2018 Mary C. Rabbitt History And Philosophy of Geology Award

Presented to William R. Brice

Citation by Gary D. Rosenberg

William R. Brice, Professor Emeritus of Geology and Planetary Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, PA, and a graduate of Cornell University, has authored or co-authored some 36 manuscripts and three books on the history and philosophy of geoscience. Several interweave the history of geology with international events in economics. As such, Bill can rightly be considered to have pioneered in the contextualization of the history of geology. Bill’s approach revitalizes the historical narrative which for too long merely itemized personae and events in a progression of “golden spikes” on a track isolated from cultural developments.

Several of Bill’s publications, most notably his seminal book of 2009, Myth, Legend, Reality: Edwin L. Drake and the Early Oil Industry secured the record of Drake’s founding of the American petroleum industry as part of a larger, international development. Bill explained the role that Alfred Nobel’s explosives had in “shooting” wells in western Pennsylvania in the late 1800s—early 1900s and related the growth of the American industry to Emanuel and Ludwig Nobel’s oil business in Baku, Azerbaijan which Rockefeller tried to buy in an unsuccessful effort to monopolize the international oil trade in the late 1800s.

A true scholar, Bill rescued from the obscurity of Cornell University’s archives, and a few from the dumpster, a treasure trove of material on Charles Frederick Hartt. Without Bill’s subsequent publications, Hartt would have faded into oblivion despite having founded both Cornell’s Geology Department (1868) and Brazil’s first nationwide geological survey (1875). Bill, often in cooperation with his co-author, Dr. Silvia F. de M. Figueirôa, showed how Hartt’s pioneer studies on Brazilian marine, terrestrial, and glacial geology (the last in opposition to the ideas of his mentor, Louis Agassiz) influence Brazilian geoscience to the present day. Always generous, Bill shared his unpublished archival material with others who, sometimes, did not acknowledge Bill in their publications.

But we are delighted to acknowledge Bill’s accomplishments here. His internationalization of the history of geology is imbued with a generous respect for people and we therefore submit that Bill Brice is a most worthy recipient of the 2018 Mary C. Rabbitt Award for distinguished research in the history and philosophy of geology.

2018 Mary C. Rabbitt History and Philosophy of Geology Award — William R. Brice

First, I thank Gary for his most generous citation. And I want to thank my colleagues, but especially Rene Clary, for supporting my nomination.

I have always remembered Ken Bork’s response in 1997, and so I have used part of it as a model for my response.

Ken answered four questions: NO, YES, YES, and YES; before we knew what the questions were. And I give you these answers: NO, YES, and really YES to the last one, but to slightly different questions.

NO – I certainly never thought I would be standing here today receiving this Award for 2018. When I look at the list of past awardees, it is deeply moving and humbling to know that I will be listed with such outstanding scholars. I served on the review committee for this award for several years, but this year, oddly, I did not receive the usual review material. I assumed things were running late this year, not thinking that I was being considered. So, NO, I never imagined that I would ever be standing here before my friends and colleagues, and family, as I am today.

YES – I am delighted that my work in the history of geology, and the history of the oil and gas industry, is being recognized. Words cannot describe how thrilled I was when I received word that I was the Awardee for 2018. So, am I delighted? A resounding YES.

YES – I had plenty of help getting to where I stand today; a high point in my professional career. It was at Cornell University that I was first introduced to the history of geology by Professors John Wells and Arthur Bloom, because for them the history was an integral part of studying any geologic concept. Often when discussing Hutton’s book or Smith’s Map we visited the fine History of Sciences Collections of Cornell University Library to see the original works – how great is that! Later in my own teaching I followed their example by including the history in any discussion of geological topics.

I have been so very fortunate to have colleagues who were willing to assist me in many projects. What a privilege it has been to work with my colleague from Brazil, Dr. Silvia Figueirôa, as we unraveled the life of Charles F. Hartt. I remember visiting a colleague of hers in Rio de Janeiro who gave me a small round plaque with the likeness of Hartt’s face. That item is now in the Department that he founded in1868 at Cornell University. Hugh Torrens and I once traveled a back road of West Virginia trying to locate rock exposures that were sketched in 1854 by another Englishman, James Buckman. And then we had the shared excitement of comparing Buckman’s drawing with the outcrop, and 145 years later, we were looking at the same outcrop. Fortunately for us, weathering is a slow process. I have been blessed with wonderful colleagues.

My family accepted me disappearing for hours, or when I spent many summers at Cornell teaching and doing research, or a month in Brazil; for that, I offer this public thank you with all my heart.

And I must acknowledge the contribution of archivists and librarians who collect, catalogue, and maintain the many repositories, for without those collections, we historians would have very little to say.

Finally, I offer this, perhaps more for the younger members of our group, but it is really for all of us – remember and believe that the study of the past can always illuminate the present.

Thank you to all my colleagues and friends in the History & Philosophy Division. My thanks, again, to Gary for that wonderful citation, and to Renee for her many years of support.

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