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Historic Timeline of Geology at Miami University

Geology at Miami has been around practically as long as the university. The following timeline takes you back through the layers of geologic history at Miami. You may find it more interesting to explore history from the ground up, starting in 1809.

2010 The Department of Geology celebrates its 90th year at Miami University and 175 years of geology as part of the Miami curriculum.
2009 The Geology Field Station celebrates 63 consecutive years of operation at Timberline Ranch in Wyoming as Miami celebrates its Bicentennial.
1996 The Geology Field Station celebrates 50 consecutive years of operation in Dubois, Wyoming.
1982 The Miami University Geology Museum becomes The Karl E. Limper Geology Museum.
1979 The Primitive Earth Revisited Symposium celebrates Shideler Hall’s ten-year anniversary.
1968 The Miami University Geology Museum opens.
The Primitive Earth Symposium celebrates the completion of Shideler Hall.
1966 Shideler Hall construction completed.
1952 Miami operates the field station alone from this point forward.
1947 University of Mississippi and Syracuse University join as field station partners.
1940 Miami, Knox College, and Cornell College operate field station in Dubois, Wyoming.
1931 Geology department awards first Master's degree to Ralph T. Strete.
1922 Geology department awards first Bachelor's degree to Paul H. Dunn.
1920 "Doc" Shideler establishes Department of Geology.
1909 William H. Shideler replaces Burke as a member of the zoology faculty and obtains his Ph.D. in geology from Cornell University in 1910.
1908 R. H. Burke composes the Miami University Fight Song
1907 A young William H. Shideler, a native of nearby Seven Mile in Butler County, Ohio, earns his B.A. at Miami University.
1906 R. H. Burke reintroduces Geology to Miami coursework.
1890 James dismissed for teaching evolution.
1885 "New Miami" opens; Joseph Francis James [son of the renowned amateur fossil collector, Uriah Pierson James of Cincinnati] assumes professorship of natural history.
1873 "Old Miami" closes, and Rev. Osborn leaves.
1870 Rev. Osborn takes over for Prof. Stoddard.
1867 Prof. Stoddard founds Science Department; secures first collection of geological specimens.
1845 Prof. Stoddard (as in Stoddard Hall) teaches geology in "English and Science Course."
1835 Rev. Scott teaches course on "natural history", including geology.
1809 Miami University founded.

For more information, please read the article by Dr. John K. Pope on the History of Geology at Miami.



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Last Updated: September 16, 2010
Designed by Capstone Students in the Bachelor of Arts in Technical and Scientific Communication