Amadeus William Grabau
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Amadeus William Grabau (January 9, 1870 – March 20, 1946) was an American geologist, teacher, stratigrapher, paleontologist, and author who worked in the United States and China.


Biography

Grabau's grandfather, J.A.A. Grabau, led a group of dissident Lutheran immigrants from Germany to
Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...
. His education began in his father's parochial school in his birthplace of
Cedarburg, Wisconsin Cedarburg ( ) is a city in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. Located about north of Milwaukee and in close proximity to Interstate 43, it is a suburb in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The city incorporated in 1885, and at the tim ...
, and then the public high school there. After his father became head of the Martin Luther Seminary in 1885, he finished high school in Buffalo. He took classes in the evenings while apprenticed to a bookbinder. His interest in local fossils grew. In a correspondence course in mineralogy, he impressed geologist William Otis Crosby enough to hire him at the
Boston Society of Natural History The Boston Society of Natural History (1830–1948) in Boston, Massachusetts, was an organization dedicated to the study and promotion of natural history. It published a scholarly journal and established a museum. In its first few decades, the s ...
in 1890, and arrange his education at Boston Latin,
MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sc ...
, and
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...
. He taught at
MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sc ...
and
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (; RPI) is a private university, private research university in Troy, New York, United States. It is the oldest technological university in the English-speaking world and the Western Hemisphere. It was establishe ...
early in his career. In 1901 he became a professor at
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
. He married Barnard student Mary Antin on October 5, 1901. She would go on to become a prominent author. Grabau's pro-German attitudes during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
led to an estrangement from his wife, and in 1919 he left Columbia for China. He traveled to China to become a professor at
Peking University Peking University (PKU) is a Public university, public Types of universities and colleges in China#By designated academic emphasis, university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of the Peop ...
and a member of the Chinese Geological Survey in October 1920. As part of his life's work, he conducted a geologic survey of China, and is now known as the father of Chinese geology. In 1936, the
National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...
awarded him the Mary Clark Thompson Medal from for most important service to geology and paleontology. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
he remained in Peking. Around 1941 he was interned by the
Japanese Imperial Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...
. His health declined precipitously, and he died of an internal hemorrhage after his release.


Books

Grabau was also a prolific author, publishing at least 10 books in the first half of the 20th century. Grabau developed various
theories A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...
during his lifetime, among them the theory of rhythms concerning the growth of the
Earth's crust Earth's crust is its thick outer shell of rock, referring to less than one percent of the planet's radius and volume. It is the top component of the lithosphere, a solidified division of Earth's layers that includes the crust and the upper ...
and a theory concerning mountain building and creation. The
Dorsum Grabau Dorsum Grabau is a wrinkle ridge at north of Timocharis crater in Mare Imbrium on the Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 time ...
, a
wrinkle ridge A wrinkle ridge is a type of feature commonly found on lunar maria, or basalt plains. These features are low, sinuous ridges formed on the mare surface that can extend for up to several hundred kilometers. Wrinkle ridges are tectonic features ...
on the
Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...
was named after him in 1976. A list of books written by Grabau, and their publication dates includes: *''North American Index Fossils'' (1909, 1910) ** Grabau A. W. & Shimer H. W. 1909
''Invertebrates. Volume I.''
A. G. Seiler & Company, New York.
alternate scan
** Grabau A. W. & Shimer H. W. 1910
''Invertebrates. Volume II.''
New York.
''Principles of Stratigraphy''
(1913) *''Textbook of Geology'' (1920–21) Two volumes
Part IPart II
*''Silurian Fossils of Yunnan'' (1920)
''Ordovician Fossils of North China''
(1922) *''Paleozoic Corals of China'' (1921) *''Stratigraphy of China'' (1924–25) *''Migration of Geosynclines'' (1924) *''Early Permian Fossils of China'' (1934) *''Rhythm of the Ages'' (1940)


References


Further reading

* *H. D. Thomas,
Nature Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...
158 (1946): 89–91 *H. W. Shimer, Am. Jour. of Science 244 (1946): 735–736 (with bibliography) *H. W. Shimer, Geological Soc. of America, Proc., 1947, pp. 155–166 *V. K. Ting, in Geological Society of China, Bull. 10 (1931): ix–xviii (also cited as Grabau Anniversary, the commemorative vol. presented to Grabau on his fiftieth birthday) *Y. C. Sun, in Geological Society of China, Bull. 27 (1947): 1026, includes a bibliography of 291 titles.


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grabau, Amadeus 1870 births 1946 deaths American paleontologists Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute faculty Columbia University faculty People from Cedarburg, Wisconsin Scientists from Buffalo, New York American expatriate academics American expatriates in China Boston Latin School alumni Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni Harvard University alumni Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty American prisoners of war in World War II World War II civilian prisoners held by Japan American people of German descent Deaths from bleeding