Lardner Vanuxem (July 23, 1792 – January 25, 1848) was an American

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...

. He was graduated at the Ecole des mines, Paris, in 1819. After his education, he became the Chair of Chemistry and Mineralogy at

South Carolina College The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Carolina System and th ...

in Columbia,

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

. In 1826 he retired from the college and devoted his attention exclusively to geology as a profession. During that year he published in newspapers and in Robert Mills' "Statistics of South Carolina" report on the geology of the state. He visited

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

to examine mining property. From 1827 to 1828, he studied the geological features of the states of

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 * ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

, and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, under the auspices of the state of

, and made his report to its legislature. On the establishment of the geological survey of New York in 1836, Professor Vanuxem was assigned to the charge of the 3d geological district, and continued in the active work of the survey until 1841. At the close of the survey he spent some time in Albany arranging the state geological cabinet, out of which grew the

New York State Museum The New York State Museum is a research-backed institution in Albany, New York, Albany, New York (state), New York, United States. It is located on Madison Avenue, attached to the south side of the Empire State Plaza, facing onto the plaza and to ...

. Professor Vanuxem's private collection of mineral and geological specimens was considered at the time of his death to be "the largest, best arranged, and most valuable private collection in the country." He was a member of the

Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, formerly the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, is the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the Americas. It was founded in 1812, by many of the leading natur ...

and a member of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

(1822). Vanuxem saw the need for a uniform system of nomenclature in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

which led him to form a collaborative group that in 1847 became the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...

. Vanuxem was an intensely religious man. Raised in the

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Christianity, Reformed Protestantism, Protestant tradition named for its form of ecclesiastical polity, church government by representative assemblies of Presbyterian polity#Elder, elders, known as ...

, he abstained from alcohol and tobacco and was a strong advocate of human rights. He also advocated women's equality. Lardner married Mary Ann Newbold in 1831, and they had seven children.http://www.minrec.org/labels.asp?colid=1328 The Mineralogical Record: Biographical Archive

Publications

* ''Geology of New York, 3d District'' (Albany, 1842) * He wrote numerous papers on scientific subjects in the ''American Journal of Science''
Catalogue of the Cabinet of Natural History of the State of New York, and of the Historical and ...
(1853) * ''An Essay on the Ultimate Principles of Chemistry, Natural Philosophy, and Physiology'' (Philadelphia, 1827) * ''Account of the jeffersonite, a new mineral discovered at the Franklin Iron Works, near Sparta, in New Jersey'' with W.H. Keating. ''Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia Journal'', vol. 2, pages 194–204 (1822) * ''On a new locality of the automolite,'' ''Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia Journal,'' vol. 2, pages 249–251 (1822)

External links

The Lardner Vanuxem Mineral Collection: Rhodes College Digital Repository

Wurts family papers
at

Hagley Museum and Library The Hagley Museum and Library is a nonprofit educational institution in unincorporated New Castle County, Delaware, near Wilmington. Covering more than along the banks of the Brandywine Creek, the museum and grounds include the first du Po ...

. Collection includes Vanuxem family papers as well.

Sources

* ''Pioneers of Science in America'' By William Jay Youmans, page 270 {{DEFAULTSORT:Vanuxem, Lardner 1792 births 1848 deaths Scientists from Philadelphia American geologists Columbia College (South Carolina) faculty French emigrants to the United States