History of PGS

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Historical information currently available includes a brief history of the society, lists of speakers since 1969, and a tabulation of past society officers and related information.

A Short History of the Philadelphia Geological Society

by Ben Greeley, President

Although there are rumors that the PGS began with Ben Franklin, the modern PGS was extant in the pre-War and post-War years. Its early incarnation was led by Professor Ed Watson of Bryn Mawr College, according to Bill Crawford. Unfortunately, details of meeting and speakers are lost to history. It was likely that speakers invited to give seminars to the students remained on campus through the evening to speak to the society.

The next incarnation of the Society was in the winter of 1960-61 when Dr. Howard A. Meyerhoff, then the chairman of the Department of Geology at the University of Pennsylvania, convened a meeting to organize the Society. In attendance were faculty from other colleges and representatives from academies and industry (see list below). A more formal organization with three elected officers was created (see List of Officers).

Mimeographed membership lists and financial statements from that time list the speakers’ surnames but specific information is missing. Dr. Lucian Platt recalled that meetings were in the afternoon. Active members attended from the greater Philadelphia area, representing not only the academic institutions but also Sun Oil Company and International Exploration. At least two field trips also took place, one of which was led by an Academy of Sciences paleontologist.

The speakers to the Society have been familiar to those in the local universities and colleges and some have been important to the history of geology (see List of Speakers). We have been fortunate to have AAPG Distinguished Lecturers and other speakers from around the country visit our group. The most frequent speaker has been Dr. Gene Ulmer, of Temple University. The topic most often presented has been exploration geophysics.

In 1979 an Ad Hoc Committee on Procedure formulated a formal mission statement (see home page). Lucian Platt, Ronald Hartman, and Alice Hoersch were the committee. The status of the PGS has followed the fortunes of the local geological community, swelling in membership in the 1980s. However, in 1996 dwindling meeting attendance prompted then Secretary-Treasurer David Smith to appeal to the membership to decide whether the PGS should continue as an organization. Fortunately, through the efforts of the officers since that time, the Society was not allowed to become moribund.

If you are reading this, then you have the desire to ensure that the PGS has not only a history, but a future as well. Please contribute any information you have about our past activities.

Many thanks to Mr. Heyward Wharton for compiling the list of officers and contributing the announcements, newsletters, meeting handouts, and financial statements from which we compiled the list of speakers and this history. Heyward began the PGS history project in 1996. We also acknowledge the contributions of Dr. Lucian Platt, Dr. Bill Crawford, and the late William Fergusson.

Partial list of attendees at 1960 organizational meeting (from William Fergusson)

Robert Chambers, Wagner Free Institute

Albert J. Depman

Lincoln Dryden, Bryn Mawr College

William Fergusson, Pennsylvania Railroad

Ronald Hartman, Academy of Natural Sciences paleontologist

Juliet Reed, Bryn Mawr College (possibly)

Irwin Remson, then at Drexel, later at Stanford

Horace Richards, University of Pennsylvania paleontologist

Dick Teichman, Pennsylvania Railroad

Edward Watson, Bryn Mawr College

PGS Lore on the Lighter Side

When Professor Ed Watson at Bryn Mawr led the PGS, the seminars included a significant social element well lubricated by the Society’s private supply of beer. On one occasion a distinguished visitor was being escorted around the school by the Bryn Mawr president. The Geology Department’s keg had been stored in the basement lab, which had overheated. The keg burst, spreading an odor unavoidable to notice. The department’s lab was of course on the visitor’s itinerary. No one said a word as Professor Watson led the president and her visitor around the Department. At the formal reception that evening, the president said to Watson with a gleam in her eye, “Oh, Edward, you thought you could pull a fast one on us, didn’t you?”

Philadelphia Geological Society Officers

Year	President	Secretary	Treasurer	Dues- Paying Members	Number of Meetings
1960–1965	No information.
1966			Alice Weeks
1967			Irwin Remson
1968			Albert W. Weeks
1969	Robert Greenwood	Juliet Reed	Albert W. Weeks	94	7
1970	Robert Greenwood	Juliet Reed	Albert W. Weeks	80	5
1971–1972	Ron A. Hartman (VP: Robert Giegengack)	Bruce Saunders	Albert W. Weeks	91	6
1973–1974			Albert W. Weeks	72	5
1975			Albert W. Weeks	59	5
1976		William Crawford	Albert W. Weeks	76	6
1977			Albert W. Weeks	77	5
1978–1979	William Fergusson		Albert W. Weeks	72	5
1980		Alice M. Hoersch		69	6
1981		Alice M. Hoersch		67	5
1982	William A. Crawford		Barry Bergman	64	6
1983	William A. Crawford		Barry Bergman
1984–1987	No information.
1988–1989	Robert Giegengack		Richard Bischke
1990	Robert Giegengack		Bud Alcock
1991–1992			Bud Alcock
1993			Maria Luisa Crawford
1994–1995	Danielle Michelman		David Smith
1996	Henry Bienkowski		David Hassrick
1997–1999	Benjamin Greeley		Henry Bienkowski
2000–	Benjamin Greeley		Joseph Tomalavage

This table was compiled by Ben Greeley from information kindly provided by long-time member Heyward Wharton.

Last revised: 12 September 2016