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September, 1971
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Fred Billiard retired from full-time teaching at the end of the summer session to become Professor Emeritus. He was honored at a dinner in May which is described in a special article in this issue. Fred says that he will continue to offer his graduate seminar in volcanology at intervals and will maintain his office in the Geology Building. He is preparing a revision of his book Volcanoes. He taught throughout the summer, after giving his usual courses in general geology, volcanology, and Latin American geology last winter. In late August he went to Craters of the Moon in Idaho to assist in outlining a newly authorized wilderness area there. Fred and his students have studied the volcanic features of the area for several summers. At the South-Central sectional meeting of GSA in Lubbock, he presented the results of radiocarbon dating of volcanic activity at Craters of the Moon.
Fred also gave his justly popular invited lectures to several groups last year, including the Midland Geological Society, the University of Houston, North Texas State University in Commerce, and the Science Symposium for high school science students in Austin. He enjoyed attending the AAPG convention in Houston with no special responsibilities.
Steve Clabaugh taught metamorphic petrology to a large group of graduate students last fall and again teamed up with Ed Jonas to teach the mineralogy-optical crystallography course for sophomores. He also joined Earle Mcßride in teach ing a new junior-level petrology course. In the spring he taught a minerals and rocks course and spent the remainder of his time supervising four graduate students mapping in Mexico, and four others preparing reports on their research in the Llano region and the Davis Mountains. In both central Texas and western Mexico, the spring months are far superior to the summer for geologic mapping; therefore, Steve encour ages his students to do their field work during the spring se mester. He made several trips to the Mazatlan-Durango re gion to accompany students in the field and to help collect and bring back large samples for isotopic-age determinations. The Mexican research is being done in cooperation with the Mexican Geological Institute, headed by Diego Cordoba. The Institute provided three field vehicles and part of the field expenses for the project, which is also supported by NASA research funds obtained by Bill Muehlberger and Steve to continue the ignimbrite studies begun by Hoover Mackin.
Steve attended the GSA meeting in Milwaukee, and like several other faculty members spent most of his time there interviewing potential new teachers for the department. He also attended the symposium in Midland held in honor of Ronald DeFord, and recently he gave a lecture at the Uni versity of Houston. Last fall he again served as head of the Executive Committee of the Geology Foundation, and this summer he is again helping with the Newsletter. Steve also worked intermittently on the sale of bulk materials given to the University by the late Colonel Barron. The sales are to obtain endowment funds for maintaining the fine Barron collection of gems and materials.
Ronald DeFord was honored in early November last year by a symposium in Midland co-sponsored by the West Texas Geological Society and the UT Department of Geological Sciences. The highly informative and stimulating papers were focused on the geology of the Chihuahua Tectonic Belt, a subject to which Ronald and his graduate students have made major contributions. In June 1971 Ronald was further hon ored as a 50-year Distinguished Alumnus of the Colorado School of Mines. At the recent commencement ceremony in Golden, Colorado, he was presented a silver 50-year diploma lettered in gold. Ronald graduated from the Colorado School of Mines in 1921 and earned a master's degree the following year. He was previously honored by his alma mater in 1963 when the school awarded him a Distinguished Achievement Medal. For the past 23 years, Ronald has been a professor of geology at The University of Texas, following a successful career in the oil industry.
Last year Ronald taught a graduate course in advanced general geology and another graduate seminar. He also con tinued to direct the Technical Sessions course and to work with Ed Jonas in advising graduate students. He is scheduled to retire from full-time teaching duties in 1972.
This past summer Ronald concentrated on preparing a sum mary of the accomplishments of G. K. Gilbert for the Dic tionary of Scientific Biography, a new endeavor being edited by C. C. Gillispie. Late last spring he completed a biography of Kirk Bryan for the Directory of American Biography. Ronald and Amma enjoyed a visit to Midland in July to at tend the 25th Anniversary of the Midland Community The atre, a festival occasion honoring the Director, Art Cole and his wife. Ronald had the distinction of being the first presi dent of that theatre. He was presented an Honorary Life Mem bership in the Midland Community Theatre at the banquet held in his honor during the symposium in November.
S. P. Ellison, Jr., Dean, College of Natural Sciences
Sam Ellison served as Acting Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences last fall and still managed to find time to give a course in micropaleontology and work with his graduate students. During the spring he returned to full-time teaching duties in the department, lecturing in an elementary historical geology course and presenting a revised course "Geology of Energy Resources." He also continued his investigations of conodonts, including work on a computerized reference re trieval system for conodont literature. His study of Sulfur in
