52 McGEE MEMORIAL MEETING 



acquired the more important lines of information usually presented 

 in schools and colleges, and had mastered sufficient law to practice 

 in the justice's courts of his county. With some instruction from a 

 blacksmith he became skilled in metal working, mainly for the pur- 

 pose of making certain agricultural implements which he invented. 

 He also 'learned land surveying, and at the age of 22 or 23 he began 

 studying geology. He became so deeply engrossed with this science 

 that he soon gave most of his time to it. It was at this time that he 

 commenced his elaborate investigation of the superficial geology of 

 northeastern Iowa, and the preparation of the topographic base for 

 his observations then was his first geographic work. The maps 

 and report were finally published by the United States Geological 

 Survey. 



McGee's first work for the government was on the building stones of 

 Iowa for the tenth Census, and his report was of notable excellence. 

 From 1882 to 1893 he was geologist on the United. States Geological 

 Survey, and during these 11 years his life was one of great activity 

 in scientific work. He traveled extensively in field work, wrote volu- 

 minously, and was in close association with Director Powell in the 

 development and administration of the survey. A summary of this 

 work, written by himself when he left the survey and published in the 

 fourteenth annual report, shows 'the extent and variety of his occupa- 

 tions in the 11 years of service. Of course it does not indicate his 

 very great zeal and usefulness, which were of incalculable value at 

 that stage of the survey's development. 



His first assignment was to assist Russell in the Lake Lahontan 

 investigation where he proved highly efficient. He went to Wash- 

 ington City in 1883 and Powell, quickly recognizing his ability, kept 

 him there for much of the time in the following years to assist in ad- 

 ministrative matters. He aided in perfecting cartographic methods, 

 served on the correlation board, and gave much attention to the 

 classification of data available for the use of the Survey. He com- 

 piled maps and reports; started the dictionary of formation names 

 and the thesaurus of American formations, and he represented the 

 Survey at the Berlin meeting of the International Geological Con- 

 gress. In connection with his study of cartographic methods Me Gee 



