguished group within the US geoscience community. I’ve had the privilege and pleasure of knowing, both professionally and personally, at least two-thirds of the previous Campbell Medalists, all whom I greatly admire and respect, and most of whom I have worked closely with in various geoscience organizations and endeavors. To now be selected to join their lofty ranks is indeed a high honor and a great privilege. It is at the same time quite a humbling, and a bit daunting, experience because I personally consider the Campbell Medal to be not only a recognition of past achievement and accomplishment, but beyond that, it also conveys a challenge to continue to strive to live up to the legacy it represents.
Before my closing comment, it would be unpardonable of me if I did not humbly and most gratefully acknowledge my greatest good fortune of all in life — my family, my late wife Myra (1940–1991) and our two now grown and accomplished daughters, Karen and Jessica. Without their love, devotion, inspiration, encouragement, understanding and unfailing support, both my professional career and personal life would have been far less joyous, meaningful, productive, and gratifying.
In closing, please indulge me for just one recommendation. If you have never read (or memory of it is dim), please read (or re-read) Ian Campbell’s GSA presidential address (GSA Bulletin, 1969, pp. 553–560). It has one of, if not the most, intriguing and cryptic titles in geoscience literature: Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. In my view, particularly the second half of the paper is very insightful, perhaps even prescient when written and delivered, and remains today still timely, instructive, and inspiring. I am confident that if you read it you will understand more fully why I admire Ian Campbell and why I feel so honored to have been found worthy of “fitting the Campbell mold” and privileged to follow his lead and forwarding his legacy.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Have a good evening and enjoy the rest of this great joint GSA/GCAGS conference.