History
of the Field Conference of Pennsylvania GeologistsHistory
of the Field Conference of Pennsylvania GeologistsThe history of the Field Conference of Pennsylvania Geologists is told through the roadlogs, stop descriptions, receptions, and informal talks that became the pattern of each of the trips. This pattern was established in 1931 by C.A. Bonine, graduate of Lehigh University and Professor of Geology at The State College of Pennsylvania, who was the organizer and originator of the Field Conference. Bonine's desire to "become better acquainted with the other geologists located or working in Pennsylvania" became a major objective of the Conference. This objective has been well met at the subsequent meetings of the Conference, as it has guided geologists to share their knowledge and to look at new interpretations of geological phenomena throughout our Commonwealth.
The success of the Conference is the result, for the most part, of the willing volunteer efforts of geologists of the colleges and universities of Pennsylvania and our nearby states, the Pennsylvania Geological Survey and nearby State Geological Surveys, the U.S. Geological Survey, and geologists from our industrial mineral and fossil fuel companies, as well as many other individual geologists. From the beginning, these geologists have prepared detailed road logs and carefully written stop descriptions published as the guidebook for each trip, and have provided able instruction at each stop to explain Pennsylvania's complex geology in the most current interpretation.
Meetings have been held each year since 1931, with the exception of 1942 to 1945, which was due to limitation on travel during World War II, and in 1957, when 18 months elapsed between the October, 1956 meeting in New Jersey and the Spring 1958 meeting in Maryland's South Mountain.
At the second meeting, hosted by Lehigh University, bylaws were adopted which included the appointment of a permanent Secretary-Treasurer "who must be a member of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey" so as to provide continuity of scheduling, and maintaining records and finances. These bylaws continued in force until 1978 when the Conference incorporated as a Pennsylvania domestic non-profit corporation. The new corporate bylaws created an Executive Committee composed of a Chairman, a Secretary-Treasurer, and the Local Committee Chairman; the first two officers must be members of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey, again to provide continuity.
Dr. Bradford Willard was the first officer and continued as Secretary-Treasurer until 1935. Dr. Lawrence Whitcomb was the Conference officer in 1936 for the sixth annual meeting, conducted by Lehigh University geologists. The sixth conference is significant as the only combined conference held with the New York State Geological Association. Dr. Arthur B. Cleaves assumed the permanent office during 1937 and 1938 and was then replaced by longtime Pennsylvania Geological Survey member Marchant N. Shaffner, who remained in this office for nearly two decades. He was followed by Alan Geyer and Donald Hoskins, who became Secretary-Treasurer in 1967. Upon incorporation in 1978, Arthur Socolow was elected Chairman at the annual meeting of the Conference. In 1986 William D. Sevon was elected Chairman when Socolow retired from the Pennsylvania Geological Survey. In 1997, Donald Hoskins ended his tenure as Secretary-Treasurer to become Chairman. Gary M. Fleeger succeeded him as the first new Secretary-Treasurer in 30 years. At Donald Hoskins' announced retirement in 2000, William Kochanov was elected to complete Hoskins' term as Chairman.
In 2004, the by-laws were amended to increase the number of officers to four current or retired members of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey- Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer. The term of office was reduced to two years. The intent is that each officer will serve in each position for two years, for a total term of service of eight years. The officers elected in 2004 were William Kochanov (Chairman), John Harper (Vice Chairman), Gary Fleeger (Secretary), and Lynn Goodling (Treasurer).
In 2006, John Harper became Chairman, Jaime Kostelnik, Vice Chairman, William Bragonier, Secretary, and Lynn Goodling remained the Treasurer.
2008's officers are George Love (Chairman), Tom Whitfield (Vice Chairman), Jaime Kostelnik (Secretary, after Bragonier wussed out after only 2 years), and Lynn Goodling (Treasurer).
Field trips during the first 25 years of the Conference were largely by individual auto, usually with State Police escorts. Minutes of the fifth meeting in Philadelphia state "Despite the size of the party [86] and the necessity of moving a motorcade of 25-30 cars through the thickly settled Philadelphia district, the trip was handled without difficulty, thanks to a trained escort of the Pennsylvania State Highway Patrol." Private cars were used until the middle 1950's when buses were chosen for some of the individual trips in 1954, 1955, and 1959. Since the meeting of 1963, buses have been used in preference to individual cars because of logistical problems as Conference attendance grew. With the one exception in 1967 when one of the buses was struck while parked, no serious accidents have occurred.
Until 1956, the conferences were held in late May and early June, usually over the Memorial Day weekend. In 1956, the meeting was held in late September. The next two meetings in 1958 and 1959 were held in May. Following those years, the Conference has met consistently in the Fall in order to avoid difficulties of scheduling around college graduation days. Since 1963, the Conference has usually met on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the first weekend in October.
Attendance on the trips started with 45 in 1931, gradually growing to 99 in 1936, and then fluctuating in the low to middle 100's until 1967, when a record 183 attended. This figure was exceeded in 1981 when, for three years in succession, over 200 attended with the record being 343 in 1985, the 50th anniversary trip. In recent years, the attendance has usually been between 100 and 150.
Subjects of the Conferences have usually centered around the research interests of the host organizations. Areas visited on more than one occasion have been Centre County, the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas, the Harrisburg-York-Gettysburg area, Lancaster County, the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area, the Wyoming-Lackawanna Valley, and along our major highways and rivers where outcrops are more prevalent. Areas that have not often been visited are the northern tier of counties and southwestern Pennsylvania, with several counties having never been traversed. The record of the Conference shows that revisits to areas of former trips are productive, as the dynamics of geology require the application of new interpretations to old and familiar outcrops.
Of the trips conducted by the Conference, most have been conducted solely by their host
organization. Credit for these goes to the Pennsylvania Geological Survey (11), The
Pennsylvania State University and its predecessor, State College (5), Lehigh University
(3), Bryn Mawr College (2), Bucknell University (2), Franklin and Marshall College (2),
the New Jersey Geological Survey (2), the U.S. Geological Survey (2), Dickinson College
(1), Lock Haven University (1), Johns Hopkins University (1), Lafayette College (1), the
Maryland Geological Survey (1), the Pittsburgh Geological Society (1), the Virginia
Geological Survey (1), and the West Virginia Geological Survey (1). The remaining
conferences were co-hosted, or field trip support was provided, by many of the
aforementioned organizations, plus The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia,
Anthracite Heritage Museum, J.E. Baker Company, Bloomsburg University, the Carnegie
Institute of Technology, the Carnegie Museum of Pittsburgh, Concord College, Delaware
County Christian School, Delaware Geological Survey, East Tennessee State College, Eastern
Industries, Eckley Miners' Village, Edinboro State College, Elizabethtown College,
Everhart Museum, George Washington University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Lafarge
Corporation, LaSalle College, Luzerne County Community College, Mansfield State College,
Mercyhurst College, Millersville University, National Park Service, The National Science
Foundation, the New Jersey Division of Water Resources, New York State Museum, Ohio
Wesleyan College, Princeton University, Rider College, Rutgers University, Slippery Rock
University, SUNY College at Fredonia, Tethys Consultants, Inc., the University of North
Carolina, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh- Bradford, the
University of Pittsburgh- Johnstown, Villanova University, and West Chester University.
Logistical, and occasionally financial, support of the Conference has been given cheerfully by industry from the early years. Conference records show that the Gulf Research and Development Corporation of Pittsburgh hosted the first complementary smoker at the fourth annual conference held in 1935 in Pittsburgh. Support to the Conference over these many years has been provided by A.B. Crichton, Aero Service Corporation, Allegheny Minerals Corp., Alpha Portland Cement, Atlantic Refining Company, the J.E. Baker Company, Michael Baker Associates, Benatec Associates, Benders Quarry Company, Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, Bethlehem Steel Company, Brockway Glass, Calcite Quarry Company, Ceco Associates, Inc., Chevron Resources Company, Cummings Riter Consultants, D'Appolonia, Datum Products, DLZ Construction, Dunn Geoscience Corporation, Dupont Corporation, Ecoscience, Mrs. Marion Escallon, Eshenaur's Quarry Company, GAF Corporation, J.T. Galey, Geomechanics, Geo-Technical Services, Inc., Gannett-Fleming, Inc., Geo-Graphics, Etc., Geoscience Engineering Co. Inc., Carlyle Gray & Associates, Mr. Ben Greeley, Harrisburg Area Geological Society, HDR, Hotel Easton, Hudson Coal Company, Hydro-Geo Services, Inc., Ingersoll-Rand Company, International Exploration Company, Kendall Oil Refinery, Key Environmental, L. Robert Kimball and Associates, Lehigh Navigation Coal Company, SMC Martin, Inc., H.E. Millard Lime and Stone, Mountain Research, Inc., New Jersey Zinc Company, Northeastern Environmental Associates, Samuel T. Pees and Associates, Inc., Pennsylvania Bluestone Association, Pennsylvania Oil Producers Association, Peoples Natural Gas Company, Petroleum Reclamation Company, Philadelphia Clay Company, Philadelphia and Reading Coal Company, Pennsylvania Drilling Company, Philadelphia Geological Society, Pittsburgh Association of Petroleum Geologists, Pittsburgh Geological Society, Mr. Jack Purvis, Quaker State Refining Company, Reading Railroad, Rebor Sand and Coal Company, Showalter's Quarry Company, Snyder Brothers Coal Co., South Penn Oil Company, Sun Oil Company, Tethys Geotechnical Consultants, Thomasville Lime and Stone Company, United Natural Gas, Wellsboro Chamber of Commerce, Wolf's Head Oil Company, and R.E. Wright Associates.