THE GEOPHYSICAL INSTITUTE AT THE 

 UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA 



Wm. S. Wilson 

 Acting Director, the Geophysical Institute 



Research in Arctic Natural Science has become of major 

 importance in recent years. This large gathering, the first Alas- 

 kan Science Conference, emphasizes this. The particular area 

 of research of concern in this paper was recognized soon after 

 the founding of the University of Alaska in the third decade of 

 this century. The importance of research in geophysics increased 

 to such an extent that in 1946 Congress passed the authorization 

 (P.L. 580— 79th Congress) and later provided funds (P.L. 491— 

 80th Congress) for the establishment of a Geophysical Institute 

 in Alaska. In this paper there will be presented (1) a brief 

 history of the University of Alaska, (2) a general review of 

 early research in Arctic Geophysics at the University of Alaska, 

 (3) the history of the procedures and legislation authorizing the 

 establishment of the Geophysical Institute at the University 

 of Alaska, (4) a description of the facilities provided and a state- 

 ment of the provisions for operating the Institute, (5) a brief 

 review of Research in Geophysics at the University of Alaska, 

 and, finally, (6) a proposal for the future role of the Geophysical 

 Institute in Alaskan research. 



History of the University of Alaska 



An act of Congress approved March 4, 1915, set aside sections 

 of land for a Territorial College and School of Mines and pro- 

 vided for a site for the College near Fairbanks, now known as 

 College, Alaska. The Territorial Legislature on May 3, 1917 

 by its acts accepted the grants of land previously authorized by 

 Congress, and created "The Alaska Agricultural College and 

 School of Mines" and appropriated money for the first building. 

 In 1921, the Hon. Charles E. Bunnell, then Federal Judge of 



170 



