training of geologists 229 



Personnel and its Training 

 personnel lists 



The personnel lists when tabularized gave the following facts, so far as 

 the}^ were obtainable : 1. Date of birth. 3. Place and date of first degree, 

 graduate work, master's degree, or doctorate. 3. Present employment as 

 teacher. Government or State geologist, museum curator, or commercial 

 geologist. 4. Any change of interest in subject-matter where this was 

 possible. 



The classification of the personnel selected as above described showed 

 the following figures concerning their educational equipment: 



TRAINING OF GEOLOGISTS 



Educational advantages. — No collegiate record available, 125, or 10 

 per cent. 



Bachelor of Arts or of Science only, 190, or 15 per cent. 



Non-collegiate, with some special training, 35, or 3 per cent. 



Graduate students without degrees, 230, or 18 per cent. 



Master's degree only, 285, or 22 per cent. 



Doctor's, with or without previous Master's, 410, or 32 per cent. 



The figures show that the present geologists of the country are essen- 

 tially college-bred men, 87 per cent having received collegiate degrees 

 and 72 per cent a second degree, and over one-third of all of those listed 

 have completed the requirements for a Doctor's degree. It may therefore 

 be said that the profession is essentially a learned profession and not 

 merely a trade. 



A study of those regarding whom no collegiate record is available shows 

 that of the 125 so listed only 11 are members of any of the professional 

 societies. The remaining 114 might easily be omitted from considera- 

 tion as without influence on the progress of science in this country, so far 

 as this is represented by publications or participation in organized scien- 

 tific activity. Among the 1 1 are included some of our most esteemed col- 

 leagues ; but these are, with few exceptions, men of the older generation, 

 when systematic instruction in geology was not so generally available as 

 at present. The tabulation also shows that they are predominantly pale- 

 ontologists. 



Among those who have received instruction without collegiate degree 

 are some of our most active scientists, devoted for the most part to pale- 

 ontology, but the majority of this group appear to be interested in oil and 

 are probably men who have attended courses at universities during the 

 winter season in order to gain a little clearer insight into geological con- 

 ditions affecting their industries rather than to prepare themselves for 

 the life of a scientist. 



XVI— Bull. Geol. Soc. Am., Vol. 32, 1920 



